PARIS: Several tombs and a leaden sarcophagus likely dating from the 14th century have been uncovered by archaeologists at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris following its devastating 2019 fire.
The burial sites “of remarkable scientific quality” were unearthed during preparatory work for rebuilding the ancient church’s spire at the central spot where the transept crosses the nave, the culture ministry announced late Monday.
Among the tombs was the “completely preserved, human-shaped sarcophagus made of lead.”
It is thought the coffin was made for a senior dignitary in the 1300s — the century following the cathedral’s construction.
As well as the tombs, elements of painted sculptures were found just beneath the current floor level of the cathedral, identified as parts of the original 13th-century rood screen — an architectural element separating the altar area from the nave.
During a visit by AFP on Tuesday, archaeologists were delicately cleaning and excavating the sculptures emerging from the ground, including a pair of carved hands.
The bust of a bearded man and some sculpted vegetables, with traces of paint still visible, had been removed.
The team has already used a mini endoscopic camera to peek inside the sarcophagus, which appeared to be warped by the weight of the earth and stones.
“You can glimpse pieces of fabric, hair and above all a pillow of leaves on top of the head, a well-known phenomenon when religious leaders were buried,” said Christophe Besnier, the lead archaeologist.
“The fact that these plant elements are still inside means the body is in a very good state of conservation,” he added.
Its discovery will help improve our understanding of funeral practices in the Middle Ages, added Dominique Garcia of the National Institute of Archaeological Research.
The discoveries were made as reconstruction teams prepared to install huge scaffolding to rebuild the spire, and needed to check the stability of the ground.
In the process, they discovered an underground heating system from the 19th century, with the sarcophagus lying among its brick pipes.
Despite the excitement of the find, the clock is ticking for the archaeologists.
They have been given until March 25 to finish their work before the reconstruction project resumes — in order to keep to a planned reopening of the cathedral in 2024.
Ancient tombs unearthed at Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral
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Ancient tombs unearthed at Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral
- Among the tombs was the "completely preserved, human-shaped sarcophagus made of lead"
- Elements of painted sculptures were found just beneath the current floor level of the cathedral
Cynthia Nixon starts hunger strike to demand cease-fire in Gaza
DUBAI: US actress Cynthia Nixon on Monday began a hunger strike outside the White House to demand that US president Joe Biden call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
According to Sky News, the “Sex And The City” actress said: “I am sick and tired of people explaining away by saying that civilian casualties are a routine toll of war. There is nothing routine about these figures. There is noting routine about these deaths.
“I would like to make a personal plea to a president who has, himself, experienced such devastating personal loss, to connect with that empathy for which he is so well known and to look at the children of Gaza and imagine that they were his children,” she said.
Nixon will end her strike on Tuesday to return to New York for work commitments.
The star is joined by five politicians in the US: Delaware state representative Madinah Wilson-Anton, New York representative Zohran Mamdani, Oklahoma representative Mauree Turner, Virginia representative Sam Rasoul and Michigan representative Abraham Aiyash.
Metallica to perform in Riyadh in December
DUBAI: US metal band Metallica is set to perform in Saudi Arabia for the first time in December at the Kingdom’s much-anticipated music festival Soundstorm by MDLBeast.
The group’s gig will be in Riyadh on Dec. 14, the first night of the three-day event.
The festival is also hosting international stars including Chris Brown, Pharrell Williams, Her, Tiesto, David Guetta, Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin and Anne-Marie.
Some of the Arab stars who will hit the stage include Elissa, Mahmoud El-Esseily, Hakeem, Majid Al-Mohandis, Mohamed Ramadan, Omaima Taleb, Rabeh Saqr, Dalia Mubarak, Ruby, Nancy Ajram, Ramy Sabry, Ahmed Saad, Hamid El-Shari and more.
The festival is yet to announce more international and regional artists taking part in this year’s edition.
Metallica’s Saudi show is part of the group’s M72 World Tour.
Khadra sisters, Bella Hadid pay tribute to their grandparents
DUBAI: US Palestinian beauty entrepreneurs Simi and Haze Khadra, as well as US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid, took to social media this week to pay tribute to their respective grandparents.
The Khadra twins — beauty entrepreneurs and DJs who grew up between Riyadh, Dubai and London and are now regulars on the Los Angeles social scene — shared a post lauding their grandmother on her birthday.
“Happy birthday to our grandmother, teta Fairouz, who was born in Akka, Palestine. Like all four of our grandparents, she was forcibly expelled from her home as a child by Israeli forces in 1948 … she is the most selfless human we know — always displaying the remarkable strength, generosity, and integrity Palestinians are known for.”
The twins took to Instagram earlier this month to announce that they would donate all sales from their makeup brand SimiHaze Beauty until Nov. 27 on the brand’s website to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).
“PCRF is working on getting children out of Gaza for free medical care. Simi & Haze have a trusting relationship with the PCRF, having completed successful fundraising campaigns together that have yielded dramatic improvements to children’s lives by bringing them the medical care they need to survive,” they posed on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Hadid took to Instagram Stories to celebrate her grandfather.
“He passed away when I was young but his memory is still inside my head,” she posted alongside a photograph of her paternal grandfather, adding: “His laugh, and his hug, and his voice and the fact that he could not be buried in the place where he was born and where his father and father’s father were born and died in the city they built — this is one of the many reasons I strive for a free, equal, liberated Palestine. I hope you are proud.”
