Yemeni Minister opens Bilqis Throne pavilion

Yemeni Culture Minister Abdullah Aubl Sanaa – Ali Rabea The Yemeni Culture Minister, Abdullah Aubl, will open the Bilqis Throne pavilion at the Arts Exhibition which will be held in the city of Rome on Wednesday. Aubl told Arabstoday that his country is keen on participating in international art exhibitions, including that of Rome as it contains opportunities to introduce Yemeni arts and archaeologists as well as promote Yemeni cultural and archaeological tourism externally.
He will grant the Order of the Republic, highest cultural order in Yemen, to the late Italian archaeologist Alessandro de Maigret, in appreciation for his efforts in introducing the historical Yemeni culture to the world. Aubl will hand the Order to Sabina de Maigret, his widow.
Minister Aubl said the Yemeni wing in the exhibition includes Yemeni art works and models of ancient archaeological pieces in addition to folkloric articles, and traditional textile crafts which represent the cultural diversity in Yemen, which he said is “rich and unique in the region.”
He pointed out that he will discuss with the Italian officials fields of cultural cooperation between Italy and Yemen, especially in archaeological discoveries, archaeological preservation which includes ancient manuscripts, which his country has a lot of them.
Last June, Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organised a special seminar about the works of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Yemen 1980 - 2010 led by the late Italian archaeologist Alessandro de Maigret, in the presence of the Yemeni Culture Minister Abdullah Aubl and the participation of a selection of international intellectuals and interested in archaeological affairs in Yemen and Italy.
Italian archaeologist Alessandro de Maigret was a Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Naples. He died in June 2011 aged 67.
Alessandro de Maigret is one of the senior archaeologists who worked in the field of excavation in Yemen which included several archaeological sites like Khowlan, Brakech and Timna.
According to Yemeni archaeologists de Maigret participated to the introduction of the ancient Yemeni history, specially the Bronze Age which dates back to the third and second Millennia BC.