In the picture: Sigmar Gabriel, Dr. Mustapha Adib (Lebanon’s Ambassador to Germany), Ambassador Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar and Sigmar Gabriel, Foreign Minister of Germany, jointly inaugurated last November “Der Diwan – The Arab Culture House” in Berlin.
The event serves as a major milestone for Qatar-German Year of Culture, and will also be a legacy of the year marked with numerous collaborative ventures and cultural exchanges.
Addressing the public at the opening Qatar’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said:”With the opening of the Arab Cultural House in Berlin today, we celebrate the long-standing friendship between Germany and Qatar. The Diwan will be a platform for lively cultural exchanges and development, and a testament of our commitment to building bridges with nations around the world”.
The attendees for the opening included government representatives and professionals from a variety of fields, who had the opportunity to learn about the unique history of the Diwan and its significance in the German-Qatar relationship.
HE Ambassador Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Head of Mission of the State of Qatar to Germany added: “The Qatar Germany Year of Culture 2017 has seen many inspiring initiatives to build bridges between our cultures. Today, we celebrate the opening of the Arab Cultural House in Berlin, which offers a distinct space for German and Arabic culture and its relations to be strengthened.”
The new “Der Diwan” is an invaluable contribution to German heritage and the latest addition to Berlin’s diverse and vibrant cultural landscape. The Cultural House carries the significance of being Qatar’s first cultural center outside of Qatar and its opening in marks an exciting new chapter in the Qatari-German cultural relations.
Located in the Zehlendorf district of Berlin, the cultural house, formerly known as Villa Calé, was built between 1904 and 1907 by publisher Franz Calé and is considered to be one of the most beautiful villas in Berlin. The Diwan has a rich and colorful history, having previously been used for private housing, then hosting the Institute of Film and Image in Science and Education, before the State of Qatar purchased the building in 1997.
For further information:
http://botschaft-katar.de/en/
http://botschaft-katar.de/en/
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Pictures by Embassy of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Germany.
