Hundreds of ceramic doves are suspended over the streets of the Old City of Damascus, part of an art installation that had been set to make its debut before the start of Syria's war.
The lifelike figurines crafted by Buthaina Al-Ali, a professor at Damascus University's Faculty of Arts, had been gathering dust in a basement since the outbreak of conflict in Syria in 2011.
Eleven years on, the 15,000 ceramic birds are finally airborne, appearing in an exhibition curated by Al-Ali's students on the woes of the country's war.
"I had dreamt of decorating the centre of my city and hanging the doves in a crowded place for people to see," said Al-Ali, 48.
"But the war changed everything, and I had to postpone my dream all this time."
The exhibition in the Old City of Damascus, curated by 16 students from the faculty of arts, is titled Once upon a time, a window.
The art on display deals with the displacement, hunger and helplessness wrought by the country's civil war.
"I finally suggested to my students that they take the doves and hang them in a way they see fit," said Al-Ali, who lost two family members to the conflict.
Storybook scene
The students raised the doves in the courtyard of a traditional Damascene home.
The Kozah art gallery in the Old City and adjacent streets were also adorned with the ceramic figurines, some of which are fitted with small LED lights.
The doves are the centrepiece of the exhibition, which features other artworks by students.
"Sadness is the common factor between all the pieces," Al-Ali said.
But for gallery owner Kozah, the exhibition has turned the Old City into a scene from a storybook.
"It's a story displayed out in the open, allowing those who experience it to move from one tale to another," he said.
The doves have been incorporated into student artworks, including an installation by Hammoud Radwan, 24.
His piece, titled A Continued Disappearance, has the doves placed beside portraits of his friends who left Syria in search of a brighter future abroad.
"The pigeons fly beside them to express dispersal," he said.
Since 2011, the war in Syria has killed almost half a million people and forced nearly half the country's pre-war population from their homes, according to Britain's Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
'Pain and exasperation'
In a narrow alley in the Old City, empty plates tied to ceramic pigeons clatter against one another above an empty wooden table.
The installation by student artist Pierre Hamati, 25, titled Syrian Supper, represents the hunger plaguing Syria's population, nearly 60 per cent of whom are food insecure.
"The [empty] table represents our table, and the plates resemble our empty plates." he said.
"The pigeons represent us ... our dreams, ambitions and rights, which are no longer sacred."
In another installation, 300 pigeons appear suspended in mid-flight on their way out of an abandoned house.
"They are similar to the homes of some Syrians" who had to flee the ravages of war, said Zeina Taatouh, who created the work.
Students Raneem al-Lahham and Hassan al-Maghout locked the birds inside cages in their installation.
Gulnar Sarikhi, another art student, hung the doves upside down, with a knot tied at their feet.
Sarikhi chose the title Impotence for her piece, which represents the helplessness of Syria's people.
"I could not imagine the doves flying," she said.
"I saw them hanging by their legs, embodying the pain and exasperation which we can do nothing about."
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
HEADLINE HERE
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Honeymoonish
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Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Specs
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Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
