RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture has launched a project to map and document significant locations linked to prominent Arab poets from the pre-Islamic period, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The initiative leads on from the Year of Arabic Poetry in 2023, and involves collaboration with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, as well as the municipalities of the designated areas.
This project has already charted numerous Riyadh sites where famous poets lived, including Laila Al-Akhiliya, Qays Ibn Al-Mulawwah, Imru’ Al-Qays, and Labid Ibn Rabi’ah.
In the Qassim region, landmarks such as the Al-Shanana Tower in Al-Rass, linked to the poet Zuhair bin Abi Salma, have been documented.
The scope of the endeavor extends to additional provinces, including Al-Baha, Al-Ahsa, Taif, Ha’il, Madinah, Asir, and Najran, and aims to cover the Kingdom comprehensively, the SPA added.
By identifying and making sites more accessible through the installation of guiding signs, the ministry is seeking to illustrate the Kingdom’s substantial contribution to the foundation and evolution of Arab cultural heritage.
