Tag: North Africa Records

TUNISIA : World Athletics U20 Championships 2024: Tunisia’s Rayen Cherni wins gold in men’s 10,000m race walk, sets Championship record

Multiple area and national records broken in men’s 10,000m event at World Athletics U20 Championships 2024.

Rayen Cherni set a championship record in the men’s 10,000m race walk to win the first ever gold medal for Tunisia at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2024, while China’s Baima Zhuoma dominated the women’s race during the final morning session of action in Lima on Friday.

In a hard-fought men’s race, the top 17 all set area or national U20 records, or achieved PBs, with Cherni winning in an African U20 record of 39:24.85, Mexico’s Emiliano Barba securing silver in a North and Central American U20 record of 39:27.10 and Italy’s Giuseppe Disabato gaining bronze in a national U20 record of 39:31.25.

Australia’s Isaac Beacroft, who won the U20 title on the roads at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya in April, finished fourth on the track in Lima, setting an Oceanian U20 record of 39:36.39, while Japan’s Sohtaroh Osaka finished fifth in a PB of 39:39.36.

It was Germany’s Frederick Weigel who had taken the early lead, but Osaka, Beacroft and Kenya’s Stephen Ndangiri Kihu took control by the halfway point, passed in 20:05.03.

As the pace gradually picked up, the lead pack whittled down, and Barba, Disabato and Cherni made their break. Six athletes remained in contention with four laps to go and eventually 17-year-old Cherni left his rivals behind to win by more than two seconds.

China’s Baima Zhuoma claims gold with personal best in women’s 10,000m race walk at World Athletics U20 Championships 2024

In the women’s race, Baima looked calm and in control throughout. The field quickly spaced out and the 19-year-old, who claimed Asian U20 silver in April, was well clear as she passed the 5000m mark in 21:47.33.

She was followed by India’s Aarti and her Chinese teammate Chen Meiling, last year’s Asian U20 champion, with Romania’s 17-year-old Alessia Cristina Pop, the European U18 silver medallist, looking determined behind them.

While Baima was never under threat, Aarti seemed to be moving away from Chen, but with two red cards Aarti had to be cautious and Chen made her move, passing her rival with three and a half laps to go.

Baima maintained her lead to cruise to victory in a world U20 lead and big PB of 43:26.60, as Chen held on for silver to complete a 1-2 for China in a PB of 44:30.67. Aarti claimed bronze in an Indian U20 record of 44:39.39, while Pop also set a national U20 record of 44:54.32 in fourth. Similar to the men’s race, the top 16 all set national records or PBs.

source/content: khelnow.com (headline edited)

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(Courtesy : @WorldAthletics/Twitter)

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TUNISIA

YEMEN: Prof. Najla Al-Sonboli : Heroine’s mission to save wartime Yemen’s children. Recognised as ‘Heroine for Health at the World Health Assembly’ meeting in 2018 Geneva

Heroine’s mission to save wartime Yemen’s children.

How can one focus and work without a salary? Or when bombs are exploding nearby? Or when you worry that your staff won’t make it home? Or that a cholera epidemic could compromise your hospital?

For the past six and a half years, LSTM alumna, Prof. Najla Al-Sonboli has dedicated her life to helping some of the most vulnerable victims of war-torn Yemen, the children. Every day she sees innocent children come through the doors of her hospital, victims of a war that has ravaged her home country.  “I see children suffering and dying right in front of my eyes, I needed to do something to help.”

While at LSTM, Prof. Al-Sonboli initially studied for a Masters in Tropical Paediatrics graduating in  1999. She then later went on to complete the Diploma in Tropical Child Health. Following that she completed her PhD in paediatric health at LSTM with supervision from Professor Luis Cuevas and research in her home country of Yemen.

Now a leading paediatrician and researcher, Prof. Al-Sonboli is the head of the Paediatric Department at Al-Sabeen Hospital for Maternity and Children in Yemen’s largest city of Sana’a.

