Saudi treasures give Japan a glimpse of ancient Arabia

TOKYO: Rare archaeological treasures from Saudi Arabia’s past have gone on display at the Tokyo National Museum, giving visitors a unique insight into the Kingdom’s rich and varied history.
The traveling exhibition, “Roads of Arabia: Archaeological treasures of Saudi Arabia through the Ages,” has been organized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), and has previously visited Dhahran and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, four European countries, the US, China and South Korea.
About 460 artefacts are on display, spanning more than one million years from the Paleolithic era to the establishment of the modern Saudi state.
The Saudi ambassador to Japan, Ahmed Al-Barrak, opened the exhibition on Monday on the behalf of Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the SCTH.
Visitors to the exhibition said the relics reflected the Kingdom’s religious, economic and political importance.
Ivano Herosheed said: “The exhibition is introducing Japanese people to Saudi Arabia’s history and culture. I will be the first to visit the archaeological sites when they open in the Kingdom.”
“By visiting the exhibition, I learned that the Kingdom has a long and rich history,” said Masi Masaychi. “Preserving these archaeological pieces is such a wonderful thing.”
He said that the resemblance of many relics to Egyptian antiques showed that Arab cultures and civilizations are all connected.