ATHENS: Authorities in Greece have arrested six people on the island of Crete in connection with an alleged antiquities smuggling ring that was attempting to sell dozens of ancient artifacts, police said Thursday.
The arrests came after a sting operation on Wednesday, during which the suspects were reportedly trying to sell a collection of antiquities. Investigators say the group operated as a coordinated criminal network, with clearly defined roles, including a leader, go-betweens, and a designated transporter.
Among the recovered items were 15 ancient oil lamps, 17 figurines or fragments, several ceramic vessels, and a marble sculpture believed to depict a child’s head. All are thought to date from various periods of ancient Greek history and will be assessed by a state archaeological service.
Police also confiscated metal detectors and scanning equipment believed to have been used to locate buried relics, as well as firearms, ammunition, quantities of cannabis, and more than 3,000 euros ($3,200) in cash.
Greece, known for its rich archaeological heritage, has long battled the illicit trade in antiquities. Despite strict national laws, such artifacts remain highly sought-after on the international black market.
All six suspects are facing multiple charges, including membership in a criminal organization and breaches of cultural heritage protection legislation.
Dozens of ancient artifacts seized in Greek island smuggling raid
https://arab.news/b89rr
Dozens of ancient artifacts seized in Greek island smuggling raid
- Among the recovered items were 15 ancient oil lamps, 17 figurines or fragments
- Police also confiscated metal detectors and scanning equipment believed to have been used to locate buried relics
Art Basel to launch new fair in Qatar
- Sheikha Al-Mayassa is leading the initiative in Doha
- Builds on ‘thriving ecosystem of culture and sports’
DUBAI: Art Basel is set to launch a new edition of its globally renowned fair in Qatar, scheduled for February 2026 in Doha.
Announced on Tuesday, the inaugural Art Basel Qatar is a joint partnership between the organization’s parent company MCH Group, Qatar Sports Investments, and QC+, a cultural commerce collective.
The fair will be held at M7 and the Doha Design District in Msheireb, at the heart of the city’s creative quarter.
It promises a tightly curated showcase of leading modern and contemporary art galleries, spotlighting talent from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond.
The initiative builds on Qatar’s long-term cultural vision, championed by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums.
“We have built a thriving ecosystem of culture and sports … and are pleased to welcome the Art Basel organization as our partner,” she said.
The project follows Qatar’s successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup and aims to further position the nation as a hub for arts, sports, and tourism.
QSI’s Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi called the partnership “part of the legacy” of the World Cup and a new chapter in QSI’s investment in culture.
Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz said the initiative “supports artists and galleries and develops new collecting audiences,” while MCH Group CEO Andrea Zappia added that it “will attract art buyers and fans from the region and all over the world.”
Art Basel Qatar will be the fifth fair in the Art Basel portfolio, joining editions in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris.
Elyanna to perform at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concerts
- Elyanna known for mix of Arab, Western beats
- Concerts to feature some of world’s top stars
DUBAI: Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna will perform at this year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix After-Race Concerts on Dec. 5 at the Etihad Park on Yas Island.
The young star is expected to sing some of her most popular tracks, including “Ghareeb Alay,” “Mama Eh” and her Arabic rendition of “La Vie en Rose.”
Her performance is a part of the Yasalam After-Race concerts, held alongside the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, one of the UAE’s biggest entertainment and sporting weekends.
Elyanna joins a high-profile lineup of artists already announced for the four-night concert series, including Benson Boone on Dec. 4, Post Malone on Dec. 5, Metallica on Dec. 6 and Katy Perry on Dec. 7.
Access to the concerts is exclusive to Formula 1 ticket holders, with each night set to feature large-scale performances at the open-air Etihad Park.
Meanwhile, Elyanna has been normalizing Arabic lyrics in the Western world, taking inspiration from artists including Lana Del Ray and Beyonce, as well as Middle Eastern legend Fayrouz.
The Los Angeles-based singer’s music is a mix of Arab and Western beats, which she attributes to her multicultural upbringing.
Elyanna has built a strong relationship with British rock giants Coldplay, collaborating with them on the song “We Pray” and joining them on stage in multiple cities, including Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Barcelona and Paris.
One of her standout appearances was during Coldplay’s four-night concert series in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, part of their “Music of the Spheres” world tour.
In April, Coldplay announced that Elyanna had again teamed up with the band to release a new version of “Ma Meilleure Ennemie,” a track originally performed by Belgian artist Stromae and French singer Pomme.
The reimagined version is featured on the extended soundtrack for season two of “Arcane,” the popular Netflix animated series based on the League of Legends universe.
The extended soundtrack features a star-studded lineup, including Twenty One Pilots, Stray Kids, King Princess, and D4vd.
Met returns looted Mesopotamian artifacts to Iraq after investigation
DUBAI: Three ancient Mesopotamian artifacts once housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have been returned to Iraq after an investigation into art trafficking linked to the late British antiquities dealer Robin Symes, authorities announced on Monday.
The return was confirmed in statements by the Met and the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which led the criminal investigation. The artifacts — a Sumerian gypsum vessel from about 2600-2500 BC and two Babylonian ceramic heads dated about 2000-1600 BC — were among 135 looted antiquities linked to Symes and seized earlier this year.
