This painting was discovered in Qaryat al-Faw, which dates back to the 1st–3rd centuries CE, in one of the temples. Qaryat al-Faw is an integrated village located south of Riyadh, near to Wadi al-Dawasir governorate, on an ancient trade route. Al-Faw is an oasis in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, surrounded on all sides by the Tuwaiq Mountains, which made it an important center of civilization along the ancient trade route. It was established by the first Arab kingdom in the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Faw is also known as "Qaryat Dhat Kahl" or "Dhat al-Jinan," due to the presence of rivers. The villagers excelled at digging underground water channels, utilizing the valleys the channels passed through and the surface water channels that brought water into the city. As a result, the amount of water in the village was sufficient for sustaining an active and stable life. Al-Faw is now a village in the middle of the desert.

#1. What is Lorem Ipsum?

With his drawing, the artist was able to depict the moment when horses crossed the river, conveying the water's depth with short lines and revealing the living elements within it.    The artist depicted the undulating motion of the fish in the river, which does not impede the horses' hooves, particularly when they veer away from the horses' hooves. As the artist wished to emphasize the fish and horses' feet forms in exacting detail, he depicted them diving into the river and revealing the intricate forms and depth of aquatic life. This is known as the "translucency" property. The painting shows the artist's understanding of the nature of river life through the placement and integration of the elements, the selection of their colors, and the proportion of their sizes. This painting was discovered in a temple, which carries clear religious connotations. In ancient art, horses were depicted as means of transportation to the afterlife, while fish held special significance in Greek and Roman mythology. In addition, crossing the river scenes were common beliefs during the Roman period and may have symbolized the need to overcome obstacles to reach the opposite shore.

It is one of the twenty-four murals discovered in various temples and residential and commercial areas throughout Qaryat al-Faw. The excellence of these murals lies in the execution of the gypsum layers and colors used to create them. My question to the reader is: Can you imagine the possibility of reimagining the mural's missing parts with me?

References: Al-Hadithi, Fawzia Abdullah Ibrahim. "Murals in Qaryat al-Faw": an Analytical Artistic study, "Master's Thesis in Archaeology and Ancient Monuments, Collage of Tourism and Archeology, King Saud University, 1428-1429 AH, 2008 CE.