- Title: WEST BANK: West Bank mosaic exhibition brings heritage closer to the people
- Date: 2nd June 2011
- Summary: ABU DIS, WEST BANK (MAY 30, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COPIES OF ANCIENT MOSAIC AT HERITAGE EXHIBITION IN AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY ARCHITECT OSAMA HAMDAN SHOWING MAN COPY OF MOSAIC LOCATED INSIDE JERUSALEM'S DOME OF THE ROCK VARIOUS OF COPY OF MOSAIC LOCATED INSIDE JERUSALEM'S DOME OF THE ROCK VARIOUS OF COPY OF ROMAN MOSAIC (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARCHITECT AND EXHIBITION CURATOR, OSAMA HAMDAN, SAYING: "Some of our children grew up and never saw the Dome of the Rock. So, we have tried in this way to bring the Dome of the Rock to them. At the same time, most of the mosaics that are here are located in a high place, so it is hard to see them properly and look at the details and see the colours and the materials. So in this way, we brought the portraits down from a high place." PEOPLE LOOKING AT DOME OF THE ROCK MOSAIC VARIOUS OF COPY OF ROMAN MOSAIC STUDENTS LOOKING AT MOSAIC CLOSE OF MOSAIC (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) STUDENT AT AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY, FARID KHWAIS, SAYING: "This shows the art of human architecture, and how humans turned their ideas into reality through portraits and art." MOSAIC FROM GAZA POSTER EXPLAINING GAZA MOSAIC VISITORS LOOKING AT MOSAIC CLOSE OF MOSAIC (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EXHIBITION VISITOR, IBRAHIM ROMAN, SAYING: "I live in Jericho. There are some portraits here from Jericho that I have never seen before. The exhibition helped me learn about them." POSTER READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH "MOSAIC HERITAGE OF PALESTINE" VARIOUS OF VISITORS LOOKING AT EXHIBITS
- Embargoed: 17th June 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank, West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVA9Y7BBWX1HK5H7TTDSSPOV1DOX
- Story Text: Jerusalem's famous Dome of the Rock is out of bounds for most Palestinians.
But West Bankers are now able to enjoy some of the mosque's stunning mosaics thanks to a new exhibition at Al Quds University in Abu Dis.
Curators of the Holy Land Mosaics Exhibition have recreated Palestinian mosaics from a range of locations and historical periods, in a bid to keep Palestinian mosaic heritage alive.
Architect Osama Hamdan says the exhibition is a way for the Palestinian youth to stay in touch with their culture, despite being unable to travel around easily.
"Some of our children grew up and never saw the Dome of the Rock. So, we have tried in this way to bring the Dome of the Rock to them. At the same time, most of the mosaics that are here are located in a high place, so it is hard to see them properly and look at the details and see the colours and the materials. So in this way, we brought the portraits down from a high place," he said.
The piece on display is a reproduction of the mosaic on the Dome of the Rock's ceiling, dating back to the 7th century.
Younger Palestinians are usually denied access to the Holy City, where they traditionally used to pray at the Haram Al-Sharif or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Al-Quds University students who were visiting the Abu Dis exhibition said they were impressed with what they saw.
"This shows the art of human architecture, and how humans turned their ideas into reality through portraits and art," Farid Khwais told Reuters Television.
A history student from the West Bank town of Jericho also said the exhibition had been a real eye-opener.
"I live in Jericho. There are some portraits here from Jericho that I have never seen before. The exhibition helped me learn about them," said Ibrahim Roman.
The mosaic reproductions will remain on display in Abu Dis until June 4th, before moving on to the West Bank town of Hebron and then on to Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
