The Arabian Peninsula and Arab world in photos

[Hindustani78]

The Imilchil Marriage Festival takes place at Imilchil, which is located high up in the lake plateau of the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The legendary tale of the Imilchil Marriage Festival says there were two young people who fell in love from enemy tribes. Their family would not allow them to marry. Out of grief, they wept bitterly day and night. These tears created two individual lakes. One lake was "Isli", meaning bridegroom and the other, "Tislit", meaning bride. (Photo: AP)

Berber merchants wait for customers at a cattle market during the annual festival of Imilchil. Imilchil is located high up in the lake plateau of the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. (Photo: AP)

A band plays traditional music to attendees of the annual festival of Imilchil, that takes place in a small village in Morocco's Atlas mountains. What started as an annual marriage festival has become an economic boon for the tiny Berber village tucked into in the foothills of Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Today, the event is arranged to coincide with a large three-day market that marks the end of the harvest season. (Photo: AP)

A couple wait to legalize their marriage during the annual festival of Imilchil. The festival primarily sees Berber tribal clans who have a strong sense of culture and tradition that has been preserved for decades. (Photo: AP)

Berber villagers shop for garments at the annual festival of Imilchil, a small village in Morocco's Atlas mountains. Traditionally, a nod and a wink is the unspoken language between men and women at the festival to show interest. Men are usually assisted by a friend in choosing a bride and overcoming any shyness. Once they receive a gesture from a female, if they agree, they may hold hands to show intent. However, letting go of ones hand signals rejection. (Photo: AP)

A caretaker cleans outside the mausoleum of Sidi Hmad Mghani, a local saint. According to customs, if a bride says the magic phrase, "you have captured my liver or my liver pines for you", it means that she has found her love. Liver not the heart is considered the location of true love because in Berber culture it is believed that a healthy liver aids digestion and promotes well-being. (Photo: AP)

A man seeks a blessing at the mausoleum of Sidi Hmad Mghani. The legendary tale of the Imilchil Marriage Festival says there were two young people who fell in love from enemy tribes. Their family would not allow them to marry. Out of grief, they wept bitterly day and night. These tears created two individual lakes. One lake was "Isli", meaning bridegroom and the other, "Tislit", meaning bride. (Photo: AP)

Colorful rugs are put on display for sale at the annual festival of Imilchil. As well as being the place to choose a potential spouse, the Moussem of Imilchil operates as a fair or a big market, with artisans and farmers offering their produce to a wider market than is available at the weekly Souk. (Photo: AP)

Berber merchants selling utensils wait for customers at the annual festival of Imilchi. (Photo: AP)

A family drives home after buying good from the annual festival of Imilchil, a small village in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. What started as an annual marriage festival has become an economic boon for a tiny Berber village tucked into in the foothills of Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Today, the event is arranged to coincide with a large three-day market that marks the end of the harvest season. (Photo: AP)

 

[Hindustani78]

Jebel Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaima, UAE. The attraction aims to make Ras Al Khaimah a destination for adventure travel in the Middle East.

Set to open in the United Arab Emirates’ northernmost emirate Ras Al Khaimah, the zip line will propel riders off the UAE’s highest mountain peak, Jebel Jais, which stands nearly 2,000 m (6,561 feet) above sea level.

 

[Hindustani78]

THE Al-Namas Heritage Museum of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) is considered one of the main, diversified museums in the Kingdom.

The museum contains about 1,500 various archeological exhibits that show the nature of Al-Namas inhabitants.

The museum consists of 4 floors divided into halls, which include agricultural tools, cooking utensils, a hall for leather crafts, a room for women’s jewelry, clothing, and also other for men’s clothes, weapons and rifles; and another two rooms that represent the old council. The museum contains rock inscriptions dating back to ancient times, including Thamudian inscriptions and Islamic inscriptions dating back to the third century according to Hijra calendar.

 

[Hindustani78]

Mohamed Ajar, a prominent resistance leader during France’s decades-long occupation of Morocco, died Wednesday in Casablanca at the age of 97, according to sources close to him.

Affectionately known as “Said Bonaeilat”, Ajar had been receiving treatment at a Casablanca hospital for more than a month when he passed away.

Ajar was born in 1920 in the town of Tafraout in Morocco’s southern Sous region.

While in Casablanca, he joined the local resistance against the French occupation, at which point he first began using his well-known nom du guerre, Said Bonaeilat.

In 1944, Ajar joined the Istiqlal Party -- Morocco’s first political party -- before helping to establish the National Union of Popular Forces (NUPF), which broke away from the Istiqlal Party in the mid-1950s.

In 1956, after 44 years of French occupation, Morocco regained its political independence.

 

[Hindustani78]

CHABAISH, Iraq: In the southern marshlands of Iraq

 

[Hindustani78]

Pride of place: A reproduction of a rare Koran manuscript at the Sharjah International Book Fair. The original has been carbon-dated to between A.D. 468 and A.D. 645. | Photo Credit: SIBF

The reproduction of a rare Koran manuscript was a particular highlight. On display at the University of Birmingham stand, it is a copy of the original, carbon-dated to between A.D. 468-645.

