DOHA TODAYPAGE | 06 PAGE | 13

Cultural performances enthrall Chinese

community

How Christian Dior rescued Paris from its postwar misery

THURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020 Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

The art of saving

heritage 2-3

Qatar National Library is taking a leading role in digitally preserving rare and valuable Arab and Islamic heritage materials to increase Arabic content.

QNL’s digitized historical manuscripts

SPONSORS

COVER STORY02 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

FAZEENA SALEEM

THE PENINSULA

Qatar National Library is taking a leading role in digitally preserving rare and valuable Arab and Islamic heritage materials to increase Arabic content. To achieve this mission, the facilities at the Library’s Digitisation

Services are equipped with the resources, technology and infrastructure to provide quality digiti-sation of heritage items, preserving them and making them accessible to researchers for generations to come.

In a rare opportunity, specialised machines from the Library’s Digitisation Center have been brought in to the Doha International Book Fair. Visitors to the Library’s booth have the opportunity to witness first-hand the process by experts to digitise historical manuscripts.

This is one of the Library’s cornerstones towards pre-serving Qatar’s history and heritage. Those with an interest in history and heritage can also enjoy the display of valuable manuscripts from the Library’s Heritage Col-lection. Experts from the Library are present there to discuss the background of these items and give an overview of what the vast Heritage Library holds.

The Digitisation Center at the Library is designed in compliance with the International Digitisation, Imaging and Graphic Processing Standards concerning temper-ature, lighting, vibration, humidity, alignment, spacing and other technical requirements for graphics and digiti-sation environments. At the book fair visitors are given a glimpse of it.

“The Heritage Library and digitisation work together. All rare materials cannot be handled by researchers or users. Digitisation services provide electronic form of the

document which is very close to the original one,” Al Dana Al Malki, Quality Control Officer at Qatar National Library’s Digitisation Center, told Doha Today.

“It's a rare opportunity for visitors to see the machines and learn about the digitisation of documents. Some vis-itors are excited to know about what we do.

“It takes a lot of efforts and time to digitise documents. It’s not easy to maintain the quality of the document, we have to check into every small aspect of the document. Visitors are surprised to learn about the process, because some people are under the impression that digitisation is a simple process,” she added.

The Qatar National Library’s aim is to digitise the rare

The art of

Our participation this year is a continuation from the previous years, where we provide a taste of what people can get at the Library. Since the opening of the Library, we have been so successful as many people visit the Library and borrow books and attend our more than 80 programs held every month.

PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT / THE PENINSULA

03DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

Abeer Saad

Al Kuwari,

Director of

Research

and Learning

Services at

the Library.

books, photographs, maps, manuscripts, and other his-torical items in the Heritage Library and make them freely available to anyone, anywhere. Since 2015, Qatar National Library has digitised 6,658,868 pages of dif-ferent documents such a books, maps, photos and others.

“I consider The Doha International Book Fair as a cultural and information festival, that is waited for during the year. Qatar National Library with a com-mitment makes sure to participate in this cultural gath-ering,” said Abeer Saad Al Kuwari, Director of Research and Learning Services at the Library.

Librarians are also available to discuss with visitors how to navigate and select from the Library’s vast

collection, discuss the most relevant events with which to engage, and its forthcoming activities. Those who have not yet become members of the Library, will be able to register on-site by presenting their Qatar ID and thus have free access to printed, online and audio books that the Library holds.

“Our participation this year is a continuation from the previous years, where we provide a taste of what people can get at the Library. Since the opening of the Library, we have been so successful as many people visit the Library and borrow books and attend our more than 80 programs held every month,” said Al Kuwari.

“But being here at the book fair helps us to get a

feedback from the community. We want to hear what they expect more from the Library,” she added.

The Library’s space at Doha International Book Fair offers something for families and young ones, with an engaging programme of activities which promises to be entertaining and educational.

“Visitors have shown a deep interest in services and activities available at the Library. We also receive authors interested in collaborating with us,” said Al Kuwari.

Visitors can get a glimpse of the Library at the Doha International Book fair from 9am to 9pm during weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on Friday.

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CULTURE04 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

Souq Waqif: The story behind Qatar’s favourite heritage market

MOHAMAD BWARY

THE PENINSULA

Souq Waqif is an important heritage market in Qatar and also a major tourism landmark. It ranks as one of the most famous traditional folk markets in the region and trades various traditional goods in stalls, where owners display and sell them to visitors.

