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Kolkata’s Iconic Trams Face Final Stop as Modernization Rolls in

Passengers sit inside a decorated tram during the 152nd anniversary celebrations of trams in Kolkata, India, February 24, 2025. (Reuters)
Passengers sit inside a decorated tram during the 152nd anniversary celebrations of trams in Kolkata, India, February 24, 2025. (Reuters)
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Kolkata’s Iconic Trams Face Final Stop as Modernization Rolls in

Passengers sit inside a decorated tram during the 152nd anniversary celebrations of trams in Kolkata, India, February 24, 2025. (Reuters)
Passengers sit inside a decorated tram during the 152nd anniversary celebrations of trams in Kolkata, India, February 24, 2025. (Reuters)

For more than a century, trams have rumbled past Kolkata's crumbling colonial facades, with their chiming bells contributing to the city's soundtrack as they ferried generations of ​commuters.

Now, Asia's oldest tram network is on the brink of disappearing as authorities consider pulling the plug on a mode of transport that has become more nostalgia than necessity.

The West Bengal government plans to shut down the 152-year-old system, keeping only a short heritage route. The decision has sparked a court battle as residents and heritage advocates fight to keep ‌the trams ‌rolling.

"As children, we would take the ‌trams ⁠for ​fun, ‌but as I grew older it became a necessity," said Abha Maity, 44, recalling rides to school and college. "I can’t imagine Kolkata without them."

Once a highlight of the city's streets, the wobbly trams now struggle for space amid traffic jams - competing with buses and yellow taxis - as Kolkata builds modern infrastructure and seeks faster transport.

Kolkata introduced ⁠horse-drawn trams in 1873 and electrified them in 1902. At its peak, the ‌network boasted more than 340 trams and ‍covered the entire city. Today, ‍only two routes remain, with a fleet of about 10.

"When ‍I joined, more than 340 trams were running. Now it's down to seven or eight," said Bacchu Sidda, a conductor for 36 years who still checks his duty roster pinned on a board ​at the last functioning depot in Gariahat.

The government began selling depots and scrapping cars years ago, prompting a citizens' ⁠group called Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA) to take the fight to court. CTUA has campaigned since 2016 to save what remains of the system.

"I love my trams more than myself," said Deep Das, 19, a journalism student and CTUA member. "If they disappear, it will be like a part of my body has left me."

Despite resistance, authorities are pouring billions into upgrading Kolkata's infrastructure, focusing on metro expansion, wider roads and new highways to ease congestion.

For now, the fate of Kolkata's aging trams awaits a ‌court review, as they continue carrying some passengers who view them as living memories of the city's past.

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Culture

Visitors Flock to Hira Cultural District for Immersive Islamic Heritage Experiences

The district is among the key projects highlighting Makkah's cultural and civilizational dimension in line with Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA
The district is among the key projects highlighting Makkah's cultural and civilizational dimension in line with Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA
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Visitors Flock to Hira Cultural District for Immersive Islamic Heritage Experiences

The district is among the key projects highlighting Makkah's cultural and civilizational dimension in line with Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA
The district is among the key projects highlighting Makkah's cultural and civilizational dimension in line with Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA

The Hira Cultural District in Makkah is witnessing a growing influx of domestic and international visitors with the start of the summer vacation, cementing its status as one of the Holy Capital's most prominent cultural and educational destinations.

Located at the foot of Mount Hira, home to Hira Cave, where revelation first descended upon Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the district offers educational content through modern interactive technologies that blend authenticity with innovation, SPA reported.

The Revelation Exhibition, the district's most prominent component, documents the story of the first revelation through visual and audio presentations. The district also houses the Holy Quran Museum, which displays rare Quranic manuscripts and traces the stages of writing and developing the Holy Quran across Islamic eras.

Supporting facilities include open squares, restaurants, cafés, shops, and visitor reception areas, providing a suitable environment for families and visitors of all nationalities.

The district is among the key projects highlighting Makkah's cultural and civilizational dimension in line with Saudi Vision 2030's objectives to develop the cultural and tourism sectors and showcase Islamic heritage.

