The Makkah Mayoralty has allocated SR1.2 million worth of prizes for the best artistic graffiti at the first “Islamic Contest to Make Makkah Beautiful”. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, is scheduled to attend Monday's awards ceremony at the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Jeddah. “The contest proves that Makkah deserves to be the capital of Islamic culture throughout the ages,” said Hisham Shali of the mayoralty and an organizer of the contest. The 12 awards are divided into three main categories. All the participants will receive an appreciation certificate from Makkah Municipality. The work of the winners will be displayed as murals throughout the city. To increase awareness about Islamic fine arts in the world, the Ministry of Culture and Information will have exhibitions of the selected artworks in and outside the Kingdom. The public will be able to visit the gallery at the location from Sept. 27 until Oct. 6, said Dr. Osama Al-Bar, Mayor of Makkah and supervisor of the competition. The jury committee includes Dr. Mohamad Farsi, a former mayor of Jeddah and head of the committee, and members from countries including Egypt, Malaysia, Ivory Coast and France. “The event has been sponsored by national companies, giving talented people from different parts of the world a chance to present their high standards of art in the service of Makkah, and it has opened a window for the plastic arts in accordance with Islamic understandings.” Over 440 plastic artists from Arab and Muslim countries have competed in the contest, Shali said. “The categories follow specific criteria and involve different locations in Makkah. The focus is on the heritage of Makkah in terms of its natural habitat, architecture, traditional handicrafts, Islamic heritage, human sciences, plastic arts and works of Arabic calligraphy,” he said.