According to historians in Qatar, the Souq dates back around 250 years and was called “Souq Waqif” because the sellers used to stand at the entrances to display their wares like spices, cumin, cinnamon, fish, clothes and wood.

In Arabic, the word ‘Waqif’ means ‘standing’ and the name stuck because merchandisers, in those days, sold their goods standing. The word ‘Souq’ means ‘market’ in English.

Because of the historical impor-tance of Souq Waqif, the Qatari

government ordered its restoration in 2000 and the restoration process fol-lowed traditional architectural style that links the present with the past.

At the entrance of the Souq Waqif, visitors are welcomed by the sight of swarms of pigeons picking up grains of wheat and rice spread around by the Souq workers.

Visitors to the Souq have many things to choose from depending on their interests. Families with children can find many things to do such as amusement rides, donkey rides and a lot of space to just wander around.

As for tourists from foreign coun-tries, their favourite destination inside Souq Waqif is the handicraft and her-itage jewellery street, where they take pictures and buy souvenirs such as swords and daggers decorated in silver and copper. Here you can find every-thing that reflects the heritage and history of the people of the country.

The Souq also houses shops that

05DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

sell traditional and modern clothes, some others specialise in incense and perfumes and there are streets dedicated to dry fruits, spices, and sweets like fresh Omani Halwa.

Other than the marketplace Souq Waqif hosts an array of restaurants and cafes, which serves cuisines from all around the world.

This makes it a favourite place for people to socialise with friends and families sitting in one of the outdoor settings enjoying a nice warm meal.

The place also organises many festivals throughout the year such as the Spring Festival, Flower Festival, Dates Festival and many more. It has become a cultural and entertainment hub in Qatar and with the opening of Doha Metro, it is very easy to reach the Souq from any part of Qatar. They also have large underground parking, which can accommodate hundreds of vehicles.

Qatar Museums recently chose Souq Waqif as the site for Le Pouce, a public art installation, to combine this historic heart of the city with a piece of modern history, linking the traditional with the contemporary. Within the Souq, the exact location of the piece, in the courtyard next to the police station, helps emphasise the scale of the work in relation to the surrounding buildings and the jux-taposition of the sculpture on the streetscape of cafes.

Le Pouce, in the shape of a giant thumb, is one of its creator’s best-known pieces and a popular example of his tendency to create larger than life experiences. Le Pouce becomes the latest addition to Qatar’s extensive public art collection, which aims to connect audiences living in and visiting Qatar with inspiring works of art through unex-pected interactions in daily life.

Another attraction at the Souq Waqif is Falcon Souq, which is visited by hundreds of tourists. The Falcon Souq is quite crowded on weekends and in the evenings with falconers buying either birds or supplies. Souq Waqif also has one Falcon Hospital.

PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT &

ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA

DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

COMMUNITY06

Cultural performances enthrall Chinese communitySIDI MOHAMED

THE PENINSULA

In the presence of about 300 people from the Chinese community in Qatar, the Chinese Embassy held a ceremony on the occasion of Chinese New Year. The event was held on

Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel, in the presence of H E Zhou Jian, the Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to the State of Qatar, and a number of guests.

The ceremony included many Chinese cultural and musical performances. The events included sports shows of the Chinese people, as they performed in a group in traditional Chinese attire. The Chinese are known for their great interest in teaching their people the martial arts.

In a press briefing on the sidelines of the celebra-tions, H E Zhou Jian said that the Qatari-Chinese rela-tions are strong and developing more, pointing out that the arrangements are in the final stage to open a new cultural Chinese Center in Qatar which would help in introducing more people to Chinese culture.

“The just passed year of 2019 was extraordinary, in which we sweated and we toiled as we pressed ahead with concrete efforts for achievements as General Secretary Xi Jinping summarised. The Chinese

people carried forward the cause pioneered by the predecessors and forge ahead into the future. In 2019, we celebrated solemnly the momentous 70th anni-versary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China through retrospecting the 70 years of magnif-icent achievements and summing up the spiritual code of Chinese Miracles. Now the Chinese people are more determined to join hands and strive for the great national rejuvenation,” said the Ambassador in his speech on the occasion. Last year, the China-Qatar Friendship Council and the Qatar-China Friendship Association were established which serve as new plat-forms for mutual understanding and friendship.

