General Manager of Katara Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) H E Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (second right) with Ambassador of Ecuador H E Pascual Del Cioppo (left) and other dignitaries at the event.
Doha, Qatar: The Ecuadorian Art Corner , which contains the third of the four copies of the original Ecuadorian artefact distributed around the world, which embodies the origin of cocoa by the discoverer Francisco Valde, was inaugurated yesterday by the General Manager of Katara Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) H E Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti at the VIP Hall in Building (16) at Katara.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of Ecuador H E Pascual Del Cioppo, and a number of Their Excellencies the Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions. The Ecuadorian Art Corner, located in the lobby of the VIP lounge at Katara Opera House, embodies the rich cocoa heritage and culture for which Ecuador, the historical home of chocolate, is famous.
It is a 5,500-year-old ceramic vessel, the oldest known example of cocoa consumption and domestication, produced by the Mayo-Chinchipe people who lived in the upper Amazon Basin in what is now southeastern Ecuador, where it was found by a team of French researchers in 2022.
On this occasion, the Ecuadorian Ambassador expressed his thanks to the General Manager of Katara for his happiness at launching the Ecuadorian Art Corner. He expressed his deep thanks to Katara for organizing and sponsoring this distinguished cultural project.
He emphasised that the Ecuadorian Corner serves as a permanent exhibition at Katara, showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Ecuador, particularly its esteemed status as the birthplace of cocoa. He pointed out that the vessel represents an authentic artifact from southern Ecuador, where cocoa cultivation has thrived for over 5,500 years.
This region stands as the primary evidence of cocoa’s historical roots in Ecuador, which is recognized globally as the origin of cocoa and the historical cradle of chocolate. The heritage of this South American nation traces back more than 5,000 years to the Mayo Chinchipe culture located near the Andes, affirming its position as the original home of cocoa.
