Prominent Cancun Resort Takes Leading Role in Earth Hour Initiative

Posted on 18th May 2012 in The monuments of world

CANCUN, MEXICO–(Marketwire -05/18/12)- Guests enjoying prominent Cancun hotel accommodations recently had the opportunity to participate in the 2012 world observance of Earth Hour as their lodging host proudly joined in the worldwide initiative.

Taking a stand to draw global attention to the effects of climate change, the impressive CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort and its guests joined with more than 100 million people around the world at 8:30 p.m. on March 31 in a symbolic act targeting these growing concerns. Considered by many as the best hotel in Cancun, the CasaMagna Marriott switched off the power to all decorative lighting and treated guests to a candlelight ceremony on the beach in observance of the occasion.

This is the third time the resort has participated in Earth Hour initiative since it was launched in 2006. The 2011 event drew worldwide attention as lights were turned off in 5,251 cities in 135 countries. Also joining in the observance were many historic monuments including the pyramids of Egypt and the Roman Coliseum.

Recognizing its leading role in the hospitality industry, Marriott International is setting the standard for hotels and resorts by guiding the way in establishing a sustainable lifestyle and accepting responsibility for the future. Participating in Earth Hour also affirms the hotel chain’s commitment to the local communities in which it operates and defines its continuing pledge to social responsibility.

Boasting a magnificent beachfront location, the CasaMagna Marriott is a family-friendly resort and an ideal choice for fun-in-the-sun family vacations in Cancun. Conveniently located for easy access to popular attractions including the Chichen Itza Mayan ruins, Xcaret Ecological Park and Aqua World, families will find plenty of things to do while staying at this stylish resort. Offering an abundance of onsite amenities, the hotel is also a welcoming destination for those planning a weekend getaway in Cancun. Guests have access to miles of sparkling white sand beaches, an outdoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center, as well as six remarkable restaurants and lounges. The Marriott Kids Program is also available for children ages four to 12, offering daily supervised activities so mom and dad can spend time together relaxing on the beach, enjoying rejuvenating spa services and treatments at the hotel’s own spa or simply enjoying the company of each other.

About the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort
The CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort is nestled along the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea pampering guests with gracious beachfront accommodations, generous amenities and attentive service. Well-appointed guest rooms and spacious suites with private balconies provide guests with captivating views and the immaculate resort grounds create a relaxing environment for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel’s elegant and state-of-the-art event facilities offer flexible indoor and outdoor venues ideal for destination weddings or corporate events.

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Robert Fisk: The Baghdad street of books that refuses to die

Posted on 13th April 2012 in The monuments of world

Saad Tahr Hussein rushes me through the narrow alleyway towards Mutanabbi Street, where the concrete wall in front of the central bank hems in the pedestrians. About a thousand Iraqis briefly see – or don’t notice – the sly shade of a Brit as he stumbles down the alley. Then, in the square where the statue of old Marouf al-Rasafi, poet and history-debunker under British colonial rule, glares at the crowds, we turn left into the street of books.

Everyone goes to Mutanabbi Street, its new statue of the Abbasid poet and king-praiser towering at the Tigris end. Here you get a feeling of what is going on in the mind of an educated Baghdadi, who still walks a road that you could get killed on five years ago.

There are chadored ladies and bare-headed girls and a bearded sayed with a black turban and a glorious green sash draped over his shoulders. There are pictures aplenty of Ali and Hussein – Iraq is, after all, a Shia country – and texts of religious jurisprudence and newly-bound Korans and, a reflection of the old Iraq, a mass of history books on Arab nationalism. They are all second-hand, laid out on cardboard on the pavement.

Last time I came here, there were no bare-headed girls, precious few divines. It’s middle-aged men, secular, who bend over the history books. A young Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, confidant of Nasser, the doyen of Egyptian journalists (upon my word still alive, since he offered me a cigar in Cairo a year ago), smiles from a front cover. Many booksellers are communists.

A dour Edward Said (alas, all too dead) is printed across the Arabic edition of his essays on Palestinians. There is, unfortunately, that vicious old fake, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, on one pavement, a picture of Hitler and – very oddly – Rommel on the front. Several copies of Saddam’s War, an unflattering portrait of the man who took his country to ruin in three massive conflicts, lay untouched on the ground. I point this out to Saad. “You have to know, Robert, that, yes, we hated him and the people of Samarra hated him for what he did to them and his city of Tikrit was just north of Samarra. But when the Americans came and the resistance began, the people of Samarra would shout Saddam’s name – because he was the only nationalist figure left to them.”

We arrive at the corner where the wall of the old Ottoman kulshah (roughly “cabinet”) still stands, delicate stone insulted by a row of evil-smelling iron trash trolleys, the seat of the later royal cabinet as well, of the kingdom set up by Winston Churchill. Across the laneway, blessed in a fine, hot dust, is the crumbling wooden doorway of Dr Mohamed Abu Amjad’s bookshop. Ashteroot books, medical, scientific, English literature, language, computers, history and arts, it says above the door. Mohamed, the bookseller who never closed during the years of darkness, rummages through his shelves. I immediately buy a rare first edition of General Muhammed Naguib’s biography, the guy who overthrew King Farouk of Egypt and who was later outwitted by Nasser. I sit on a pile of books and prowl through its pages.

