Source : Arab News
ST. PETERBURG | Russia : 17 May 2011

Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), and Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeyev jointly opened a Saudi heritage exhibition at Hermitage museum here Monday and said the show reflected the Kingdom's historical importance.

The exhibition, entitled "Arabian Routes - Saudi Archeological Masterpieces Through the Ages" will feature 347 pieces. "Saudi Arabia's rich heritage has surprised the world, and the exhibition reflects the growing global interest in the Kingdom's cultural dimension," said Prince Sultan.

He said the exhibition would display only a part of the Kingdom's heritage in order to highlight the Kingdom's cultural strength and the importance of its religion. The exhibition earlier visited Paris and Barcelona, drawing 100,000 visitors to each of the venues.

"This exhibition has an important message to give that Saudi Arabia is not new history," the SCTA chief said. It is a great opportunity to strengthen bilateral cultural relations, he added.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a number of cultural events, including lectures on the Kingdom's heritage and culture, a photography and documentary film exhibition and traditional dances from various parts of the Kingdom. The exhibition contains pieces that cover various periods of history, beginning from the Stone Age through to the foundation of the Saudi kingdom. The relics arrived at the Hermitage recently from the La Caixa Foundation museum in Barcelona where they had been on display until Feb. 20.