“I love kids, I can’t bear the thought that anything could hurt them. So, I decided to study paediatrics and help children in Yemen. Because of war, they are dying from diseases, hunger and cross fire. They are suffering too much; many have lost their parents, and many are displaced and separated from their families and their homeland.” 

In the face of war and grave personal risk, Prof. Al-Sonboli and her team work tirelessly providing essential and much needed medical care to thousands of children, whilst organising staff to provide voluntary services with minimal resources and coping with new challenges her paediatric department faces.  “Every day brings new challenges. We are facing the spread of many epidemics and diseases such as measles, cholera and severe malnutrition.”

 “We are admitting cases even on the floor, on chairs, inside their cars with IV stands to prevent them from getting shocked. It is a real disaster”.

“At times we have had to work under fire. Parts of our hospital have been  destroyed, and once, one of the rockets hit inside the hospital. This meant our medical staff couldn’t come to work.”

After years of brutal conflict, many of the doctors and nurses are tired. For years, staff have received no salary, many being left without enough money to feed their families. “Some of my colleagues are struggling to buy food for their own children.  When this happens, we all come together and make sure we can support them by collecting small amounts of money to help them”.

For some time now staff at LSTM and the broader Liverpool community have been raising vital funds to support colleagues to provide essential medical care to save children’s lives in an incredibly difficult situation. This has since seen the formation of the ‘Liverpool Friendship Group’ which has  supported six voluntary nurses, two doctors and extended the Paediatric Intensive Care unit (PICU) and Emergency services for children, bought equipment and developed a new cardiopulmonary resuscitation point.

“The toughest challenges that I faced are to work without salary, if it wasn’t for the generosity of LSTM alumni, staff and the Liverpool community, we don’t know what we would do”

Outside from her day-to-day work, Prof. Al-Sonboli remains a close research partner of LSTM and together with Dr Nasher-Al-Aghbari (another LSTM alumnus); Profs Cuevas and Theobald have held awards from TB REACH on strategies to enhance case findings amongst vulnerable groups.

When asked for the best advice she has ever received, she said “To be a good leader, you have to lead by example – you have to become a symbol”. Prof. Al-Sonboli is a living example of true leadership. Her work and determination have inspired her hospital staff to persevere when things become ugly and simultaneously inspired the international community to recognise her achievements.

“For me, I had the chance to fly out of Yemen as many did but I preferred to stay and help my people. I thought “if I run away and I am the head of the department, then who will stay? No one will come to work.” So, I decided to go to my hospital under fire and to try to encourage my colleagues to come, too.” 

In 2018, Prof. Al-Sonboli was recognised as a Heroine for Health at the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva, for her tireless work in her home country of Yemen.

Nominated for the award by LSTM’s Professor Sally Theobald, Prof Al-Sonboli was recognised by Women in Global Health in association with GE, who celebrated the contribution of nine Heroines for Health, presenting each with an award for leadership in their communities. Unable to leave Yemen, Professor Theobald accepted the award on her behalf.

“Sadly, war and fragility are not going away. We need to recognise, honour and learn from Najla and all the heroes and heroines that work alongside her, in continuing their efforts to bring hope and save lives. This award reflects the respect and support from the global health community for all that they do.”

When interviewed for her Heroine of Health Award, Prof. Al-Sonboli credits her strong relationship with LSTM for keeping the hospital running, including providing much needed funds to rebuild destroyed wards and to treat increasing numbers of patients.

source/content: lstmed.ac.uk (LSTM) (headline edited)

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Prof. Najla Al-Sonboli Credit: UNICEF

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YEMEN

DUBAI, U.A.E: DP World completes a $400 million expansion of the Port of Callao, Peru

DP World announced today the completion of a $400 million expansion project at the Port of Callao in the Republic of Peru, to enhance the container handling capacity of the port’s southern terminal by 80%.

