Whereas the architectural heritage of our country has gone to dogs, look at what other states in the region are doing to preserve theirs. The Saudi government, for instance, has instituted two annual international prizes, one for heritage and one for culture, each worth one million Saudi Riyals, in the name of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, to be distributed during the opening session of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture in Janadriya from next year. A board of trustees, chaired by King himself, would adjudicate the prizes. The nations that take pride in their heritage and want to build a future worthy of their name and prestige do so. Our case is altogether different, though. Very systematically, our heritage has been ruined not just by public vandalism but by actions of the very custodians of heritage as well. The finest examples of our historical heritage have been removed from our museums to decorate the palaces of our rich and famous in the foreign countries. Our bureaucracy has also played havoc with the precious adjuncts of our monuments and priceless mementos that in the form of sculpture now decorate the drawing rooms of our high and mighty. -AN ANTIQUARY, Takht Bahi, March 10.