Culture

Saudi Arabia’s Rafha Heritage Museum Showcases over 3,000 Rare Coins, Currencies from World Civilizations

The collection documents the evolution of civilizations. SPA
The collection documents the evolution of civilizations. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s Rafha Heritage Museum Showcases over 3,000 Rare Coins, Currencies from World Civilizations

The collection documents the evolution of civilizations. SPA
The collection documents the evolution of civilizations. SPA

The cultural heritage museum in Rafha Governorate, licensed by the Saudi Museums Commission, houses a collection of more than 3,000 rare coins and currencies, both paper and metal, from around the world.

Spanning successive historical periods, the collection documents the evolution of civilizations and offers insight into the economic and cultural developments that have shaped societies throughout history.

During a tour of the museum, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) observed a dedicated section featuring coins from a wide range of historical periods.

The collection includes ancient Saudi coins, as well as currency from the Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman eras.

The museum welcomes visitors, heritage enthusiasts, and researchers to explore its extensive collection of coins and other historical artifacts.

Beyond preserving rare collections, heritage museums play a vital role in safeguarding national and human heritage, promoting awareness of civilizational history, and connecting generations to their cultural and historical legacy.

Culture

Italy Displays Paintings from an Ancient Etruscan Tomb, Its Latest Cultural Acquisition

People look at the newly acquired Tomb of Francois, a 4th-century BC masterpiece bought last month by Italy's Culture Ministry for 15 million euros, at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, Italy, June 30, 2026. (Reuters)
People look at the newly acquired Tomb of Francois, a 4th-century BC masterpiece bought last month by Italy's Culture Ministry for 15 million euros, at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, Italy, June 30, 2026. (Reuters)
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Italy Displays Paintings from an Ancient Etruscan Tomb, Its Latest Cultural Acquisition

People look at the newly acquired Tomb of Francois, a 4th-century BC masterpiece bought last month by Italy's Culture Ministry for 15 million euros, at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, Italy, June 30, 2026. (Reuters)
People look at the newly acquired Tomb of Francois, a 4th-century BC masterpiece bought last month by Italy's Culture Ministry for 15 million euros, at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, Italy, June 30, 2026. (Reuters)

Italy on Tuesday put on display one of the best-known examples of Etruscan painting, panels from a tomb that it acquired for 15 million euros ($17 million) in the Culture Ministry’s buying spree of big-ticket pieces of the country's cultural heritage.

The ministry announced in May that it had acquired the fresco panels, dating from the 4th century, from members of the Torlonia family, one of Italy’s ancient noble families whose vast collection of antiquity has long been kept out of the public domain.

The Francois Tomb was discovered in 1857 by the French archaeologist Alessandro Francois in Vulci, on land owned by the Torlonia family. The frescoes were detached from the necropolis in 1863 and became part of the Torlonia private collection, while the contents of the tomb were divided up among Francois, colleagues and the family.

The Italian government has been trying to get possession of the tomb since 1921, as part of its effort to bring back into the Italian public patrimony artifacts and antiquities that were acquired or looted during the boom of archaeological excavations in the 1800s and beyond.

The Etruscan Civilization occupied swaths of what is today central Italy for centuries was a major Mediterranean trading power. Much of it was destroyed by the subsequent Roman Empire.

The tomb is opening to the public Wednesday at Rome’s Villa Giulia National Etruscan Museum. Alongside the fresco panels are jewels, Etruscan vases and other items that were discovered inside the tomb, now belong in museum collections around the world and were loaned to Italy for the exhibition.

The tomb marks the Culture Ministry’s third major acquisition this year of expensive, culturally important artworks. It paid $14.9 million for Antonello da Messina’s “Ecce Homo” and around $35 million for a rare portrait by Caravaggio depicting Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII.

The funds have come from the ministry’s annual budget for acquisitions, but Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has prioritized buying fewer, bigger-ticket items of cultural importance rather than smaller, lesser artworks and antiquities, officials said.

“In recent months, the Ministry of Culture has invested a great deal of money in acquiring masterpieces,” said Massimo Osanna, director general of Italian museums in the ministry.

Giuli has said the tomb is a “fundamental” part of Italian history that was now being returned to the Italian public to enjoy.

Luana Toniolo, director of the Villa Giulia museum, called the tomb one of the greatest masterpieces of antiquity and Etruscan painting, and one of the best preserved. Among other things, the paintings depict the sacrifice of Trojan prisoners and battles of Etruscan heroes.