The Bicentennial Pier expansion project focused on increasing the length of the berth from 650 meters to 1,050 metres, making Callao one of the few ports in South America capable of accommodating three ships, or two mega ships, at the same time.

On the other hand, the project increased the handling capacity from 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot containers) to 2.7 million TEUs annually, and the container yard was also expanded to reach a total area of ​​40 hectares.

According to DP World, the Callao Port expansion project comes within the framework of ambitions to expand in Latin America, which were announced last month.

His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World Group, said: “We are proud to contribute to a more sustainable future for Peru and for global trade.”

He added: “This investment confirms our firm commitment to supporting economic growth in the region and strengthening Callao’s leading logistics position, as a commercial center that sets new standards for sustainable port operations in South America.”

For his part, Carlos Merino, CEO of DP World in Peru and Ecuador, said that the completion of the Bicentennial Pier expansion project represents a turning point for the economy in Peru, which considers the port of Callao its economic center, through which more than 90 passengers are handled. % of the goods transported by containers in the country, and 60% of those goods are transported through the southern terminal.

In addition to expanding the quay and container handling capabilities, the project also adds state-of-the-art electrical powered equipment to the southern terminal at Callao Port. Including 15 cranes and 20 internal transport vehicles, making it the first port terminal in the world to have an equipment fleet of this size.

Merino added: “With the introduction of the latest electrically powered equipment and the application of sustainable practices, we are paving the way for a more efficient and sustainable future of global trade.”

To promote the transition towards sustainable energy in Peru, the southern terminal in the port of Callao now has the first electric vehicle charging station in Latin America with a capacity of 2 megawatts, to support DP World’s fleet of electric internal transportation vehicles, and contribute to reducing more than 2,000 tons of emissions. carbon dioxide annually.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

MOROCCAN Writer Abdelfattah Kilito Wins 2024 Grand Francophonie Prize

Kilito has won several accolades, with his most recent being the International Prize of King Faisal for Arabic Language and Literature in 2023.

The renowned Moroccan writer Abdelfattah Kilito has been awarded the 2024 Grand Prix de la Francophonie by the French Academy.

Since its establishment in 1986, the Grand Prix of the French Academy has been dedicated to acknowledging Francophone individuals whose impactful efforts, whether locally or globally, have greatly supported the maintenance and propagation of the French language.

The French Academy revealed its roster of 2024 honorees on Thursday evening, recognizing 67 individuals across diverse domains such as literature, poetry, criticism, philosophy, history, cinema, theater, and French music.

Born in 1945, Kilito is a professor emeritus in the French department at Mohammed V University in Rabat. He has also taught in Paris, Princeton, and Harvard. 

He has authored numerous works in both Arabic and French, in addition to publishing studies and research in Moroccan and Arab journals and scientific reviews.

Kilito has been recognized with numerous accolades, most notably the 2023 International Prize of King Faisal for Arabic Language and Literature.

Among his other awards, Kilito has received the Great Moroccan Award in 1989, the Atlas Award in 1996, the French Academy Award in 1996, and the Sultan Al Owais Prize for Criticism and Literature Studies in 2006.

The Grand Prix represents a pinnacle of achievement in celebrating Kilito’s profound influence on the French language and culture, both in his homeland and on a global scale. 

As his scholarly contributions and literary talent continue to resonate globally, this latest award is another resounding acknowledgement of Kilito’s enduring legacy and his dedication to advancing intercultural dialogue within the global francophone community. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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MOROCCO

SAUDI ARABIA assumes Presidency of ‘Arab League Educational, Cultural & Scientific Organisation (ALESCO) until 2026

Saudi Arabia has assumed the presidency of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization until 2026.

The official announcement was made on Friday during the 27th session of the ALECSO, which was held in Jeddah under the presidency of Saudi Arabia. During the session, Iraq handed over the presidency to the Kingdom.