And I come across his description of British troops marching through the streets of Cairo during the Second World War. “Their troops marched through the streets of Cairo singing obscene songs about our king, a man whom few of us admired, but who, nevertheless, was as much of a national symbol as our flag. Farouk was never so popular as when he was being insulted in public by British troops, for we knew, as they knew, that by insulting our unfortunate king they were insulting the Egyptian people as a whole.” And of course, I remember what Saad has just told me about the people of Samarra and Saddam.

I snap up a faded copy of Zaki Saleh’s Mesopotamia 1600-1914 – published in Baghdad more than 55 years ago. Queen Elizabeth I sent the first Brit to Baghdad and Basra, and there are pages of head-chopping history as the sultans of Baghdad, variously loathed and adored by British consuls, meet their sticky ends. And there is a fascinating chapter on the relationship between British romanticism and financial speculation in Iraq, how the names of Babylon and the Tigris (Dijle in Arabic) bestowed a kind of respectability on Western acquisitiveness.

If ancient monuments showed that this was a rich land, a centre of civilisations, why could it not be a rich land again under Britain’s guiding hand? Two Brits, Shepstone and Lee by name, published a monograph in Toronto in 1915 under the title “Future of Mesopotamia, how Bible lands may be restored to their former greatness as a result of the world war”. Isn’t that what our economic wizards told us in 2003, how Western know-how could restore Iraq’s greatness?

We snap up a copy of Washington Irving’s 1849 Life of Mahomet and Ilya Ehrenburg’s The Fall of Paris, a forgotten 1942 novel of France’s own occupation which at times reads weirdly like Irène Némirovsky’s Suite Française. Then we speed away and, near the Tigris, Saad sees a street ad for the Gypsy singer Sajida Obeid and starts to bawl one of her more risqué chants. “Screwed are the men who drink only one kind of beer”. They sing it at weddings. “Only one beer and you’re not man enough,” Saad explains. Funny what you learn on the way back from the street of books.

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Culture under fire

Posted on 8th April 2012 in The monuments of world

Culture lies on the front line of conflicts across the world. Timbuktu has fallen into the hands of Tuareg rebel forces and shots have been fired around the city’s grand mosque, a Unesco World Heritage Site. This follows on the heels of the shelling of the city of Apamea in Syria.

The citadel of Madiq and the ancient villages in the north of Syria, all of which are Unesco World Heritage Sites, could become collateral damage. They need our protection.

It may seem incongruous to denounce crimes against culture and call for their protection at a time of political instability and humanitarian crisis, but it isn’t.

Protecting culture is a security issue. There can be no lasting peace without respect. Attacks against cultural heritage are attacks against the very identity of communities. They mark a symbolic and real step up in the escalation of a conflict, leading to devastation that can be irreparable and whose impact lasts long after the dust has settled.

Attacks on the past make reconciliation much harder in the future. They can hold societies back from turning the page toward peace.

So protecting cultural heritage is not a luxury. We cannot leave this for better days, when tensions have cooled. To lay the ground for peace, we must act now to protect culture, while tensions are high.

We have seen the power of World Heritage to bring together divided communities and promote international cooperation in difficult contexts.

I witnessed this personally in southeast Europe, for instance, when Unesco helped rebuild the Old Bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, destroyed during the war in the 1990s.

The power of culture was also on display during the restoration of the Koguryo tombs complex in North Korea, undertaken with the financial support of South Korea.

In Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, societies are drawing today on their millennial heritage to come together and look toward the future.

At these times of increasing uncertainty and diminishing resources, this is an asset we cannot overlook.

This doesn’t make it easy. To succeed, nations must unite. The very notion of World Heritage draws on the idea of collective responsibility for a common good. It was born in Egypt in the 1960s, with the international campaign to save the Nubian monuments and remove the Abu Simbel temples from danger. Less than one generation after the devastation of World War II, this was a campaign for global solidarity to safeguard stones and statues, and, through them, a concept of shared humanity.

We need ambitious leadership again today.

Protecting the cultural heritage of the world concerns us all. It is force for mutual understanding and a powerhouse of local development. Unesco is the custodian of this idea and its practice. We are celebrating this year the 40th anniversary of our World Heritage Convention, which embodies this vision.

This is a fragile process that can never be taken for granted. A few shells are enough to destroy a millennial site forever. We all remember the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. A few hours of pillaging are enough for priceless antique objects to disappear in illicit trafficking.

This is why Unesco alerts states of their responsibility to protect culture properties in the event of conflict and to prohibit and prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural goods. This is why we are working with the national authorities, with the World Customs Organisation and Interpol, and the International Council of Museums, as well as auction houses, to protect humanity’s cultural heritage and prevent its pillaging.

We do all of this, because we believe culture matters for peace. For culture too, there is a responsibility to protect.

Irina Bokova is director general of Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

©IHT

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Windows Of The World

Posted on 3rd April 2012 in The monuments of world

What if you can visit about 120 different cultural landmarks and famous monuments from all over the country in one place? How absolutely convenient, amazing and fun that would be right? Well, Windows of the World at Shenzhen offers just that. But wait, there’s a twist. It’s all in miniature version. Miniature as in, a little smaller than the real ones but nevertheless still exudes a sense and feel of elegance and exquisiteness.