The Ambassador pointed out that the human and cultural exchanges between two countries are cre-ating new highlights with the mutual exemption of entry visa for citizens of both countries put into practice. “Chinese martial arts, acrobatics and music have become popular in Qatar, moreover Chinese lan-guage heats up and more Qataris are learning Con-fucius words.”

“We will seize the important opportunities of the great development of bilateral relations between China and Qatar, by implementing the important con-sensus reached by the leaders of two countries, strengthening the connectivity of the Belt and Road Initiative with Qatar National Vision 2030, consoli-dating political mutual trust, deepening mutually ben-eficial cooperation, and enhancing people-to-people bond and to build a community of shared future between China and Qatar, and to bring more tangible benefits to the people of both countries,” he said.

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Dragon Mart will host an exhibition of Chinese food and organise cultural performances. The performances include Dragon dance, Lion dance, Kung Fu Tea, Chinese musical performance and others. The entry is free for all. The event will be held at Dragon Mart Qatar from tomorrow (Friday) and will continue until February 7 from 4pm to 10pm.

The Ambassador of China to Qatar, Zhou Jian, giving

a speech on Chinese New Year celebrations at the

InterContinental Hotel Doha.

PICS: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA

DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

CAMPUS 07

Pakistan International School Qatar (PISQ) has organised Annual Sports Meet 2019-20 at the school’s football ground. The arena was set with bal-

loons, collages and colourful placards depicting the school’s creative and innovative learning ideas for the support of its young and energetic athletes.

The event was marked by a string of spec-tacular performances presented by the young athletes of all the five wings, who were brimming with enthusiasm and sports-manship. The grand opening ceremony was graced by Principal, Nargis Raza Otho, vice principals, academic heads of all the five sec-tions of the School.

The Principal of Pakistan International School, Nargis Raza Otho, took the salute of the impressive welcome parade of uniformed school students of all the five wings. The stu-dents marched proudly with military pre-cision and perfect synchronisation.

The Principal cut the ribbon and officially declared the Annual Sports Meet open. The programme was then inaugurated by the lightening of the sports torch by the best ath-letes of all the five wings. It was followed by a magnificent Walk Past. Sarim Khan, the best athlete student (Boys Wing), took the formal oath from the participating athletes in the arena.

After oath taking ceremony, a peppy welcome dance with an energizing exercise drill by tiny tots of KG Wing was feast to the eyes. The students of Kindergarten Wing, wearing butterfly attires and carrying col-ourful flowers in their hands also regaled one and all with their graceful moves.

The main attractions of the day were the beautiful instrumental drill showcased by the students of the Primary Wing. It was followed by a very attractive PT display demonstrated by the Girls Wing. Farzana Safdar Teacher (GW) accompanied by Shagufta Riaz, guided and trained the participants by engaging them in various drills and formations.

The events included a good variety of ath-letic games like Formula one Race, Crab Race, Sprint Race, Racket Ball and Basket Race, Hoola Hoop Race, Skill Relay Race and Flat Race. Adnan; Saira; Hira Aziz; Tariq Hameed and Timothy (Physical Education Teachers) managed the track events.

The large human pyramids and wave for-mations show performed by the athletes under the guidance of Adnan and Majid Physical Education Teacher (BW) added much to the excitement of the audience.

Instrumental show presented by athletes of Primary Wing was also applauded by the

spectators. Sadia Irfan accompanied by Sana (Primary Wing) mentored the students for this event.

The athletes also had much to cheer for during the ever so popular tug of war between boys of Grade-XI and students of Grade XII. The students cried themselves hoarse in support of their favourite teams. However, boys of Grade-XII won the game.

The day also showcased Musical Chair Competition among female teachers and tug of war among male teachers. It regaled the spectators and participants alike as they dis-covered the hidden child in their mentors.

A large number of parents also attended this colourful event. They were thrilled to see their children showing such passion for sports. At the ‘80 meter keeping the Basket Filled Race’ that involved only the children, the parents were very excited, cheering very hard from the sidelines. They thanked and appre-ciated the school management and left with smiles on their faces.

The Principal of PISQ, Nargis Raza Otho, felicitated and awarded the winners with medals. (KG Wing), Bareera and Yousaf (Junior Wing), Aisha Bakhtiar and Emad Walid (Boys Wing)B (Girls Wing) were selected as the best athletes.

The Principal encouraged and applauded the best endeavour put up by the students and their mentors. She thanked the parents for gracing the event with their august presence.