In a speech delivered on behalf of Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science Yousef Al-Benyan welcomed the ministers and heads of national committees for education and science participating in the session.

Al-Benyan stressed the Kingdom’s humanitarian and fraternal support for the Gaza Strip within the framework of Arab cooperation and solidarity.

He affirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Khalid Anan, the only Egyptian and Arab candidate for the position of director-general of the organization.

Al-Benyan concluded the speech by praising the efforts of Arab countries in supporting ALECSO, and building bridges of communication to achieve common regional goals.

Saudi Deputy Minister of Education Mohammed Al-Sudairi confirmed that holding the ALECSO meetings in Jeddah coincides with an increase in the role of Saudi national institutions to support the work of the organization.

He added that the number of Saudi initiatives exceeded 45, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s interest and belief in the importance of working with international organizations and its regional environment.

Iraqi Minister of Education Ibrahim Al-Jabouri, head of the 26th session, pointed out achievements made in the previous session, and various programs aimed at building bridges of cooperation between Arab culture and the rest of the world.

Director General of ALECSO Mohammed Ould Omar thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting the event in Jeddah.

He presented the most prominent programs, initiatives, and projects implemented by the organization between the 26th and 27th sessions with international organizations, such as UNESCO, the work of the Arab Summit in Algeria, the Francophone Summit, the 13th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in Rabat, and the International Conference on Adult Education, also held in Morocco.

At the end of the 27th session, ministers and heads of the Arab delegations agreed on the importance of supporting the Palestinian cause, condemning and denouncing the displacement that the Palestinian people, as well as the destruction of Palestinian antiquities.

They also addressed the importance of supporting culture, education, innovation, and science in the Arab world. 

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA / ARAB SCIENCE

SUDANESE-EGYPTIAN Marwa Zein, A Multi-identity Film Director, Scriptwriter, & Film Producer

Get to know this brilliant Arab woman !

Born in Saudi Arabia and the daughter of a Sudanese father and Egyptian mother, Marwa Zein is a woman that truly embodies multiple identities, and for many it is this that perhaps shines through the most in her work. Even when it comes to her roles, that diversity and multiplicity are frontline and center. An award-winning director, scriptwriter, film producer, women’s rights activist, and founder of ORE Production, a Khartoum-based film production company, Zein is inspiring in every way.

Before setting off on a journey to become a filmmaker, Zein enrolled in Cairo University as a chemical engineering student to please her parents. While studying, she worked and saved up to have the means to leave her degree behind three years later, instead study cinema at the Academy of Arts in Cairo, Egypt in 2005. In 2009, she graduated with honors and moved to Germany to continue her film studies. Her graduation project, “A game,” was an official selection of more dozens of international festivals across the globe and was translated into five languages.

From her inspiring start into the world of film and her academic achievements, Zein moved on to bigger goals, nabbing awards for her short film “One Week, Two Days,” which premiered at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival. In 2019, she was selected as one of the seven young filmmakers from across to attend the Cannes Film Festival 2019 by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).

Perhaps her most renowned recent work is “Khartoum Offside,” which was awarded Best Documentary for 2019 at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards AMAA 2019. The documentary tells the story of women footballers whose dream it is to play for Sudan at a Women’s World Cup hosted by their home country, revealing the challenging social, economic, and political situations they face and inspiring audiences with their tale.

Speaking to Women and Hollywood in 2019, Zein had some inspiring words of advice for other female filmmakers, saying, “There’s no competition. Everyone is unique, and we can’t tell the same story even we have the same idea. You are special, different, and inspiring, and you lead the way for the people coming after you.”

“Take care of your mental, physical, and financial situations. It’s a very challenging and demanding business, so don’t lose your soul in the process. Stay true to who you are, and you will reach the horizon,” she continued.

source/content: abouther.com (headline edited)

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SUDAN / EGYPT

QATAR: Msheireb Downtown Doha wins Guinness World Records title™ for ‘Largest Underground Car Park” in the world

Msheireb Downtown Doha, Qatar’s pioneering sustainable and smart city district, has clinched the Guinness World Records™ title for the “Largest Underground Car Park” with a capacity of 10,017 spaces. The Guinness World Records™ recognition highlights the creative thinking that went into designing Msheireb Downtown Doha to create a sustainable urban district that sets a new benchmark for future smart city projects globally.