According to The New York Times, the male head sculpture was sold to the Met by Symes in 1972, while the female head and the Sumerian vessel were gifts from a private collection in 1989. All three are believed to have originated from ancient Mesopotamian sites, including Isin and Ur, now in modern-day Iraq.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. said the seizure and return are part of broader efforts to undo the “significant damage traffickers have caused to our worldwide cultural heritage.”
The repatriation was formalized in a ceremony in Lower Manhattan attended by Iraqi officials and Met representatives. The museum said that it had acted upon “new information” received through the DA’s investigation that clarified the artifacts’ illicit provenance.
Authorities estimate the value of the 135 items trafficked through Symes and recovered in New York at $58 million.
Lyna Khoudri-starring film ‘Eagles of the Republic’ premieres at Cannes
DUBAI: French Algerian actress Lyna Khoudri’s film “Eagles of the Republic” premiered this week at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, and it received a coveted standing ovation following the screening.
Directed by Swedish Egyptian filmmaker Tarik Saleh, the film is the final chapter in his acclaimed “Cairo Trilogy,” which includes “The Nile Hilton Incident” (2017) and “Boy From Heaven” (2022), the latter earning him the Best Screenplay award at Cannes.
Set in Cairo, “Eagles of the Republic” follows George El-Nabawi, a fading movie star who reluctantly agrees to play a role in a political biopic.
Khoudri portrays Donya, a journalist who becomes entangled in the political intrigue surrounding the film’s protagonist, Fahmy.
The movie also features Swedish Lebanese actor Fares Fares — a longtime collaborator of Saleh — in the lead role, alongside French Moroccan actress Zineb Triki as Suzanne, the Western-educated wife of Egypt’s defence minister, and Egyptian actor Amr Waked as presidential adviser Dr. Mansour.
For the premiere, Khoudri wore a sculptural strapless Chanel dress featuring a voluminous skirt, a structured bodice, and folded detailing along the neckline. The gown was cinched at the waist and flared into pleats. She completed the look with white open-toe heels and a sleek bun.
She attended the premiere alongside Saleh, Waked, French film composer and conductor Alexandre Desplat, and Kurdish Finnish actor, filmmaker and writer Sherwan Haji, who also stars in the film.
Khoudri, 32, first rose to prominence in her role as Nedjma in Mounia Meddour’s critically acclaimed drama “Papicha.” For her work in the film, she won the Orizzonti Award for best actress at the 74th Venice Film Festival, and she was nominated in the Cesar Awards’ most promising actress category.
Khoudri also starred in the 2019 mini-series “Les Sauvages” and in 2016’s “Blood on the Docks.”
She was also cast in Wes Anderson’s 2021 comedy “The French Dispatch” alongside Timothee Chalamet, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Owen Wilson.
The actress also stars in Martin Bourboulon’s Afghanistan evacuation drama “In The Hell Of Kabul: 13 Days, 13 Nights,” alongside Danish Bafta-winning “Borgen” star Sidse Babett Knudsen, Roschdy Zem (“Chocolat,” “Oh Mercy!”), and theater actor Christophe Montenez.
Key reflections as Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale comes to a close
JEDDAH: As the second Islamic Arts Biennale prepares for its finale on May 25, Donya Abdulhadi, the executive director of marketing and communications at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation says its true achievement lies not only in visitor numbers, but in the cultural and educational legacy it continues to build.
“The Islamic Arts Biennale was ranked as one of the most highly visited biennales in 2023, but it is the cultural impact, influence and legacy of our work that matters the most to us,” she told Arab News.
The foundation — which oversees the Islamic Arts Biennale, the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, and JAX District — alternates annually between its two flagship biennales: the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, held in Riyadh’s JAX District, and the Islamic Arts Biennale, staged at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah.
Launched in 2023, the Islamic Arts Biennale is the first biennale in the world dedicated to Islamic arts.
The debut Islamic Arts Biennale welcomed over 600,000 visitors, while the second edition of the Contemporary Art Biennale saw more than double the attendance of its first iteration and a 600 percent increase in digital engagement, according to organizers.
Abdulhadi explained that the foundation measures success through cultural impact. “We assess our impact through several factors, including our success in nurturing creative expression and lifelong learning,” she said.
The foundation has seen a significant rise in institutional collaboration, too. Since the launch of its biennales, the number of partner institutions lending cultural and historical works has tripled. In turn, the number of total loans to exhibitions has nearly doubled.
Among the highlights of this iteration was the unprecedented display of rare objects such as items from the Vatican Apostolic Libraries shown alongside the Kiswah, the covering that adorns the Kaaba in Makkah.
Between editions, the foundation remains active through initiatives such as “PlayBack,” a digital audio archive of past programming, and “PaperBack,” Saudi Arabia’s first art book fair, which welcomed more than 10,000 visitors last year.
“Supporting generations of artists and creatives remains one of the most important ways in which we deliver cultural impact as a foundation,” she continued. “Our Biennales and the JAX District act as springboards for Saudi and international artists to be invited to the world’s most prestigious stages, but also as platforms for artists to evolve their own roles as creatives,” she concluded.