It is located in the western part of Shenzhen in the People’s Republic of China at Overseas Chinese Town along the beautiful Shenzhen bay covering an area of 480,000sqm. Window of the World is a tourist attraction or theme park with more than 120 reproductions of some of the world’s most well-known attractions such as the breathtaking Eiffel Tower, the famous Arc De Triomphe monument, the gladiator arena, the Rome Colosseum, the good luck fountain of Trevi Fountain, the picturesque Niagara Falls, the history rich Angkor Wat, the mysterious Pyramids of Egypt and Sphinx of Giza, the exquisite Taj Mahal, the giant Big Ben of London, the mind-boggling Leaning Tower of Pisa, the opera loving Sydney Opera House, and the ever popular figure of Statue of Liberty. There’s even a Jurassic Park theme area!

If you are feeling lackluster before arriving, the moment you step into the Window of the World and explore what it had to offer, one will simply be hype up and begins to feel the energy and life flowing into you. How could one not when surrounded by magnificent sculptures, landmarks and monuments around! Taking pictures will be the first thing that popped into all the excited minds and one does not even need to scratch the head to look for ideal places to take pictures. Almost anywhere, and everywhere can be a perfect post-card picture location. I kid you not! Since most of us (I believe) had never been to that many countries before, having all this popular tourist attractions under one roof, I mean one sky, is simply amazing, albeit at a cost of them being miniature in size.

Apart from discovering all these unique and interesting landmarks from different countries and taking a plethora of pictures to show off back home to envious friends, family members and relatives, the Window of the World also offers a variety of international restaurants serving cuisines ranging from French cuisine to Mexican delights to Italian pizzas right down to Chinese temptations. Whatever your taste buds craved at that particular moment, you can rest assured that one of the many restaurants there will satisfied your grumbling and demanding stomach and keep it satisfied. However, bear in mind that prices varies from top-end to really affordable mouth-watering food. Whatever your decision, always remember to calculate your budget well beforehand.

If you got bored or tired from walking around the theme park, there are entertainment shows available in the evening with shows such as “Fervorous Paris Nights” at “Caesar’s Palace” which feature dancers dancing to popular music. Feeling playful? Then you can even get to dressed in Japanese kimonos, take pictures in a Japanese background setting and visit the park around on a horse!

If you are feeling more adventurous and seek for some thrill and fun activities instead, fear not, there’s always skiing and snow tubing available at the ‘Alps Indoor Skiing’. Skiing in a subtropical city might sound a little far-fetched, but the Indoor Alpine Ski Run in Shenzhen Window of the World offers you four thousand square metres (about 6,200,012 square feet) of indoor piste to ski and it definitely is a one of a kind experience. Other thrillers include navigating the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, playing with bows and arrows at the Archery Field or simply visit the park via cable car. Due to time constraint, we couldn’t join all the rides and entertainments that were offered.

The admission fee is 120 yuan, roughly around B$25 (or 50 yuan after 7.40pm). Those who are between the ages of 65 and 69 and whose heights are between 1.1 metres and 1.4 metres are charged half-price. Elderly over the age of 70 and those under the height of 1.1 metres gets to enter for free. To reach the Window of the World, one can use the Shenzhen Metro choosing Line 1 at Shijiezhichuang Station, which costs roughly around five yuan. One tip though. Remember to wear comfortable shoes such as sport shoes or sneakers. Definitely not slippers or high heels as the amount of walking you have to do will kill your feet.

After about four to five hours exploring and discovering the sights and sounds of the Window of the World and it should be enough for sightseeing and tonnes of picture taking moments. Unless of course, if you are highly enthusiastic or have time to kill, spending more time around is not that bad either. I mean why not, when and how often can you say, you have seen nearly what the entire world has to offer. Of course, it’s not the real thing but who cares! After visiting the Window of the World, you can’t help but wish the window at your bedroom offered the same kind of view as well.

–Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Adventures by Disney® Introduces Families to the Far East in 2013

Posted on 26th March 2012 in The monuments of world

BURBANK, Calif., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Continuing its tradition of creating award-winning immersive experiences around the globe, Adventures by Disney announced today an all-new destination for 2013 – Southeast Asia. Featuring Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the 12-day, 11-night itinerary will give travelers the opportunity to experience some of Asia’s most exotic and culturally-rich cities – including Saigon, Hanoi, Hoi An, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat – in a way they may not have thought possible; as a family.

The leader in privately-guided group excursions, Adventures by Disney specially designs its itineraries to engage guests of all ages, providing authentic, hands-on experiences that leave each participant with memories to share and deeper knowledge of the world around them. In Cambodia, adults will have time to take in the unique architecture of the Temples of Angkor Wat while Junior Adventurers live the history of the ancient structure on a tuk tuk vehicle treasure hunt. Families will work together in Laos at an organic rice farm where they will have a hand in each of the 13 stages of rice production. Meal preparation is a team effort in Vietnam where guests will hand-pick ingredients from a Hoi An market, and then learn to make their own Vietnamese delicacies with the guidance of a local chef.