Msheireb Downtown Doha was designed for the human scale, which starts from the ground up. Locating car parking and building services underground has allowed the district to keep streets traffic-lite, enabling narrow, pedestrian-friendly walkways. This design improves connectivity across the wider city area, extending underground basements throughout the entire district.

“We wanted to reclaim outdoor spaces for the community by removing vehicles from the streets around Msheireb,” said Msheireb Properties CEO Eng. Ali Al Kuwari. “The Guinness World Records™ for the Largest Underground Car Park is a testament to our dedication to creating a sustainable and innovative city district that prioritizes the well-being of our community. By locating car parking and building services underground, we enabled architects to design attractive buildings with active façades on all sides.”

With an impressive capacity of 10,017 vehicles spread across six levels, Msheireb Downtown Doha’s underground parking system ensures ample space for residents, tenants, and visitors. The cutting-edge facility boasts an intelligent parking system that guides drivers to available spaces, making the parking experience seamless and hassle-free.

The underground parking system also had a significant impact on building design by removing the need for back service entrances which improved street quality and aesthetic cohesion.

As the flagship project of Msheireb Properties, Msheireb Downtown Doha has been designed to revive the historical downtown area with a new architectural language that is modern yet inspired by traditional Qatari heritage. The district incorporates the latest smart city technology and sustainability features, making it a model for future urban development’s worldwide.

Raafat Tawfik, Guinness World Records™ Official Adjudicator, commented, “We are thrilled to recognize Msheireb Downtown Doha for its outstanding achievement in creating the Largest Underground Car Park. This feat showcases the district’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and enhancing the urban living experience.”

Msheireb Downtown Doha’s underground parking is just one of the many features that make the district a unique and attractive destination. With its pedestrian-friendly streets, diverse mix of residential, commercial, and retail offerings, and cultural attractions such as the Msheireb Museums, the district has become one of Qatar’s go-to destinations for residents and visitors alike.

Source and cover image credit: Press release

source/content: iloveqatar.net (headline edited)

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QATAR

ARAB CANADIAN : Six Arab Women praised for their ambition and leadership in Waterloo Region

The women are part of an ascending community that has gained a higher profile after waves of recent immigration.

Six Arab women were honoured Saturday by their peers for their work in the community and in business.

“It really is a great opportunity to educate people,” said Asma Al-wahsh, founder of the non-profit Canadian Arab Women’s Association. The association named six Women of the Year in part to challenge stereotypes that immigrant women do not contribute.

Noura Alkhiwled was celebrated for “rocking it on the work floor” as a woman in the workforce. Ansam Shafi was recognized for her community leadership.

Hiba Al Zaben has made a name for herself in a science-related field that is dominated by men. Bahiyye Ahram owns a business and is an exceptional entrepreneur.

Yasmin Haloubi was honoured for making a difference in Guelph. Amina Ismail is a future leader, recognized as an example of the next generation of Arab women.

These Arab women are part of an ascending Arab community that is gaining a higher profile after waves of recent immigration. The community was little known a generation ago, but is now big enough to hold its first Middle Eastern festival last month in Kitchener.

Arabic has surged to become the No. 3 foreign language spoken around dinner tables at home in this region, the 2021 census has found. It has surpassed German and trails Chinese languages and Punjabi.

Growth over a decade has been “really huge,” Al-wahsh said. She came to Canada in 2012 and sees this region as a magnet for Canadian Arabs who are relocating from other cities and provinces.