Reema Rashid (HACD) was the overall coordinator of this mega event. Shahzada Bhutto and Naheed Nadeem, were the com-peres and announcers. The sports day was enjoyed by the students, parents and faculty alike, and it allowed students to develop their sports skills and increase their confidence. The entire programme was applauded by eve-rybody present and will always remain etched in the memory of one and all. —The Peninsula

Pakistan International School Qatar organises Annual Sports Meet

08 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

FILM

DFI-backed films get Oscar Two films supported by Doha

Film Institute have won Monday’s Oscar nominations.

‘The Cave’, a Syrian civil war film directed by Feras Fayyad

has been nominated in the best documentary feature

category, while ‘Brotherhood’, by Montreal-based filmmaker

Meryam Joobeur won the nomination in best live action

short films. With these two films, the

number of DFI-linked films that got Oscar nominations

rose to nine in the last six years. In 2019, DFI co-financed

films, ‘Capharnaum’ and ‘Of Fathers and Sons’, have been

nominated for Oscars. In 2015 ‘Timbuktu’ received an Oscar nomination, while ‘Theeb’ and ‘Mustang’ made

it in 2016 and ‘The Salesman’ in 2017. In 2018 it was ‘Loving

Vincent’. The 92nd Academy Awards will take place on

February 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Cave is a story of Syrian doctor Amani Ballour, who during the five-year siege of eastern Ghouta region saved thousands of lives at her hospital underground, callled ‘The Cave’, defying bombard-

ments above ground. Director Feras Fayyad's team recorded about 1,000 hours of footage in ‘The Cave’, and six other hospitals. So intense was the footage that a therapist was brought in to counsel the post-production team. Fayyad, who was arrested and tortured following the 2011 uprising against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, said the bunker hospitals gave women medical workers a place where they could claim a freedom and authority. The Cave hospital closed after the Syrian army recaptured eastern Ghouta in April 2018. The doctor Ballour is now a refugee in Turkey. —AP Muhammed Afsal / The Peninsula

THE CAVE

09DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

nominations

Academy Awardnominations for DFI-supported films in

Brotherhood, directed by Meryam Joobeur, tells a story of a Tunisian father and son in 25 minutes. As film’s synopsis put it, “Mohamed is deeply shaken when his oldest son Malik returns home after a long journey with a mysterious new wife. The

tension between father and son rises over three days until reaching a breaking point.” The Montreal-based filmmaker, a graduate from Con-cordia University's Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, says in an Instagram post: “I grew up in the US in a post-9/11 world. I witnessed how the perspective in North America on the Muslim/Arab world shifted in a drastic and negative way... At times I felt that the Western world saw us as subhuman, that we don’t feel pain or trauma in the same way when in reality the Muslim world has suffered the most causalities...I am very attached to my Tunisian roots and the humanity I see in my grand-parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins. I made Brotherhood with a lot of love as a way to also reinstate our humanity.”

BROTHERHOOD

9

6consecutive years

A record for an Arab film organisation

SCIENCE10 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

Wearable air conditioning is in the offing as engi-neers from University of Missouri-Columbia have designed an on-skin device that include

numerous human health care apps such as the ability to monitor blood pressure, electrical activity of the heart and the level of skin hydration.

Unlike similar products in use today or other related concepts, this breathable and waterproof device can deliver personal air conditioning to a human body through a process called passive cooling.

Passive cooling does not utilize electricity, such as a fan or pump, which researchers believe allows for minimal discomfort to the user.

One day, soldiers could cool down on the military bat-tlefield — preventing heat stroke or exhaustion — by using "wearable air conditioning", said the study detailed in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Our device can reflect sunlight away from the human body to minimize heat absorption, while simultaneously allowing the body to dissipate body heat, thereby allowing us to achieve around 11 degrees Fahrenheit (-11.6 degree Celsius) of cooling to the human body during the daytime hours," said Zheng Yan, assistant professor in the College of Engineering.

"We believe this is one of the first demonstrations of this capability in the emerging field of on-skin electronics," Yan added.

Currently, the device is a small wired patch, and researchers say it will take one to two years to design a wireless version.

They also hope to one day take their technology and apply it to 'smart' clothing.

"Eventually, we would like to take this technology and apply it to the development of smart textiles," Yan said.

That would allow for the device's cooling capabilities to be delivered across the whole body.