Beyond the popular tourist spots, Adventures by Disney gives families a unique view of each destination with another of its signature features – off-the-beaten path experiences. From a horseback ride through the rural villages of the Cambodian countryside to getting acquainted with students at a school in Laos, families will gain a true-to-life perspective of Southeast Asia and its people. Two knowledgeable Disney Adventure Guides lead explorers every step of the way, taking care of all the details and ensuring that each member of the group – even mom and dad – can let go and take in every moment. The Southeast Asia itinerary also includes time to enjoy some fun in the sun along the coast of the South China Sea and features luxurious hotel accommodations, such as the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, and private transportation throughout the trip.

“We are thrilled to invite families to experience new corners of the world with Adventures by Disney, as we expand our portfolio of more than 20 destinations to include Southeast Asia,” said Josh D’Amaro, Vice President, Adventures by Disney. “This exotic new itinerary holds true to Disney’s dedication to storytelling, exceptional customer service and incredible value. With our award-winning itineraries, families are treated to a worry-free experience, perfect for vacationers taking their first international excursion or even the seasoned traveler.”

Also new, Adventures by Disney will launch a first-ever one-day tour of the Los Angeles area, “Lights, Camera, Magic,”allowing families to discover the iconic locations and star-studded sites of Hollywood, The Walt Disney Studios and Beverly Hills. Guests will be transported back in time during a behind-the-scenes look at The Walt Disney Studios, which is both a working studio and the headquarters of The Walt Disney Company. Then, it’s on to experience famous locations like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and Hollywood’s famed Sunset Strip.

Whether it’s a brief journey close to home or an enchanting quest across the globe, Adventures by Disney provides families with the ultimate adventure. Additional details and dates for the new Southeast Asia itinerary and other 2013 offerings will be available on the Adventures by Disney website in late spring. In the meantime, guests are encouraged to contact the reservations center at 1-877-728-7282 with any questions.

About Adventures by Disney
Launched in 2005, Adventures by Disney provides immersive, hassle-free and unforgettable group guided-family vacation experiences to destinations in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.  Families traveling with Adventures by Disney receive exceptional service while taking part in extraordinary experiences at locations including: the South African plains, the great cities of Europe, North America’s national parks, the ancient monuments of Egypt, Costa Rica’s rich rainforest, the ruins of Pompeii and Machu Picchu, Australia’s Outback and the Great Wall of China.

Over the last seven years, Adventures by Disney has been recognized by numerous travel organizations for its excellence in family tourism and was ranked #1 among Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters for Families in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best awards 2011 readers’ survey.

With Disney-trained Adventure Guides, engaging activities, VIP experiences and personal touches throughout, Adventures by Disney excites and delights everyone. Visit AdventuresbyDisney.com, call 1-877-728-7282 or contact a travel agent.

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Could sun-soaked Libya become tourism hot spot?

Posted on 14th March 2012 in The monuments of world

Alexandre Meneghini / AP, file

One of the (mostly empty) beaches in Tripoli is seen in this file photo.

By Alastair Jamieson, msnbc.com

Libya has all it takes to become a vacation paradise: 1,300 miles of palm-fringed coastline, five world-class cultural heritage sites and an attractive historic quarter in Tripoli featuring fine colonial buildings.

What is doesn’t have, though, is tourists.

But following the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, there are plenty of reasons for hotels and tour operators to be optimistic.

Soaked in sun, the country’s position at the meeting point of the desert landscape of the Sahara makes it ideal for trekking and windsurfing.

Libya’s extraordinary history and ancient archaeological riches — it boasts five United Nations world cultural heritage sites, including the remains of the Roman Empire outpost Leptis Magna and the Greek Hellenic city of Cyrene — are its primary attractions.

It was off-limits for decades as a pariah state thanks to Gadhafi’s involvement in global terrorism, but a thaw in relations with Western countries saw a 14 per cent rise in visitor numbers between 2006 and 2010 and a 30 per cent jump in hotel revenue over the same period from $49 million to $65 million, according to analysts Euromonitor.

‘Big expectations’
That tourism renaissance was all but destroyed by the Arab Spring uprising and subsequent civil war, but there are hopes it could resume and emulate the success of other recovering war zones: the New York Times three years ago named Beirut as its number one global destination.

In Tripoli, the Rixos Al Nasr hotel — where journalists were trapped during last August’s fierce fighting –- is open and full of guests, and its owners say they have “big expectations” in the coming months.

One small group is this week exploring the country on a trip organized by Political Tours, a specialist firm run by former New York Times Balkans correspondent Nicholas Wood, while managers at Simoon Travel, a British operator that organizes tours of the Middle East and North Africa, are visiting later this month with a view to restarting its Libya itineraries.

“We are optimistic because reports suggest most of the monuments and ancient sites have been left undamaged by the NATO bombing,” Simoon’s managing director Amelia Stewart told msnbc.com. “It is such a fascinating and diverse country and we would like to offer trips once it is safe enough to do so.”

Youssef Boudlal / Reuters, file

A view of Leptis Magna, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Mediterranean coast, some 75 miles east of Tripoli.

Access to the country is slowly improving following the end of NATO airstrikes that drove out Gadhafi’s regime: United Airlines partner British Midland International resumes direct flights to Tripoli from London Heathrow later this month, while British Airways will return to the city from May 1.

Libya begins battle to seize $20 billion in Gadhafi assets

Business travelers still account for the majority of visitors as the oil industry returns, but huge problems remain. The ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) is struggling to impose its authority on a country awash with weapons and militias have stepped into the vacuum, carving the country into local fiefdoms.