It’s the second time the women’s association has honoured women of the year. The ceremony was held in west Kitchener at the Portuguese Club.

source/content: therecord.com (waterloo region) / (headline edited)

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From left: Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Amina Ismail (celebrated as a future leader), and Asma Al-wahsh, founder of the Canadian Arab Women’s Association .Peaceful Films

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CANADIAN / ARAB

SAUDI ARABIA: WORLD RECORD: Breaking Barriers: 23-year old Reem Al Aboud and Formula E Set an FIA Single-Seater Benchmark breaking World Record

This January, Saudi racer Reem Al Aboud set a new acceleration benchmark for an FIA single-seater by reaching 0-60mph in 2.49 seconds in an ABB FIA Formula E GENBETA car. Ahead of International Women’s Day, we reflect on the implications of this achievement for motorsport.

Every Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-sanctioned single-seater championship race begins with a standing start. The lights at the starting line flash on, and flash off. Idle cars roar to life, accelerating through the straight and into the waiting corner. 

How quickly these cars can accelerate depends on the series. F1 Academy goes from zero to 60mph in approximately 3.6 seconds. Formula 3 and Formula 2 manage in 3.1 and 2.9, respectively. Formula E’s GEN3 car takes 2.8. The current Formula 1 car takes 2.64. 

But F1’s 2.64 seconds is no longer the benchmark. Now, Formula E’s newly developed GENBETA car holds the title — and with a woman in the cockpit.

Last July, Formula E unveiled its GENBETA prototype at the ExCeL London. While testing the car, World Champion Jake Hughes clinched a top speed of 218.71km/h, smashing the Guinness World Record for fastest speed indoors by more than 50km/h. 

Having designated GENBETA as its development platform, Formula E sought to explore the model’s potential and performance further. The series set its sights on setting a second benchmark: the time an FIA single-seater takes to reach 0-60mph. 

Yet in chasing after the F1 benchmark, Formula E was not content with breaking only technological and physical barriers. So, to honour its founding commitment to social progress, it added motorsport’s longstanding gender barrier as yet another to break.

Accordingly, Formula E tapped 23-year-old Saudi female racer Reem Al Aboud to take the GENBETA’s driver seat. The 2023 Saudi Toyota Ladies Cup Champion has partnered with the series since 2018, when she became the first Saudi woman to test a Formula E car. 

Experienced in driving GEN2 and GEN3 cars  — plus breaking barriers across karting, hillclimbing and autocross series — Reem was Formula E’s choice for a 2024 FIA Girls on Track Ambassador. Naturally, she was their choice for the GENBETA test as well. 

And that choice certainly paid off. This January at Dirab Motor Park, Reem’s GENBETA car achieved 0-60mph in 2.49 seconds — besting F1’s by 0.15 seconds. 

Of course, the technological aspect of the January test is remarkable. Behind GENBETA’s new benchmark is its front powertrain kit, which previous Formula E models (and other road electric vehicles) only use for energy harvesting. However, GENBETA also turns on this kit for greater traction during acceleration, using it to produce 536 horsepower that will launch the car into action. Instant torque allows for instant acceleration and thus a 2.49-second 0-60mph time.

What’s also remarkable is that a woman is the face of this test. 

After all, motorsport’s gender barrier is cyclical. Doubt that female drivers can perform on par with their male counterparts dominates the sport. Doubtful investors shy away from funding young female drivers. Underfunded female drivers can’t enter, remain and progress through racing series. Series sorely lack female representation — when representation is what validates the reality that women can indeed perform. That lack of validation perpetuates the doubt about female drivers. And so, the cycle continues.  

But Reem’s benchmark throws a wrench into this cycle by tackling the doubt head-on. She reaffirms that when women are given the time on track they are so often denied, they can excel. That when women are included in the conversation, they can contribute to the technological developments that push this sport forward. That when this sport values women, women can bring equal — if not more — value to the sport in turn. 