"Right now, the cooling is only concentrated in a spe-cific area where the patch is located. We believe this could potentially help reduce electricity usage and also help with global warming," the authors wrote in the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Funding for the study was provided by the University of Missouri start-up fund and a grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. —IANS

Researchers create lightweight 18-carat gold made of plasticResearchers create lightweight

18-carat gold made of plastic

A good news for jewellery lovers. The objects of their desire may someday become much lighter, but without losing any of their glitter - especially

with gold watches, as researchers have created an incredibly lightweight 18-carat gold, using a matrix of plastic in place of metallic alloy elements.

According to the study, the research team from the Swiss university ETH Zurich have developed a new form of gold that weighs about five to ten times less than traditional 18-carat gold.

The conventional mixture is usually three-quarters gold and one-quarter copper, with a density of about 15 g/cm3, the study said.

Study researchers Leonie van't Hag, Raf-faele Mezzenga and team used protein fibres and a polymer latex to form a matrix in which they embedded thin discs of gold nanocrystals.

In addition, the lightweight gold contains countless tiny air pockets invisible to the eye, said the study, published in the Advanced Functional Material.

According to the researchers, gold platelets and plastic melt into a material that can be easily processed mechanically.

For the finding, the research team first added the ingredients to water and created a dispersion. After adding salt to turn the dis-persion into a gel, they next replaced the

water in it with alcohol.Thereafter, they placed the alcohol gel

into a pressure chamber, where high pres-sures and a supercritical CO2 atmosphere enables miscibility of the alcohol and the CO2 gas; when the pressure is released, everything turns it into a homogeneous gossamer-like aerogel.

Heat can be further applied afterwards to anneal the plastic polymers, thus trans-forming the material and compacting into the final desired shape, yet preserving the 18-carat composition, the researchers said.

According to the study, this gold has the material properties of a plastic. If a piece of it falls onto a hard surface, it sounds like plastic.

It, however, glimmers like metallic gold, and can be polished and worked into the desired form.

The researchers can even adjust the hardness of the material by changing the composition of the gold. They can also replace the latex in the matrix with other plastics, such as polypropylene.

Since polypropylene liquifies at some spe-cific temperature, 'plastic gold' made with it can mimic the gold melting process, yet at much lower temperatures.

The researchers noted that, while plastic gold will be in particular demand in the man-ufacture of watches and jewellery, it is also suitable for chemical catalysis, electronics applications or radiation shielding. —IANS

Engineers design ‘wearable AC’ that works without power

File photo of Reon

pocket wearable air

conditioner produced

by Sony.

HEALTH 11DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

Researchers have found that a class of antibiotics called "Aminoglycosides" could be a promising treatment for

early onset dementia. Frontotemporal dementia, is the most common type of early onset dementia, typically begins between ages 40 and 65 and affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which leads to behaviour changes, diffi-culty speaking and writing and memory deterioration.

According to the study, published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, a sub-group of patients with frontotemporal dementia have a specific genetic mutation

that prevents brain cells from making a protein called progranulin.

Although progranulin is not widely understood, its absence is linked to the disease. The researchers from University of Kentucky in US, discovered that after aminoglycoside antibiotics were added to neuronal cells with this mutation, the cells started making the full-length progranulin protein by skipping the mutation.

"These patients" brain cells have a mutation that prevents progranulin from being made. The team found that by adding a small antibiotic molecule to the cells, they could 'trick' the cellular

machinery into making it," said study co-author Matthew Gentry from the Uni-versity of Kentucky.

The researchers found two specific aminoglycoside antibiotics - Gentamicin and G418 - were both effective in fixing the mutation and making the functional pro-granulin protein. After adding Gentamicin or G418 molecules to the affected cells, the progranulin protein level was recovered up to about 50 to 60 per cent.

These results could be promising to drug development. Currently, there are no effective therapies for any type of dementia, the researchers said. —IANS

Risks for 7 types of cancer could be reduced with physical activity

If you need a reason to get up and get moving, consider this: Your likelihood of developing seven types of cancer may be reduced by physical activity, according to new research from the American Cancer Society, the National

Cancer Institute and other organizations.The seven cancers are breast, colon, endometrial, kidney,

liver, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Based on data from 755,450 adults who were tracked for 10 years, the researchers concluded that the odds of developing these cancers decline as physical activity increases. For instance, the risk for colon cancer among men fell 8 percent with 2½ to 5 hours a week of moderate physical activity (the amount sug-gested for most adults in the latest physical activity guide-lines). But it dropped by 14 percent with vigorous activity of 1¼ to 2½ hours a week.