“Each area has its own guys who consider themselves in charge, which creates a huge security problem,” Wood said. “That lack of co-ordination, added to bureaucracy, makes Libya a very difficult place to visit for the time being.”

Many Western hotel chains that opened in anticipation of a tourism boom remain closed for the time being. The Marriott in Tripoli is not accepting reservations, while a spokeswoman for New York-based Starwood Hotels said it did not yet have a reopening date for its Four Points by Sheraton in the city.

Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS

An uprising in Libya ousts dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Mustafa Özbinici, spokesman for the Turkish owners of the Rixos Al Nasr, said: “Libya is a intact country tourism-wise, with 2,200 kilometers [1,367 miles] of sea shore, so we believe that it will be a good development in long term. We have big expectations with Libya.

A year on, Libyans enjoy freedoms but anxieties abound

“However, there are some difficulties still remaining, especially the process of reorganization. As a company, we are trying to support people of Libya during this hard time including the injured people and their families.”

The threat of sporadic violence has also pushed up the cost of travel insurance, putting tours firmly into the “niche” market: Simoon’s cheapest package starts at about $2,000. “We will have security staff with us,”Wood added.

Tourism ministers from across the Middle East will meet on April 30 for a special summit between the Arabian Travel Market and the World Tourism Organization to drive forward tourism in the wake of the Arab Spring.

“Prior to the onset of violence, the government had finally developed a Tourism Master Plan for 2009-2013, with some vision expressed about the much longer-term, through to 2025,” Nadejda Popova, tourism analyst with Euromonitor, told msnbc.com.

Christian war graves desecrated in Libya

“Investment started pouring into the country’s travel and tourism industry, with more than six 5-star hotels planned in Tripoli as well as ambitious development plans for airports, ports, roads and rail projects linking Libya to its neighbors. However, the future is now uncertain and Libya’s travel and tourism industry is expected to suffer losses for at least another two years. There is a great deal of reconstruction needed, and efforts will be geared towards getting the country back on its feet before engaging in more tourism developments.”

Without a government strategy for the industry, growth is likely to be slow. Tourism and leisure has never accounted for than one per cent of consumer spending in Libya, compared to the global average of 16 per cent, according to Popova.

But one thing seems certain: Libya is unlikely to follow north African neighbors such as Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco into mass tourism. “I doubt it will ever have resorts like Sharm el-Sheikh,” said Stewart. “Libya has always been careful to ensure it doesn’t end up with an industry catering for those wanting sun and cheap booze.”

‘There will be no alcohol’
Her view was echoed by the Giuma Bukleb, media attaché to the Libyan Embassy in London. He told msnbc.com: “We will never be like other countries with lots of big resort hotels, and there will be no alcohol. We want to encourage people to see our heritage sites.”

The commander of Libya’s rebel force says Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is sheltering weapons at Leptis Magna, a major Roman-era ruins on the civil war-ravaged nation. NBC’s Stephanie Gosk reports.

He added: “We are very keen to welcome tourists but maybe the time is not right just now. We have to get the country back on its feet first.”

Sarkozy denies Gadhafi gave his campaign $65 million

There are other practical hurdles: visitors must still apply in advance for a visa, rather than making arrangements on arrival as is the case in Egypt. And most countries, including the United States, require travelers to inform their local embassy in Libya about their trip.

“Libya has such incredible potential but there is a long way to go,” Wood said.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

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The art of an unusual guru

Posted on 10th March 2012 in The monuments of world

The work of veteran Egyptian artist Taha Hussein, on show at a new exhibition in Zamalek, provides a visual answer to east-west relations, writes Nagwa El-Ashri

On 14 February, the sculptor and painter Taha Hussein celebrated his 83rd birthday at a small gathering of family and friends. He was getting ready for yet another adventure: an exhibition in Gallery Al-Masar in Zamalek, which opened on 4 March.

The exhibition, entitled “East and West”, is Hussein’s visual answer to Goethe’s mesmerising work The West-Eastern Diwan. Hussein, who spent years of his early life in Germany, is an avid reader of German authors and has spent much of his career exploring east-west relations.

Having graduated from the Royal College for Applied Arts in 1951, Hussein went to Germany where he studied art history and earned a doctoral degree in 1963 with a thesis on Mamluke silk and its influence on European art.

The Mamluke perspective comes naturally to Hussein, who grew up in the Al-Azhar neighbourhood of Cairo, which is full of monuments dating to the Mamluke period, before his family moved to Manyal, a more modern part of town.

Since the 1960s, Hussein’s work has been shown to critical acclaim both at home and abroad, and he has exhibited at the Goethe Institute in Cairo, the Egyptian Cultural Centre in Paris, and the French Cultural Centre. Hussein’s work also featured in a ceramics exhibition in West Germany in 1960, the Five Thousand Years of Pottery exhibition held in East Germany in 1964, the International Exhibition of Art and Industry in Munich in 1966, and the Contemporary Egyptian Art exhibition in Brussels in 1968.

By the early 1970s, Hussein was a familiar figure on Egypt’s art scene, acquiring a reputation for refinement and intellectual gravitas. Since then, his work has also been displayed in Japan, the UAE, India, Iraq, the USA, France, and Italy.

