Saudi Prince finances Islamic art wing at Louvre
Faris Jawad
7/27/2005 9:30:00 AM GMT
Source: AFP
Saudi billionaire Prince al-Walid Bin Talal donated 17 million euros (20.4
million dollars) to build a new wing dedicated to Islamic art at the Louvre
museum in Paris, the museum announced.
The French government will contribute 26 million euros and the oil giant
Total will donate four million euros to finance the wing which will house
the museum's 10,000 pieces of Islamic art.
The wing, designed by architects Mario Bellini and Rudi Ricciotti, is
expected to open in 2009.
French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said Prince Talal's
donation was one of the largest cultural gifts in France's history.
"Your gesture is a testament to the generosity of the Islamic world," the
minister said at a ceremony at which the donation was handed over.
"It expresses also the particular links of friendship that unite Saudi
Arabia and France," he added.
President Jacque Chirac also said in a statement that he was "particularly
attached" to the vast project, which would give the Louvre the exhibition
space that its "exceptional collection" requires and reinforce its role at
the center of world cultures.
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