Doha is Arab Capital of Culture for 2010, and the festivities have kicked off with some fabulous events over the past couple of months in the name Arab culture.
I just found out about Arab Capital of Culture, via an article by the Syrian Arab News Agency: it’s an initiative undertaken by the Arab League under UNESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program that celebrates Arab culture and encourage cooperation in the Arab region. Doha has been selected for 2010, to follow in the footsteps of Damascus, Arab Capital of Culture 2008 and the Jerusalem, Arab Capital of Culture 2009.
Syria and Qatar: Partners in Promoting Arab Culture
The Doha event began with a series of activities to showcase Syrian Cultural Week, which took place at the end of January. In his opening speech, Syrian Minister of Culture Riadh Naasan Agha proudly announced that a Syrian start to the festivities highlights the level of relations between the two countries and their peoples.
The opening performance was an operetta entitled the House of Wisdom, which the minister told The Syrian Arab News Agency, signifies “the constant need for cultural structures that encompass Arab cultural heritage in addition to the need for constant cultural search for the future.”
Qatari Minister of Culture Hamad bin Abdelaziz al-Kuwari expressed gratitude to Syria’s leadership and people and said the Syrian Cultural Week will signal the beginning of the rest of the Arab activities. He highlighted the participation by Syrian intellectuals, groups and programs that underline the role of culture in relations among peoples.
“Syria is the best country to represent Arab culture,” the Qatari Minister affirmed.
A Cultural Tapestry
The Syrian Cultural Week included theatrical performances, visual arts activities, art exhibitions and galleries, book fairs, and artistic performances.
An especially relevant and moving feature was The Canaanite Liad, a performance by the Ornina group that portrays the Palestinian people’s struggle since the days of the Canaanite civilization, with 18 set pieces that depict a specific part of Palestine’s history. The performance is dedicated to the Palestinian people and the late poet Mahmoud Darwish.
I wish I could be there! If any of you have had the pleasure of attending Syrian Cultural Week, or any of the other events encompassed by Doha Arab Capital of Culture 2010, please let us know what you saw and what you thought.