He has spent a significant part of his career pondering the influence of Islamic art on the Renaissance in Europe. Intrigued by the complex rapport among various cultures and artistic manifestations, he is now examining the impact of globalisation on contemporary art.

Though hard to pin down, there are traces of expressionism in Hussein’s style, along with a move towards abstraction in his later work. He has worked in various media, including painting, engraving, ceramics, photography, sculpture, printing, and weaving. There is also a Sufi component in Hussein’s work — a certain asceticism that delights in the simplicity of nature and yet is willing to recognise the complexity of humanity.

In his work as a whole, Hussein offers a poetic counterpoint to the dialogue of civilisations, as seen in a wider context through the assimilation of ancient Egyptian, Islamic and European art. Himself a tireless student of mediaeval art, he often resorts to metaphor in his iconography, producing a personal vocabulary that challenges conventional thinking but embraces an all-encompassing humanism.

In one painting after another in his current exhibition, Hussein shows his audience how East and West can stand as equals, conversing and converging, and yet remaining distinct. For him, contemporary globalisation is an opportunity for cultural equality and the chance to prove that a sense of belonging does not need to negate the richness of different lives.

While he has been active on the Egyptian art scene for nearly half a century, Hussein continues to explore new forms of expression with the mastery of taste and style that has always marked his work. His extensive knowledge of history imparts depth to his art as well as broad cultural views. In 1959, for example, Hussein wrote one of the earliest introductions to art in Arabic with co-author Maher Raef, and in 1964 he introduced the coloured gravure technique to Egypt.

Hussein offers unusual glimpses into the symbiosis of nature and art in his work, never failing to introduce an element of surprise into his compositions. There is always a new angle, new shores waiting to be visited, the promise of a journey yet to come.

He does not think of himself as creating art, however. Rather, he thinks of himself as creating ideas, since for him the secret of art lies in its use as a vehicle for the understanding. “Thinking through art,” is his motto. Hussein believes that the world can be better understood through the process of selection that artists offer.

What imagery should we look for in his work? Perhaps the blend of perception and intuition that he seems to be able to offer almost without thinking, or perhaps the scholarship that comes across without a hint of didacticism. Perhaps one should stress the perspective of a man who stands on the edge and sees life through the filter of compassion.

Hussein has created a world that should be approached deliberately and with a sense of adventure. What is seen in the foreground of his work may not be what truly matters. The viewer should not miss the subtle hints and mercurial allegories that lie packed underneath.

The craftsmanship, of course, is superb. A man who is a master in such disparate fields of art, from painting to fabric design, is not easily compartmentalised. There is magic in his work, myth in constant motion, gateways to forgotten history and the depths of the human soul.

Yet, while Hussein’s work points towards the transcendental, its message wrapped in fresh manifestations of tone and texture, there are few easily identifiable references to mythology. History is distilled with unusual insight to reveal the psyche of the region, the blend of visions it contains, and the universalism that lies underneath the surface.

Visitors to the current exhibition of Hussein’s work will notice riotous lines reminiscent of Arabic calligraphy. However, they should look again. These lines, which at first seem like simple calligraphy, turn into something like geological formations, with nature becoming culture and revealing itself as something deeper, something shared and private, something universal and personal.

Such is the enigmatic power of this most unusual guru.

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Station Churches of the Early Church

Posted on 9th March 2012 in The monuments of world

By Ann Schneible

ROME, MARCH 8, 2012 (Zenit.org).- All seminarians who are called to receive their seminary training in Rome have the unique opportunity to reflect upon the universality of the Church, and the unity of Christians throughout the ages.

Nearly every morning of Lent, seminarians and priests from the Pontifical North American College visit one of the Lenten station churches, following a tradition which goes back to the early Church.

This week, seminarians and priests visited churches dedicated to the early martyrs. John Connaughton, a seminarian of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, in his third year of theology at the PNAC, offered his reflections about this week’s station church pilgrimage.

ZENIT: This week you have been visiting churches which are, in a way, monuments to the early Church and the persecutions against it. What have you received by visiting these Churches in particular?

Connaughton: This week we visited the churches dedicated to St. Clement of Rome, St. Balbina, and St. Cecilia, three early Christian martyrs. When you go to these churches for Mass you can’t help but think of how high the cost of discipleship was for these men and women who were martyred for the faith. Being faithful to Christ literally cost them their lives. And it reminds you that the situation isn’t much different for people today in countries like Egypt, Syria and Iraq, where Christians are marginalized and persecuted, even to death, because they worship Christ. When you consider that they, like the early Church martyrs we visit at the station churches, are willing to risk their lives for the faith, it challenges you to consider your own commitment as a disciple of Christ, and it inspires you to be bolder in your Christian witness in the face of the softer social pressures against the faith in our Western societies, pressures which lately seem to be on the rise.

ZENIT: What are the benefits of visiting these station churches throughout the season of Lent?

Connaughton: Visiting the station churches in Lent is a great way to participate in a pilgrimage experience that spans back to the early Church in Rome. People have been doing this for centuries, and we get to be part of this great spiritual tradition during our time of formation for the priesthood. It’s a powerful way of experiencing the reality of the Church as the Body of Christ.

