MADINAH – Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed, Emir of Madinah region, announced Monday that the year-long celebrations to mark Madinah's selection as the Islamic Culture Capital for the Arab region for 2013 will start on Jan. 20. A host of activities and programs, including conferences, seminars, recreational activities and competitions, as well as wide variety of cultural programs and folk art shows highlighting the rich culture and civilization of Madinah city will be held as part of the celebrations, the Emir said in a press conference held at his residence in Madinah on Sunday night. A number of senior officials, including Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja, were present. Prince Abdul Aziz emphasized that the people of Madinah have an original and beautiful culture and heritage that would be showcased at the event. He noted that the celebrations coincide with the ongoing greatest ever expansion in the history of the Prophet's Mosque, launched by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, last year. “Prominent figures from all parts of the world will take part in the event. There will be wide varieties of cultural activities and programs and they are open to women,” he said. The Emir stressed that King Abdullah is very keen to establish a giant cultural library in Madinah to serve the people, especially intellectuals around the world. There would be an excellent model library with all the advanced facilities instead of many libraries, he said while referring to the earlier plan to establish a big Haram library. Prince Abdul Aziz urged the people of Madinah to actively participate and contribute to make the celebrations a success. The Emir also highlighted the role of new media, especially the social networking sites, in promoting the celebrations. He has suggested preparing guide maps to help the visitors and pilgrims know about the venues of the events, including King Fahd Garden, special tent near Quba Mosque and Sultana suburb, and historical places in the city. Dr. Khoja said that the ministry has developed a comprehensive media plan to promote all activities and events throughout the year, including programs to be broadcast on radio, Saudi Channel One, Cultural Channel, and Ekhbariyah Channel, in addition to the participation of newspapers. Dr. Khoja praised the idea of holding a conference of archaeologists in Madinah, describing it as excellent. “There will be a conference for writers also,” he added. The Madinah Cultural and Literary Club will dedicate its annual forum to the celebrations. “About 18 prominent men and women researchers will present papers at the forum with a theme of “Landmarks of Madinah.” The Rabat-based Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), an affiliate of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has chosen Madinah as the Islamic Culture Capital for the Arab region for 2013. Madinah has remained a symbol of Islamic culture for centuries. Madinah's turn as the Culture Capital comes 10 years after the holy capital of Makkah was chosen as the Islamic Culture Capital in 2003.