As the face of this test, Reem represents the generations of women who have been denied from motorsport on the basis of their gender. Of women who challenge prejudice in cockpits, paddocks and audiences. Of girls who see Reem on their screens and wonder if they, too, can wrestle state-of-the-art cars at inhuman speeds. 

Reem breaks the cycle by showing them that they can, and that they should. 

In doing so, she and Formula E bring motorsport a step closer to a new era. One where women are no longer the exception, but the standard. 

source/content: femalesinmotorsport.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

LIBYA : Museum honouring Libyan artist Ali Gana’s memory finally opens in Tripoli

Bayt Ali Gana (“Ali Gana’s House” in Arabic) finally opened this year, and seeks to offer both retrospection and hope in the country.

A seemingly ordinary villa in the heart of Tripoli holds a lifetime of works by the late Libyan artist Ali Gana, whose family has turned his house into a unique museum.

In the North African country still grappling with divisions and conflict after the fall of long-time dictator Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, “art comes last”, said Hadia Gana, the youngest of the artist’s four children.

A decade in the making and with the help of volunteers, she had transformed the classic-style Tripolitian villa her father had built, before dying in 2006 at age 70, into “the first and only museum of modern art in Libya”, Gana said.

Bayt Ali Gana (“Ali Gana’s House” in Arabic) finally opened this year, and seeks to offer both retrospection and hope in a country constantly threatened by violence and where arts and culture stand largely neglected.

“It is seen as something superfluous,” Gana said, adding that galleries in the war-torn country often focus solely on selling pieces rather than making art more accessible.

Once past a lush garden, visitors reach the museum’s permanent exhibition of paintings, sculptures and sketches by the masterful Ali Gana.

Other rooms include temporary exhibitions, and offer space for seminars and themed workshops.

Set on a wall, an old shipping container houses an artist residency for “curators and museologists” whose skills are scarce in Libya, said Hadia Gana.

Libyan artists had long been subject to censorship and self-censorship under Gadhafi’s four-decade rule, and “we couldn’t express ourselves on politics”, recalled Gana, 50, a ceramic artist.

Art “must not have barriers”, she said, proudly standing in the family-owned space for artistic freedom.

Bayt Ali Gana appears timeless, though the villa bears some signs of the unrest that followed the overthrow and death of Gadhafi.

A road sign riddled with bullets hangs from the gate that separates the museum from the private residence.

Mortar shells turned upside down sit among flowers in the garden, where visitors are offered cold drinks or Italian espressos in a setting that replicates Cafe Said, once owned by Ali Gana’s father in the old medina of Tripoli.

During the unrest that began in 2011, Hadia Gana said she feared “losing everything if a rocket hit the house”.

Then came the idea of creating a museum in the hopes of conserving her father’s precious works and archives.

Sporadic fighting, water or electricity cuts, and forced isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic have piled challenges on the family’s mission, while the Ganas steered clear of state funding or investors to maintain the independence of their nascent institution.

Gradually, the house morphed into a cultural centre celebrating Ali Gana’s calling to “teach and educate through art”, said his daughter.

It “is not a mausoleum”, but a hub of creativity and education, she said.

Gana’s archives also document traditional crafts and trades, some of which have now completely disappeared.

After taking power in a 1969 coup, Gadhafi had imposed a ban on all private enterprise, and “for 40 years, crafts became an outlawed activity”, said the late artist’s oldest son Mehdi, who now lives in the Netherlands.

He said that in his lifetime, Ali Gana took on a mission to “build archives in order to link Libya’s past to a possible future”.

It is “the nature of the family” to preserve and share knowledge, said matriarch Janine Rabiau-Gana, 84.

Hadia Gana lamented that while museums should be educational spaces, “here in Libya, we don’t have that notion yet”.

She said she wanted to avoid “making it a museum where everything is transfixed”.

Instead, “I wanted something lively, almost playful, and above all a place that arouses curiosity in all its beauty.”

source/content: thearabweekly.com (headline edited)

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LIBYA