Women's risk for breast cancer declined 6 percent with moderate activity and 10 percent with vigorous activity. Risk reductions were greater for the other cancers: endometrial, down 10 percent (with moderate activity) to 18 percent (vig-orous activity); kidney, down 11 to 17 percent; multiple myeloma, down 14 to 19 percent; liver, down 18 to 27 percent; and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in women, down 11 to 18 percent.

Moderate-intensity activity involves moving fast enough or strenuously enough to burn three to six times more energy than if you were sitting still, while vigorous intensity activity burns more than six times as much energy. Examples of mod-erate-intensity activity include brisk walking, water aerobics, ballroom dancing and general gardening. Activities that qualify as vigorous intensity include running, swimming laps, aerobic dancing and bicycling at 10 mph or faster.

The potential reduction in cancer risk found by the new research adds to other health benefits already linked to being physically active: a healthier heart, blood pressure improve-ments, better sleep, more energy, weight loss and an improved mood. —The Washington Post

BreastColonEndometrialKidney Liver Multiple myeloma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

BreColEndKidLivMuNon

TYPES OF CANCERS

Antibiotics to treat early dementia show promise: Study

12 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

FOOD

If there's one thing better than a baked potato, it's a twice-baked potato. You know the drill: You scoop out the cooked flesh, mix it with some cheesy-fatty goodness, spoon it back into the shells and

bake again until it's bubbling hot and browned, maybe even crispy on top. Retro, and good.

This recipe, takes the idea in a different direction, with sweet potatoes treated to ingredients popular in Middle Eastern cooking. The flesh gets mashed with garlicky tahini sauce, but instead of baking them again, you top them with roasted chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, mint and parsley for pops of protein, flavour and crunch.

In true Mediterranean style, the potatoes can be served warm or at room temperature. But if you wanted them hotter, and sent them back under the broiler for a few minutes before topping, I sure wouldn't argue.

SPICED TAHINI LOADED SWEET POTATOESActive: 15 minutes | Total: 45 minutes | 4 servings

IngredientsP 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), scrubbedP One (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas,

drained and rinsedP 3 tablespoons vegetable oil of your choiceP 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or more to tasteP 1/2 cup tahini, well stirredP 1/4 cup fresh lemon juiceP 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or gratedP 2 to 4 tablespoons water, as neededP 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to tasteP 1 teaspoon ground cuminP 1 teaspoon ground sumac (may substitute finely grated lemon zest)P 2 tablespoons pomegranate seedsP 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsleyP 4 fresh mint leaves, torn

StepsPlace a baking rack in the middle of the oven and

preheat to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place them on the baking sheet along with the chickpeas.

Drizzle with the oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt, tossing the chickpeas and rubbing the oil on the sweet potatoes to ensure even coverage.

Turn the potato halves cut side down and roast 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chickpeas are a little crispy, stirring the chickpeas once halfway through.

In a small bowl, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. It should be the con-sistency of ranch dressing; stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons water to thin it out, if needed.

Place the sweet potato halves cut side up on a plate. Sprinkle the chickpeas with the pepper, cumin and sumac and toss to coat.

Leaving a 1/2-inch border intact around the edges and bottom, scoop the remaining flesh out of the sweet potato halves into a bowl. Mix half of the tahini dressing with the flesh of the sweet potatoes, then, using a fork, mash the potato until smooth. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Spoon the seasoned potato flesh back into the skins.

Top with the spiced chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, parsley and mint. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition | Calories: 530; Total Fat: 26g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Sodium: 560mg; Carbohydrates: 64g; Dietary Fiber: 13g; Sugars: 9g; Protein: 14g. — The Washington Post

Load up sweet potatoes with chickpeas and tahini for a new favourite dinner

13DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

It was known as the "New Look," a new style for a new woman - but mostly for a new France. On February 12, 1947, less than two years after the bitter end of the

Second World War, a largely unknown 42-year-old couturier debuted his first col-lection under his own name. In the past, Christian Dior had only ever known meagre success, but on that day, in the perfumed salons of his studio on Paris's Avenue Mon-taigne, he would make history.

The designs he presented in that inaugural show were significant in and of themselves: after years of war and occupation — when, to say the least, utility had supplanted beauty as the metric that mattered - here, enfin, were whimsical designs that celebrated decadence and sensuality, harking back to the glory days of the Belle Époque and the Russian ballet.