ZENIT: By visiting these station churches throughout Lent, you have the opportunity to experience the history and culture of the Church in a particular way. How do these, and all your experiences in Rome, contribute to your formation as you prepare to eventually return to America as a priest?

Connaughton: I think the whole experience of being in Rome as a seminarian opens your eyes to the Catholicity, the universality, of the Church. We encounter so many different kinds of people here from all over the world who bring their experiences of being Catholic with them. It broadens our perspective on the faith and reminds us that the Church transcends things like culture, language, nationality, etc. Being in Rome also connects us to those Christians who came before us, going all the way back to Peter and Paul, whose tombs we will visit during the station church pilgrimage. All Christians, past and present, are united by our faith in Christ. You really get a sense of that here, and I hope to be able to share that experience with the people back home.

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Opinion: Libya's rich history provides hope for future

Posted on 2nd March 2012 in The monuments of world
<br/>Leptis Magna in Libya was known as one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire. Archaeologist Hafed Walda shared this photo and others of some of the historical ruins in Libya.” border=”0″ height=”360″ id=”articleGalleryPhoto001″ class=”c5″ width=”640″ /><cite><br/><br /> Leptis Magna in Libya was known as one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire. Archaeologist Hafed Walda shared this photo and others of some of the historical ruins in Libya.</cite> </div> <div><img src=
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Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Arts and culture are key to healing in Libya, Alia Al-Senussi writes
  • One of Libya’s greatest assets is its courageous people, she says
  • LIbyans can celebrate contemporary art alongside its ancient monuments, she says
  • All Libyans can take pride in their cultural heritage, Al-Senussi writes

Editor’s note: Alia Al-Senussi is a member of Libya’s royal family. Her family was exiled from Libya in 1969 after Moammar Gadhafi’s coup d’etat. She was born in Washington in 1983 to a Libyan father and American mother, and grew up in Cairo, San Diego, and Switzerland. She has recently been appointed by the Global Heritage Fund to help set up its Libyan Heritage Trust.

(CNN) — Libya today is a free Libya, but also a Libya plagued by a sad and violent history, a Libya that has not been able to progress for 42 years. Basic education, health care and infrastructure are integral to Libya’s success and its future. But art and culture can be and should be a huge part of the healing process as well as future development.

Alia Al-Senussi
Alia Al-Senussi

By integrating art and culture into the core efforts at transition from Moammar Gadhafi’s ruinous rule, we can transcend part of the trauma of war and violence and create a distinct national identity, free of speculation as to old tribal or political allegiances and accepting of the whole of Libyan society. The ruins of Leptis Magna, Sabrata, Cyrene (also called Shahhat) and all the other incredible remnants of Libya’s rich history can be an example of the glory of Libya’s past — but also its hope for the future.

Libya’s possibilities are often measured by way of its abundant natural resources, but the revolution this past year has put in perspective Libya’s truest and greatest assets: the courageous Libyan people, their rich multifaceted culture, and the ideals with which they wish to make their place in this world, challenging power that at times has seemed absolute. This was what my father and family tried to articulate to me as a child, growing up in exile.

Libyan culture has a long and storied history, dating back to ancient times, influenced by a variety of traditions and peoples who have made their way across the deserts of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan. The majestic ruins that run along the coastline are testament to this history. As I arrived to these sites, seeing the monuments of the Roman and ancient Greek civilizations beside the Mediterranean, I was struck by the ageless beauty of Sabratha, Leptis Magna and Cyrene. But as an art world professional, I was also struck by the lack of preservation surrounding the ruins.

Global Heritage Fund is a nonprofit organization that works to preserve cultural sites around the world. GHF projects in Cyrene and Apollonia have stalled as a result of the revolution, but the group has renewed its efforts with the new Libya.

GHF has done its utmost to involve Libyans. Students from the universities of Benghazi and Baida were and will be involved in the conservation efforts in the framework of their archaeology management studies. I’ve recently been appointed to help GHF set up its Libyan Heritage Trust. We hope that as Libya prospers and grows, the government will recognize the importance of these sites, as a possible boon to the tourism industry but also as a source of economic diversification and patriotic reconciliation.

I began working in the art world in 2005 after completing my education at Brown University and the London School of Economics, and my first full-time job was really because of Libya. I worked as a project coordinator for renowned artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s Ship of Siwa, a nonprofit project that brings international artists to Siwa, Egypt, to interact with the local population and produce ephemeral work that is more about creating an experience than an object.

Siwa is a mystical desert oasis, possibly home to Alexander the Great’s lost army and Cleopatra’s healing waters. Its proximity to the Libyan border was a huge draw to me. As my family was not allowed to go back to Libya, the closest I had been to Libya at that point was Cairo, so being able to see the rolling dunes crisscrossing the border was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. In the end, it was a serendipitous event for me, as I fell in love with the art world and I have since devoted my time, both personal and professional, to helping the development and evolution of arts in the Middle East.

I hope that Libya’s development will usher in new forms of expression, and I look forward to seeing how that newfound expression will find its place in the visual arts. I anticipate celebrating contemporary art alongside the ancient monuments and illustrating that Libya can show its maturity, but also its innovation and creativity. Although suffering from a severe deficit of social and physical infrastructure, Libya today is free from tyrannical rule. Its people have the opportunity to design a fit-for-purpose political system, which takes into account Libya’s diverse peoples, tribes and cultures, creating a unique national identity.