Earlier this month, Hadid marked her father’s birthday with special post on Instagram that celebrated his Palestinian roots.
The 27-year-old catwalk star posted a picture of her and real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid from last year at the “Labour of Love” exhibition in Doha, which investigated the symbolism of the Palestinian thobe.
“Happy birthday to my baba … born in Nazareth, Palestine November 6, 1948,” Bella captioned her post.
In an earlier post, she shared the story of her father who was born in the year of the Nakba or “The Catastrophe” in 1948.
“Nine days after he was born, he, in his mother’s arms, along with his family were expelled from their home of Palestine, becoming refugees, away from a place they once called home,” she said.
“My grandparents, never being allowed to return. My family witnessed 75 years of violence against Palestinian people — most notably, brutal settler invasions which led to the destruction of entire communities, murder in cold blood and the forcible removal of families from their homes,” she added.
‘Eltiqa’ show builds cultural bridges between Saudi Arabia, South Korea
- Three-day show in Riyadh features spectacular performances, artistic exhibition
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and South Korea came together at the Red Hall in Princess Noura University Theater on Sunday night for a series of performances blending the two cultures.
The show, which will conclude on Nov. 28, was launched by the Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts in partnership with the Korea National University of Arts.
Suzan Al-Yahya, CEO of the institute, said that the show aims to promote “global cultural exchange in the Kingdom and create a meeting point between the traditional arts of various countries.”
The show, titled “Eltiqa,” features 50 artists from both the Saudi institute and South Korean university performing dances that celebrate the diversity of the two cultures and reflect a fusion of artistic sensibilities.
FASTFACTS
• ‘Eltiqa’ was launched by the Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts in partnership with the Korea National University of Arts.
• It included an indoor exhibition exploring the two countries’ wooden handicrafts, textile arts, traditional art, and clay works.
The show opened with a Korean and Saudi performer meeting each other halfway across the stage and exchanging a letter, symbolizing the story of how the two nations met.
This was followed by a cross-cultural artistic experience comprising 10 performances, five from each country.
The Korean performances showcased traditional royal court music and dances including the Three-Drum Dance, known in Korean as Samgomu.
It was an amazing performance, exceeding my expectations, and I felt close to the Korean audiences attending and seeing the two cultures merge.
Abdulaziz Taher, Riyadh-based artist
The last of the Korean performances included a traditional dance influenced by modern movements and musical rhythms.
The five Saudi performances showcased dances from different regions of the Kingdom, reflecting the nation’s cultural diversity: Al-Samari, Al-Daha, Al-Liwa, Al-Khatwa, and Al-Khabiti.
Abdulaziz Taher, a Riyadh-based artist, said it was “hard to pick one favorite performance.”
He added: “It was an amazing performance, exceeding my expectations, and I felt close to the Korean audiences attending and seeing the two cultures merge.”
In between dances, a short theatrical performance depicted Saudi Arabia and South Korea coming together to overcome obstacles and celebrate their differences. It received a standing ovation from the audience.
Raghed Al-Qahtani, a Saudi pharmacy student at Princess Nourah University, said: “The ending was the best part for me. It was beautiful seeing Saudis and Koreans taking turns and dancing to traditional Saudi and Korean music.”
The show accompanies the “Eltiqa” indoor exhibition, which explores the four elemental forces of earth, wind, fire, and water as they symbolize wooden handicrafts, textile arts, traditional art, and clay works, respectively.
An outdoor food area also offers visitors from both countries the chance to sample each other’s traditional cuisines.
King SeJong Institute, a Korean learning institute in Riyadh, participated in the show with freshly cooked kimchi-fried pancakes and kimbap, giving visitors an authentic taste of some of Korea’s best street food.
“Eltiqa” is part of the royal institute’s initiatives aimed at promoting cultural exchange in the Kingdom and preserving heritage in line with the strategic goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Politics and poetry: Imran Pratapgarhi delights crowds in Riyadh
- Indian poet presents work to more than 500 expatriates
- Speaks of pain, suffering of Palestinian people in Gaza
RIYADH: Indian poet and politician Imran Pratapgarhi left his audience spellbound during a presentation of his work in Riyadh recently.
During his first visit to the capital since being elected to parliament, Pratapgarhi spoke of the suffering faced by Palestinian men, women and children in Gaza amid the ongoing assault by Israeli forces.
He also thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting about 2 million Indian workers in the Kingdom and acknowledged the arrangements made by Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj pilgrims.
The poet also thanked Talib Ur Rahman, Dr Dilnawaz Roomi and Mohammed Fakhre Alam for organizing the event, which was attended by more than 500 Indian expatriates.
As well as Palestine, Pratapgarhi recited poems about the political and social situation in India, including the plight of Muslims and other minorities. His rendition of “Lal Quila” received a standing ovation.
On behalf of the Indian diaspora, he was presented with a memento of appreciation.
The event was attended by several special guests, including Omair Khan, head of the AICC Minority Department; Jharkand, Maulana Mohammed Abutalib Rehmani, a member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board; Motiur Rahman, founder of Bukhari University, Kishanganj (Bihar); and businessman Dr Nadeem Tarin.