Regardless of the clothes, however, what happened then was a crucial moment in the reimagination and reconstruction of French culture after the utter devastation of the Second World War. Christian Dior was a fashion designer, but he was also among the principal architects of France's postwar ascendancy, who guided its transition from misery to majesty.

This, in any case, is the argument presented in "Dior: Couturier of Dreams," which opened this week at Paris' Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the largest-ever retrospective of the designer and the legendary couture house he founded in the late 1940s. On one level, the exhibition is a sprawling homage to Dior's creations — those imagined by the designer himself in the 1940s and 1950s as well as by the various luminaries who took over the house after his death in 1957: first, his apprentice Yves Saint Laurent, followed in more recent decades by the likes of Gianfranco Ferré and Raf Simons.

But on another, the monumental show is not so much about fashion as it is the redefi-nition of a country and a culture through fashion.

"(Christian Dior) wasn't a revolutionary," says Florence Muller, one of the show's curators and a prominent fashion historian. "He was a reactionary, who reinvented national pride after a terrible moment."

France was still a grim place in February 1947: Much of the country that had been reduced to rubble had yet to be rebuilt, the national economy was still depressed, and many people would continue surviving on rations until 1949.

The glamour and the intellectual activity

that had characterised Parisian life in the heady prewar days of the 1920s and the early 1930s had all but vanished, with New York gradually becoming seen as the new cultural capital of the Western world.

Enter the "New Look," the name given to Dior's inaugural collection by Carmel Snow, then the editor of Harper's Bazaar.

In his autobiography, Dior would later describe his project this way: "In December 1946, as a result of the war and uniforms, women still looked and dressed like Amazons," he wrote. "But I designed clothes for flower-like women."

The essential idea, fashion historians say, was to reclaim a sense of fantasy.

"What he did was create a space of beauty," says Laurence Benaïm, the author of several acclaimed books on Dior and his legacy. "He reinvented the taste. For me, it's Christian Dior first, with his magic wand. He created a world."

With a white jacket made of shantung — a natural silk that shows the occasional impurity - the suit also included a black skirt that fell below the knee, made of pleated wool.

The reason the Bar suit (woman's suit con-sisting of a jacket in tussore silk, and wool crêpe skirt, from 'La Ligne Corolle' ) became such a powerful symbol, Muller says, is that, through its tight waists and stark contrasts, it was the exact opposite of the monochrome and masculine style in favour at the time.

"It's very rare in the world of fashion for there to be a shock so profound and so lasting," Muller said.

Of course, not everyone loved this design — or the idealised image of femininity that came with it. When Dior came to Chicago to promote the "New Look" later in 1947, a number of American women were there to greet him with the following sign: "Mr. Dior, we abhor dresses to the floor!"

This suit has since evolved, and the most recent iteration — by Dior's new creative director, Maria Grazia Chiruri — features a white T-shirt that reads: "We Should All Be Feminists," a direct reference to the oft-quoted essay by the Nigerian novelist Chima-manda Adichie. It, too, is on display in the exhibition.

Benaïm and Muller make the same argument: There would be no Paris today without Christian Dior.

"He re-established Paris," says Muller, "as a city that could arbitrate taste and elegance." — The Washington Post

FASHION

How Christian Dior rescued Paris from its postwar misery Christian

Dior wasn't a revolutionary,"

says Florence Muller, one

of the show's curators and a prominent

fashion historian. "He was a

reactionary, who

reinvented national pride after a terrible

moment."

THINGS TO DO14 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

14

Things to do this weekend in Qatar (Jan 16-18, 2020)

The four-day interna-tional light and digital media festival with

extraordinary light art installations will illuminate the magnificent Lusail Marina Eastern and South Promenade. The 2km fes-tival promenade will feature 12 art light installa-tions, boat rides, LML Cars and food & beverages. The light festival promises to offer an amazing family photo opportunity and vividly lit scenery, making for a magical experience.When: January 15 – 18, 2020 | 5:30pm to 11:30pmWhere: Lusail Marina

LightMe Festival

The magic of Disney storytelling comes to life once again as the broadway artists perform everyone’s favourite Disney movies. The musical one hour show will include the

stories of The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Aladdin and more. Tickets available online from QAR100 to QAR1,000.When: January 17-19, 2020 | 7pmWhere: Qatar National Convention Centre.

