The first edition of the Folk Poetry Festival was held in the city of Raqqa, dedicated to commemorating the late poet Mahmoud Al-Dhakira, in appreciation of his contribution to enriching Euphrates poetry and documenting the specificity of the local dialect. The festival, which launched yesterday evening Monday, revived the vocabulary of the Raqqa dialect and poems that conveyed people's concerns and memories, highlighting the features of life in the Euphrates Valley.
The festival will last for three days, including literary evenings, two exhibitions for intangible heritage, and another for visual arts. The Director of Culture in Raqqa, Abdul Latif Al-Mohimeed, clarified that the festival responds to the aspirations of the province's people to restore cultural activity after years of decline imposed by the circumstances the region has experienced, emphasizing the importance of restoring folk and Nabataean poetry to their place as a source of local cultural identity.
Al-Mohimeed pointed out that the program includes readings and evenings of folk and Nabataean poetry, and that the Directorate seeks to transform the festival into an annual tradition that honors one of the symbols of folk poetry in the province in each edition. He explained that the choice of the late poet Mahmoud Al-Dhakira was in appreciation of his status and literary contributions, describing him as a linguistic treasure that documents the vocabulary of the authentic Raqqa dialect and reflects the specificity of the social and cultural environment of the people of the region.
For his part, Juwan Al-Dhakira, the son of the late poet, pointed out that the public attendance reflects the connection of the people of Raqqa to their heritage, expressing his hope that the festival will become an annual event that introduces new generations to their literary heritage. He noted that his father left a poetic collection comprising more than 1,069 verses, as well as documentary works addressing the history of Raqqa and the Euphrates Valley during the period between 1551 and 1950.
Several participants emphasized the importance of the festival in preserving folk heritage and Euphrates song, and enhancing the presence of folk and Nabataean poets. Poet and novelist Khalil Hamada believed that folk poetry represents the archive of the people and their voice, praising the Culture Directorate's initiative to dedicate a space to celebrate this literary genre. The Culture Directorate continues its steps to revive intellectual activity and support sub-centers and literary events in collaboration with writers, intellectuals, and artists of the province.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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