AMMAN // Cave paintings of immense historical value have been brought to life at a restoration project in the historic city of Petra in southern Jordan. The 2,000-year-old paintings - of such exceptional beauty and detail that individual species of plants, birds and insects can now be recognised - have been uncovered in a restoration project that the Petra National Trust (PNT) started in 2006.
The PNT and Jordan's department of antiquities brought in conservation experts from the Courtauld Institute in London to carry out the project, which was completed last week. The paintings were covered over the centuries by soot and grime and, more recently, were damaged by graffiti and attempted thefts. Painted by the Nabataeans, probably in the first century as they ran their trading empire across much of the Middle East and Mediterranean from Petra, the paintings in the classical Greek style "should make jaws drop", according to David Park, director of wall paintings at the Courtauld.
The PNT says the paintings, covering a principal chamber and a smaller rear recess at the cave about 300 metres from the entrance of the Siq al-Barid in Petra, represent "the most important surviving examples of Nabataean wall painting". Aysar Akrawi, executive director of the PNT, said in a statement: "The wall painting in Siq al-Barid is the finest and most extensive of these rare fragments of Nabataean mural paintings.
"It is a unique example in this region and holds importance for the history of art. It also provides valuable information about the history of the region." The painting covers the vault and walls of the recess with an intertwining vine-scrolls and flowers, winged demi-gods, child-like figures and a host of colourful birds. Dalya Alberge, arts correspondent for The Observer newspaper in London, wrote this week that the artistic quality and sheer beauty of the paintings "are said to be superior even to some of the better Roman paintings at Herculaneum that were inspired by Hellenistic art".
"Virtually no Hellenistic paintings survive today, and fragments only hint at antiquity's lost masterpieces, while revealing little about their colours and composition, so the revelation of these wall paintings in Jordan is all the more significant," she added. The restoration project has been led for the past three years by Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede from the Courtauld Institute. "A lot of wall paintings are really no more than general decoration, but this is truly a work of art," Mr Rickerby said yesterday.
"When we first saw the painting, it was completely covered in soot. The techniques used in the painting were very vulnerable and at first we thought that it would be an impossible project. "But we tailored our cleaning techniques and, slowly, we uncovered the painting in all its stunning detail. Now, for the first time in centuries, it is possible to see how unique it is … simply wonderful." Mr Park said the painting represented not only a work of art but also provided considerable information about the complex technical workmanship involved.
He said the painting developed out of a compound of Hellenistic-Roman cultural elements "adding to its unique quality and value for understanding the Nabataean civilisation". Among the plants that have so far been identified are three different vines, grape ivy and bindweed. Birds depicted include a demoiselle crane and a richly coloured Palestine sunbird. Figures portrayed include a winged child playing a flute and others picking fruit or fighting off birds pecking at grapes.
@Email:smaayeh@thenational.com dsapsted@thenational.com David Sapsted reported from London
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