Passage to India

Dance, music and food come to the park of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park as the

venue will host the Passage to India festival this weekend. First of its kind, showcasing the country’s cultural diversity, the festival will include col-ourful cultural programmes from Qatar and different states of India, life size monuments from India and stalls high-lighting various customs, food, art and craft, textiles and other products from India..When: January 16 and 17, 2020 | 5pm to 10pmWhere: MIA Park

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Dragon Mart will put on a exhibition of Chinese

food and cultural performance. The performances include dragon dance , lion dance, kung fu tea, Chinese musical performance and others. Free Entry!.When: Every Friday & Saturday, until February 7 | 4pm to 10pmWhere: Dragon Mart Qatar

“It is our right to dream” exhibition

Katara is hosting “It is our right to dream” exhi-

bition by the sculptor Sabhi ChtiouiWhen: Until January 18, 2020; 10am - 10pmWhere: Building 47, Katara Cultural Village

Chinese food festival and Cultural performance

15DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

Shop Qatar 2020

A much awaited colourful shopping celebration in the country, Shop Qatar is here.

The 25-day festival will give residents and visitors a chance to explore and enjoy Qatar’s diverse retail offering including everything from luxury malls and high-end boutique venues to themed, entertainment-rich shopping centres, as well as authentic souqs and bazaars. Throughout the festival, all participating malls will host free roaming shows and family-friendly entertainment as well as a colourful lights and confetti show every weekend.

Shaun The Sheep stage show

Lagoona Mall - January 16-17, 2020 | 5.30pm, 7pm, 8.30pmVillagio - January 18, 2020 | 4pm & 8.25pm

Animal ShowMirqab Mall - January16-18, 2020 | 3pm - 6pm

Siwar ChoirThe Pearl - January 17

Metro Street Food – Food FestFirst ever outdoor metro event hosted by Q sports, with com-bination of food, beverages and a mini golf course setup at the DECC Metro station.When: Jan 1 – April 2020Weekdays: 12:30pm – 11pm; Weekends: 2pm – 12 midnightWhere: DECC Metro Station

Katara in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in the State of

Qatar presents “Magnif-icent Cultures” Exhibition By the Italian artist Luigi Ballarin.When: January 18 – 29, 2020 | 10am to 10pmWhere: Katara; BD 18

Qatar, India & the Gulf: History, Culture and Society Exhibition

Qatar National library to exhibit connections between India, Qatar and the Gulf over 4,600

years as a part of the Qatar-India 2019 Year of the Culture. The exhibition reveals how this ancient relationship has influenced their history, culture and society in profound and surprising ways.When: Until February 29, 2020; 3pm – 8pmWhere: Qatar National Library

Different Dimension: An Energetic Place

The exhibition showcases 11 fascinating works by contemporary abstract artist Hala El Attar and marks a number of firsts for the young

artist. El Attar visually manifests energy through her unique take on fluid art integrating different mediums and styles to achieve artworks that burst with colour and life.When: The exhibition is open for public viewing until January 20 from 10am to 10pmWhere: W Doha’s Art 29 gallery

A weekend market which is a modern take on Qatar’s old souq tradition will have around 50 stalls offering a wide variety of products. The

bazaar at Museum of Islamic Art park will have stalls selling ready-to-wear clothes, caps, footwear, shayla, sunglasses, bags, jewellery, watches, cos-metics, fragrances, and other accessories. The stalls representing home-based businesses also sell home display items and sumptuous home-cooked cuisines to the visitors.When: Fridays from 2pm to 8pm and Saturdays from 12noon to 8pmWhere: MIA Park

Mahaseel Festival

The biggest edition of Mahaseel Festival is going on at Katara with more than 40 stalls to buy vege-tables, flowers, honey, dairy and meat products

offered by local companies at discounted prices. There is also a large area where children can enjoy inflatables in addition to a giant tent where they can play various computer games such as VR games making the festival a one-stop-shop for families.When: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until March 31| 9am to 9pmWhere: Building 22, Katara

As pleasant weather sets in, enjoy the many outdoor and indoor events being held over the weekend like the light festival at Lusail, Disney musical at QNCC, winter bazaar, or have a go at one of the many food festivals.

“Magnificent Cultures” Exhibition

MIA Park Bazaar

16 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2020

THROUGH THE LENS

SALIM MATRAMKOT

The magnificent Lusail Marina Eastern and South Promenade

illuminated with extraordinary light art installations.