Saudi heritage show in US tomorrow

JEDDAH: Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, along with the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution G. Wayne Clough, will inaugurate the “Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces through the Ages” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Museum in Washington tomorrow.
Sackler Museum is the first stop of the exhibition in the United States, which is scheduled to be hosted by a number of other museums across the country. The exhibition will continue for three months in the Sacker Museum and then it will be hosted by a number of other museums throughout the two-year period in the US.
Smithsonian is the fifth stop within the exhibition’s international journey. The exhibition in Washington, DC will display more than 320 pieces of antiquities. It is noteworthy that the exhibition attracted more than 1.5 million visitors in France, Spain, Russia and Germany in its past shows.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition will be attended by hundreds of figures representing governmental and non-governmental organizations, international organizations, diplomatic corps authorities in antiquities, heritage and culture in Saudi Arabia, US and other countries. The SCTA and the Smithsonian have finalized all preparations for the opening of the exhibition and the relics are in place in showcases of the exhibition in the Sackler Museum already.
The artifacts to be displayed at the exhibition are taken from the National Museum in Riyadh, King Saud University Museum, King Fahd National Library, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, King Abdul Aziz Library in Madinah, in addition to a number of antiquities found in the latest archaeological excavations. The relics cover a period of time starting from the Stone Age to the present Saudi state.
The exhibition in Europe witnessed heavy turnout where it was visited by more than 1.5 million people, which reflects the great interest of the world toward Saudi antiquities as well to their willingness to learn about the successive civilizations that played in the corridors of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
After the huge success attained by the exhibition during its previous stops in Europe, many international museums are vying with each other to host the exhibition and bear the hosting expenses as well. This reflects the historical significance of the civilization of the Kingdom and the great value attached to the relics of the exhibition, which were showcased for the first time outside the Kingdom in this vast range and variety.
The exhibition focuses on the influence of ancient trade routes that crossed the Arabian Peninsula and allowed for trade and cultural exchange between different civilizations. It features a range of recently discovered relics from ancient trade routes including beautiful glass dishes and pottery, heavy gold earrings, in addition to highlighting the subsequent developments of Haj routes to Makkah after the emergence of Islam.