Sharjah is staking claim in as many words to being the ‘Islamic cultural capital’ and the ‘cultural capital of the Arab world’, priding in its “ever-increasing international status as a source of knowledge, positivity and ambition”, as Ahmed Al-Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) said. The city has been named Unesco’s World Book Capital 2019.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1191691/saudi-arabia

RIYADH: Archaeologists have announced a number of discoveries and phenomena in various parts of the Kingdom on the sidelines of the first Saudi Antiquities Forum which ended on Thursday.

One of these is a 1,000-year-old gold dinar struck in 453 AH, and uncovered by an archaeologist at King Saud University, local media reported.

The gold dinar, an Islamic medieval gold coin, was found only 20 centimeters below the surface at the archaeological site.

A new astronomical phenomenon linked to the Rajajil site was also found, in addition to six other Fatimid coins, glass bottles with writings dating back to the reign of the Caliph Al-Mustansir, part of a red agate pottery, and decorative beads.

Rajajil, often called the Stonehenge of Saudi Arabia, is a mysterious ancient site located on a sandstone terrace some 20 kilometers south of the center of Sakakah, the capital of Al-Jouf province, and a few kilometers south of Qarah village.


Archaeological excavations had revealed that Rajajil is indeed a burial site, but its true importance is “probably its role in the transition of lifestyles from nomadism toward sedentarism induced by climate changes on the Arabian Peninsula.

Archaeological investigation in the Al-Hajjar area also revealed the existence of 17 tombs with the names of 14 sculptors who worked in Madain Saleh, the first world heritage site of Saudi Arabia. The archaeological tombs in the area bore artistic inscriptions.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...ypt-s-luxor/story-39GrAtkl8CsUaaLS6uLMMI.html
Wall inscriptions suggest the tombs date to the 18th dynasty, pharaohs who ruled some 3,500 years ago

Updated: Dec 09, 2017 20:38 IST

Associated Press, Luxor

A file photo Skulls and hands are seen next to coffin in the tomb of Amenemhat, a goldsmith from the New Kingdom, at the Draa Abu-el Naga necropolis near the Nile city of Luxor, south of Cairo, Egypt on September 9.(REUTERS/Representative image)

Egypt on Saturday announced the discovery of two small ancient tombs in the southern city Luxor dating back some 3,500 years and hoped it will help the country’s efforts to revive its ailing tourism sector.

The tombs, located on the west bank of the river Nile in a cemetery for noblemen and top officials, are the latest discovery in the city famed for its temples and tombs spanning different dynasties of ancient Egyptian history.

“It’s truly an exceptional day,” Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said. “The 18th dynasty private tombs were already known. But it’s the first time to enter inside the two tombs.”

Al-Anani said the discoveries are part of the ministry’s efforts to promote Egypt’s vital tourism industry, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing, that was hit hard by extremist attacks and political turmoil following the 2011 uprising.

Egyptian archaeological technicians restore a mummy wrapped in linen, found at the newly discovered "Kampp 150" tomb at Draa Abul Naga necropolis on the west Nile bank of the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, about 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of the capital Cairo, on December 9, 2017. (AFP)

The ministry said one tomb has a courtyard lined with mud-brick and stone walls and contains a six-meter (yard) burial shaft leading to four side chambers. The artifacts found inside were mostly fragments of wooden coffins. Wall inscriptions and paintings suggest it belongs to era between the reigns King Amenhotep II and King Thutmose IV, both pharaohs of the 18th dynasty.

An Egyptian guard stands next to a funeral mural inside a newly discovered tomb on Luxor's West Bank known as "KAMPP 161" during an announcement for the Egyptian Ministry of antiquities about new discoveries in Luxor, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP)

The other tomb has five entrances leading to a rectangular hall and contains two burial shafts located in the northern and southern sides of the tomb.

Among the artifacts found inside are funerary cones, painted wooden funerary masks, clay vessels, a collection of some 450 statues and a mummy wrapped in linen who was likely of a top official. A cartouche carved on the ceiling bears the name of King Thutmose I of the early 18th dynasty.

The Antiquities Ministry has made a string of discoveries since the beginning of 2017 in several provinces across Egypt — including the tomb of a royal goldsmith in the same area and belonging to the same dynasty, whose work was dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Amun.

Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient picture wall is found that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient wooden face mask is found in new two tombs, that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anany (C) makes a speech about the discovery of new two tombs, belongs to18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient mummified body is seen that belongs to18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Ancient tablets and pieces are seen that belong to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
LUXOR, EGYPT - DECEMBER 09: Visitors take photos of an ancient picture wall that belongs to the 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )




Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient picture wall is found that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )




Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Ancient statues are found in new two tombs, that belong to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Egyptian archaeologists restore wooden tombs that belong to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )


Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient picture wall is found that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )




Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient wooden face mask is found in new two tombs, that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )




Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
LUXOR, EGYPT - DECEMBER 09: An ancient wooden statue is found in new two tombs, that belongs to the 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )


Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient picture wall is found that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )




Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Visitors look on an ancient picture wall that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )

 

[Hindustani78]

Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient wooden statue is found in new two tombs, that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )



Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Ancient wooden statues are found in new two tombs, that belong to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )






Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Ancient wooden statues are found in new two tombs, that belong to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )








Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Ancient wooden statues and a tablet are found in new two tombs, that belong to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )





Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient wooden statue is found in new two tombs, that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )








Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
Egyptian skulls and bones are found in new two tombs, that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )






Egyptian archaeologists discover two tombs from 18th Dynasty pharaohs
An ancient wooden face mask is found in new two tombs, that belongs to 18th Dynasty pharaohs (B.C. 1550-1292) in Dra Abu el-Naga district of Luxor, Egypt on December 09, 2017. ( Ibrahim Ramadan - Anadolu Agency )

 

[Hindustani78]

MADINAH: A new “Camp Fire” festival started on Wednesday, Dec. 6 in Suwaydrah, about 50 kilometers east of Madinah.

 

[Hindustani78]

King Fahd National library restores thousands of ancient documents
ARAB NEWS | Published — Monday 18 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1210766/saudi-arabia

JEDDAH: The King Fahd National Library has contributed to the restoration and photocopying of more than 12,000 manuscripts and tens of thousands of documents and materials dating back more than 900 years, then sterilizing them with ozone gas.

The move aims to preserve and restore the items from the damage they have suffered over time.
The restoration department “deals with the documents and manuscripts it receives from government agencies and individuals,” said its director, Abdullah Al-Ahmad.

“Each item goes through a complex process of six stages, beginning with sterilization, treatment, restoration, microfilm and digital photography, until the binding stage.”

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1212796/saudi-arabia#photo/2

MADINAH: The Qur’an exhibition held in Madinah, in cooperation with Samaya Holding, aims to introduce the content of the Qur’an accurately according to a system of techniques which follows a museum exhibition style.

The exhibition involves the participation of the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, the General Presidency for the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives, King Abdul Aziz General Library in Madinah, King Saud University, and King Abdul Aziz University.

The sub-goals include the call for learning and teaching Qur’an; highlighting the greatness of the Qur’an; understanding the history of Qur’an, displaying the special technologies of the Qur’an; and demonstrating the efforts of the Kingdom in caring for the Qur’an.

Hamzah Abdul-Karim, the supervisor of the exhibition, told Arab News that the Qur’an exhibition contains many manuscripts and modern technologies which suit the needs of society, including manuscripts written on gazelle’s skin and others written by Hafez Osman, who wrote 106 manuscripts of the Qur’an and passed away while writing the 107th.

Another unique manuscript was written by Ghulam Mohiuddin about 200 years ago, which was carried on four camels from Afghanistan to Madinah due to its heavy weight. The manuscript is one-and-a-half meters long and one meter wide, and weighs 154 kilograms. There is a translation in Persian at the bottom of each page.

Abdul-Karim added that the exhibition is held in 12 halls, and there are interpreters to many languages including English, French, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Indonesian, Pashtu and Malawian. He also noted that a large number of pilgrims visit the exhibition during Umrah and Hajj seasons, with the number of visitors reaching 10.000 daily during Hajj season. Moreover, people from around 150 nations visited the exhibition.

Visitors to the Qur’an exhibition in Madinah have been amazed at the talents of the Egyptian Qur’an calligrapher Hani Al-Tawil who displays his skills to visitors. Tawil told Arab News that he masters the Naskh and Diwani styles of the Arabic alphabet, as well as six other types of calligraphy.

 

[ezerdi2]

Snow covered the sand dunes in algerian sahara

 

[Ceylal]

@Hindustani78 , nice thread but North Africa is not Arab, you shoul change the title to the A peninsula and the Muslim world...Moroccan, Algerian ant Tunisian. Algerians are celebrating Yannayer officially for the first time since the indépendance...North Africa is Berber, not Arab!

 

[Muhammed45]

You right i don't know why pk defence don't seperate the near eastern countries with those North african shitholes egypt, libya, tunisia, algeria, morocco those countries are undeveloped as hell and they don't belong to the middle eastern thread Please again seperate North africa and the middle east they both have different cultures and interrests !!!

I thought UAE's fighter jets are already busy with bombing the shit out of Libyan infrastructures.

N.Africa could be heaven. Believe me, Arab monarchs are still killing poorest Arab people by supplying ISIS and Nusra-Qaeda, as much as N.Africa stays away from the shitholes in middle east, it would be even safer. No need to tell you about Yemen, destroyed by Arab monarchs, just to remind. No offense