Saudi exhibition window on Islamic culture 

(MENAFN - Arab News) In his inaugural speech at the "The Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces through the Ages" exhibition at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin on Jan. 25, Prince Sultan bin Salman said the message of Islam is one of peace and justice for the world.

"The exhibition is an opportunity for others to get acquainted with our culture," he said.

The Berlin visit of Prince Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), was a success.

Prince Sultan and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit had earlier in the evening jointly opened the exhibition.

During his visit, the Kingdom signed three agreements with regard to excavation. The mayor warmly welcomed Prince Sultan, hailing the opening of the Saudi exhibition at Pergamon Museum. Wowereit emphasized the fact that opening the exhibition in Germany was a practical translation of the mutual cooperation between the Kingdom and Germany with regard to supporting cultural relations between the two countries. He hoped for the continuity of cooperation for the best interests of both countries.

Prince Sultan expressed his appreciation for the warm reception he received at Berlin, for bilateral cooperation, and for the efforts of German officials toward this important cultural event that highlighted the civilization dimension of the Kingdom.

The opening ceremony enjoyed wide German and international media coverage. The Saudi Ambassador to Germany Osama bin Abdul Majeed Shoboukshi, deputy chairman of the SCTA Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Ghaban, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Information Saleh Al-Mighaileeth and representatives of a number of government and private German establishments attended the opening ceremony.

In his speech, Prince Sultan pointed out that the exhibition, which was first held in the Louvre Museum in Paris in 2010, represents a series of exhibitions that have been held with the sponsorship of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. He also pointed out the decision to move the exhibition to a number of European and American cities had the objective of highlighting the civilization dimension of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition managed to attract 1 million visitors in France, Spain and Russia.

In his speech, Prince Sultan said: "Today I talk about a country that is characterized by Islam and we are very proud of this great religion. The Kingdom takes pride in its being the beginning of the Islamic call and the place of the two holy mosques. We are also proud that the soil of the Kingdom hosts archaeological sites that demonstrate and highlight the role of the active Arabian men's role in human civilization. It is our land where different ancient civilizations interacted and where old trade routes merged. In such an exhibition, we would like to reveal the Islamic religion that sprang from this land is a great faith that respects all other previous civilizations. Also, it managed to include these civilizations and build on them in a new great Islamic civilization. The message of Islam carries peace and justice to the whole wide world."

Prince Sultan also pointed out people were aware of the three dimensions that characterized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and gave it a unique character. They include the religious, political and economic dimensions. He said there is another dimension that is known only among researchers and scientists, which is the cultural and civilization dimension. The exhibition aims to get people acquainted with this dimension. Therefore, there is a need to make this known to the world so this rich and priceless legacy attains its deserved historical, civilization and cultural status, he said.

Additionally, the prince said this exhibition is tied to the presence of 24 international excavation missions with the participation of Saudi archaeologists. There is a simultaneous national campaign to reinforce the civilization dimension. There is a campaign to procure all antiquities that left the country and to collect antiquities possessed by Saudi citizens. It is worth mentioning that there will be an exhibition for restored national antiquities under the patronage of King Abdullah next month. More than 14,000 antiquity pieces have been restored. There will also be an international seminar and domestic workshop to shed light on restored antiquities from within the Kingdom and abroad.

In his speech, Wowereit emphasized the desire for more cooperation between Riyadh and Berlin in the best interest of the two nations. He cordially welcomed Prince Sultan and his entourage. The head of the Islamic section at the Pergamon Museum, Steven Weber, said there were some 730,000 visitors at the museum last year. They had a chance to acquaint themselves with the Islamic civilization and the history of the Arabian Peninsula as the center of the Islamic world. He also said this objective would be realized through the exhibition.

The ceremony was attended by a number of German and non-German diplomats and politicians in Berlin.

After the prince and the mayor cut the ribbon for the formal opening of the exhibition, they toured the exhibition accompanied by Al-Ghaban, who briefed them about the displayed antiquity pieces that reinforced the cultural richness, historical depth, and civilization dimension of Saudi Arabia. The prince then paid tribute to the mayor of Berlin and a number of people who participated in organizing and supporting the exhibition.

In a statement after the exhibition, Prince Sultan said the Kingdom signed three agreements with Germany for archeological excavations in Saudi Arabia. He explained one of the agreements would be for excavation in deep regional water in the Red Sea. The purpose of this agreement is to explore sunken ships and important antiquities. Another agreement was signed for the purpose of excavation in the region of Al-Rajajil in Al-Jouf. The prince explained the SCTA worked with a specialized team from a German university with the mission of conducting excavations in Teima.

He stressed the benefits of working with international teams in this particular field in order to reinforce scientific knowledge. He clarified local students in Saudi universities that were interested in this field also worked in archaeological sites.

In addition to the exhibition, there were some events to highlight the cultural legacy of Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Culture and Information has organized folklore events to represent all regions in the Kingdom. In addition, there was a media exhibition that included a number of publications, books, and documentaries that focus on the history of the Kingdom and its cultural traditions.

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is one of the most important international museums and one of the richest museums of the Museums Island in Berlin (the name of the northern half of an island in the Spree River in the central district of Berlin). The Museums Island is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 1999. Museums in this part of Berlin include legacies and ruins of generations over the last 6,000 years.

"The Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces Through the Ages" exhibition includes 400 antiquity pieces from the national museum in Riyadh, the museum of King Saud University, Darat King Abdulaziz, and other museums. The pieces displayed covered a period that stretched from the Stone Age until the modern day.