The British Museum will restore eight ancient glass artefacts damaged in last year's Beirut port explosion, the cultural institution in London announced on Tuesday.
Listen to the latest podcast on the Beirut blast here.
The glass vessels shattered when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in the Lebanese capital's port blew up, devastating the city on August 4, 2020.
Workers will piece together hundreds of glass fragments at the British Museum's conservation laboratories with funding from the European Fine Art Foundation.
"These objects hold immense historical, artistic and cultural significance. Their return to their rightful form is a powerful symbol of healing and resilience after disaster," said foundation chairman Hidde van Seggelen.
The artefacts were held in a case displaying 74 Roman, Byzantine and Islamic-era glass vessels in the American University of Beirut's Archaeological Museum, a little more than three kilometres from the blast.
Last year's explosion caused them to shatter into hundreds of pieces, which were mixed with broken glass from cabinets and windows.
The innate difficulties of restoring the vessels meant only 15 were deemed salvageable. Just eight of these were considered strong enough for the journey to London.
“Glass is a very difficult material to reconstruct, not least because the shards flex and ‘spring’ out of shape and have to be drawn back under tension to restore the original shape," said Sandra Smith, Head of Collection Care at the British Museum.
"Doing this for hundreds of pieces is a delicate process but our world-class facilities and highly experienced conservation staff will ensure these items are preserved to exceptional standards.”
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
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