Within the framework of continuous cultural cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and France, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities organized, in cooperation with the “Lee Ecol” school for jewel arts in the capital, Paris, a special event on the occasion of the conclusion of the “Paris, the Capital of Pearls” exhibition, which included a presentation on the history and heritage of pearls in Bahrain and a direct performance of the art of Al -Fajri presented by the Qalali group of folklore.
The event witnessed the presence of Ambassador Issam Abdulaziz Al -Jassem, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the French Republic, while the authority represented Professor Haya Al -Sada, the director of museums, in addition to the presence of a number of high -level personalities from the Lee Ecol School and the role of international jewelry and journalists.
The director of museums, Haya Al -Sada, reviewed the heritage of pearls in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its role in shaping the Kingdom’s cultural identity and its contribution to strengthening its ties with the world. It also shed light on the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in preserving this legacy and inserting the Pearl Path site on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the programs of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities to highlight this heritage and promote it locally, regionally and globally.
For his part, Ambassador Issam Abdulaziz Al -Jassem praised the efforts of the Culture Authority in preserving and preserving the legacy of the pearl of the Kingdom of Bahrain, stressing the importance of this event in the exhibition “Paris, the capital of pearls”.
He said that the exhibition represents a wonderful opportunity to shed light on the rich heritage of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the pearl trade, expressing its pride in the participation of this unique culture with the world, and aspiration to strengthen the cultural and artistic ties between Bahrain and France, stressing that cooperation with France in this field reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to preserving this heritage and presenting it to future generations.
On the other hand, the Qalali Folklore Band presented a direct presentation of Al -Fajri’s art, which is one of the most important elements of the infinite cultural heritage of Bahrain, and is closely related to the pearl heritage in the Kingdom, and is registered on the UNESCO list of infinite cultural heritage.
It is noteworthy that Bahrain and France have a long history of communication in the field of pearl trade, where the French jewel makers were looking for the finest types of natural pearls, and the most famous of them was Jacques Gartier who visited Bahrain in 1912. In the same context, the Culture Authority and the “Lee Ecol” school possesses close cooperation relations, the school at the end of last November was a discussion session for His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah And his trade between the Kingdom of Bahrain and France entitled “From Bahrain to Paris: Pearl Journey.”
It is also worth noting that the exhibition “Paris, the Capital of Pearls” displays more than 100 pieces that tell the details of the pivotal role that pearls played in promoting cultural and commercial ties between the Gulf and France region from the late nineteenth century to the mid -twentieth century.
