Crown Prince Salman and other dignitaries at the launch of festivities to mark Madinah as Islamic Culture Capital at a specially erected tent outside Quba Mosque in Madinah, Tuesday. — SG photo by Yousuf Muhammad Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, Tuesday launched the yearlong celebrations to mark Madinah as the capital of Islamic culture. Over 130 noted Islamic cultural personalities, including scholars from all around the world, were in attendance along with Prince Faisal Bin Salman, Emir of Madinah region. Madinah — the Prophet's City — is known for its centers of spirituality, faith, knowledge and science. This modern city in the western part of the country is the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah. The city, which is also home to the three oldest mosques in Islam — the Prophet's Mosque, Quba Mosque and the Mosque of the Two Qiblahs — was the power base of Islam during the times of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The launch of the festivities also coincides with the multi-billion riyal development projects in and around the holy city, including the massive expansion of the Prophet's Mosque. Sheikh Saleh Bin Awad Al-Maghamsi, secretary general of the events organizing committee of the governorate, said 40 government agencies will be participating in the festivities and will also be working closely throughout the year to present a series of cultural and historical programs in the city. Earlier in the day, Crown Prince Salman visited the Prophet's Mosque to offer prayers and greet the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his two companions Abu Bakr Siddiq and Omar Bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them). He was received by a number of senior officials and scholars, including Sheikh Abdurahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, and his deputies — Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Faleh and Sheikh Muhammad Al-Khozaim. Crown Prince Salman received a number of prominent scholars, sheikhs, imams of the Prophet's Mosque, senior civilian and military officials, as well as a group of citizens at the palace of Prince Faisal. During the visit, he issued directives to increase the bed-capacity of Prince Sultan Armed Forces Hospital in Madinah from 87 to 187. He ordered the General Directorate of Military Works to take immediate steps to implement the project. The Crown Prince also directed to speed up engineering design works for establishing a new dialysis center with 18 units at the hospital. 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. Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said that selection of Madinah as culture capital highlights the holy city's sublime position in the hearts of Muslims across the world. “It is an extreme delight for all Muslims to visit the city in order to greet the Prophet (peace be upon him) and offer prayers at the Prophet's Mosque,” he said. As many as 400 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. There will be two exhibitions displaying the various stages of the holy city's history, and showcasing the life story of the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions from a historical perspective. Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja said that the ministry has developed a comprehensive media plan to promote all activities and events throughout the year. The programs include broadcasts on radio. Saudi Channel One, Cultural Channel, and Ekhbariyah Channel, in addition to the participation of newspapers will air the event.