All Libyans can be proud of Leptis Magna. All Libyans can be proud of their cultural heritage. And through concerted efforts to integrate arts education in to schools and everyday life and preserve these historical sites, this can indeed be a reality.

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Despite Libya's scars, its rich history provides hope for the future

Posted on 2nd March 2012 in The monuments of world
<br/>Leptis Magna in Libya was known as one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire. Archaeologist Hafed Walda shared this photo and others of some of the historical ruins in Libya.” border=”0″ height=”360″ id=”articleGalleryPhoto001″ class=”c5″ width=”640″ /><cite><br/><br /> Leptis Magna in Libya was known as one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire. Archaeologist Hafed Walda shared this photo and others of some of the historical ruins in Libya.</cite> </div> <div><img src=
HIDE CAPTION
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
Photos: Libya’s treasured ruins
<<
<

1

2

3

4

5

>
>>
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Arts and culture are key to healing in Libya, Alia Al-Senussi writes
  • One of Libya’s greatest assets is its courageous people, she says
  • LIbyans can celebrate contemporary art alongside its ancient monuments, she says
  • All Libyans can take pride in their cultural heritage, Al-Senussi writes

Editor’s note: Alia Al-Senussi is a member of Libya’s royal family. Her family was exiled from Libya in 1969 after Moammar Gadhafi’s coup d’etat. She was born in Washington in 1983 to a Libyan father and American mother, and grew up in Cairo, San Diego, and Switzerland. She has recently been appointed by the Global Heritage Fund to help set up its Libyan Heritage Trust.

(CNN) — Libya today is a free Libya, but also a Libya plagued by a sad and violent history, a Libya that has not been able to progress for 42 years. Basic education, health care and infrastructure are integral to Libya’s success and its future. But art and culture can be and should be a huge part of the healing process as well as future development.

Alia Al-Senussi
Alia Al-Senussi

By integrating art and culture into the core efforts at transition from Moammar Gadhafi’s ruinous rule, we can transcend part of the trauma of war and violence and create a distinct national identity, free of speculation as to old tribal or political allegiances and accepting of the whole of Libyan society. The ruins of Leptis Magna, Sabrata, Cyrene (also called Shahhat) and all the other incredible remnants of Libya’s rich history can be an example of the glory of Libya’s past — but also its hope for the future.

Libya’s possibilities are often measured by way of its abundant natural resources, but the revolution this past year has put in perspective Libya’s truest and greatest assets: the courageous Libyan people, their rich multifaceted culture, and the ideals with which they wish to make their place in this world, challenging power that at times has seemed absolute. This was what my father and family tried to articulate to me as a child, growing up in exile.

Libyan culture has a long and storied history, dating back to ancient times, influenced by a variety of traditions and peoples who have made their way across the deserts of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan. The majestic ruins that run along the coastline are testament to this history. As I arrived to these sites, seeing the monuments of the Roman and ancient Greek civilizations beside the Mediterranean, I was struck by the ageless beauty of Sabratha, Leptis Magna and Cyrene. But as an art world professional, I was also struck by the lack of preservation surrounding the ruins.

Global Heritage Fund is a nonprofit organization that works to preserve cultural sites around the world. GHF projects in Cyrene and Apollonia have stalled as a result of the revolution, but the group has renewed its efforts with the new Libya.

GHF has done its utmost to involve Libyans. Students from the universities of Benghazi and Baida were and will be involved in the conservation efforts in the framework of their archaeology management studies. I’ve recently been appointed to help GHF set up its Libyan Heritage Trust. We hope that as Libya prospers and grows, the government will recognize the importance of these sites, as a possible boon to the tourism industry but also as a source of economic diversification and patriotic reconciliation.

I began working in the art world in 2005 after completing my education at Brown University and the London School of Economics, and my first full-time job was really because of Libya. I worked as a project coordinator for renowned artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s Ship of Siwa, a nonprofit project that brings international artists to Siwa, Egypt, to interact with the local population and produce ephemeral work that is more about creating an experience than an object.

Siwa is a mystical desert oasis, possibly home to Alexander the Great’s lost army and Cleopatra’s healing waters. Its proximity to the Libyan border was a huge draw to me. As my family was not allowed to go back to Libya, the closest I had been to Libya at that point was Cairo, so being able to see the rolling dunes crisscrossing the border was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. In the end, it was a serendipitous event for me, as I fell in love with the art world and I have since devoted my time, both personal and professional, to helping the development and evolution of arts in the Middle East.

I hope that Libya’s development will usher in new forms of expression, and I look forward to seeing how that newfound expression will find its place in the visual arts. I anticipate celebrating contemporary art alongside the ancient monuments and illustrating that Libya can show its maturity, but also its innovation and creativity. Although suffering from a severe deficit of social and physical infrastructure, Libya today is free from tyrannical rule. Its people have the opportunity to design a fit-for-purpose political system, which takes into account Libya’s diverse peoples, tribes and cultures, creating a unique national identity.

All Libyans can be proud of Leptis Magna. All Libyans can be proud of their cultural heritage. And through concerted efforts to integrate arts education in to schools and everyday life and preserve these historical sites, this can indeed be a reality.

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