23 November 2020
Bahrain Culture’s Authority and Ministry of Education’s Initiative: Virtually Visualize cultural heritage and archaeological artefacts for virtual museum exhibitions.
Building on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on both the education and the cultural and creative sectors, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, has launched strategic virtual tour initiative in a number of archaeological and heritage sites in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This initiative, which began its first round on November 10, provides a unique opportunity for students of public schools in the Kingdom to discover and visualize the amazing series of magical treasures hosted by Bahrain heritage and archeological sites. The initiative aims at providing students with information about archaeology and museum exhibitions, in addition to enhancing their knowledge of history, culture, and arts by providing audio and visual explanations of the history of the place and its details. Through this initiative, the authority seeks to enhance communication channels with students despite some cultural and artistic institutions being closed due to the Corona Virus pandemic. Culture Authority has also clarified that that these tours are related to the educational content provided by the Ministry of Education at the following sites: Bahrain National Museum, Bahrain Fort Site Museum, Bu Maher Visitor Center, Information Center, Thursday Mosque, and the Post Office.
Worth to mention that, as people in countries around the world are being asked to practice social distancing, to stay home and avoid crowded places, in order to help “flatten the curve” of the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), an increasing number of museums, theaters, and tourist attractions have closed their doors (temporarily), and large public gatherings, such as concerts and festivals, have been canceled or postponed, UNESCO launched an interactive online exhibition featuring dozens of World Heritage properties from across the globe. This world cultural educational initiative aimed to promote access to culture – from World Heritage properties to living heritage practices – during this time of mass confinement until field visits are allowed again when health precautionary measures and vaccine solutions will be available and accessible to everyone.
