| 2008 Arab Capital of Culture | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | 2008 |
| Location(s) | Damascus, Syria |
| Website | http://damascus.org.sy/index.php |
The 2008 Arab Capital of Culture was chosen to be Damascus, Syria. The Arab Capital of Culture is an initiative undertaken by UNESCO,[1] under the Cultural Capitals Program, to promote and celebrate Arab culture and encourage cooperation in the Arab region. The preparation for the festivity began in February 2007 with the establishing of the Administrative Committee for “Damascus Arab Capital of Culture" by a presidential decree.
Contents |
The committee was headed by the well known professor and scholar Hanan Qassab Hassan, dean of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus. She was the General Secretary of the event until its closing ceremony. The committee included a board of directors comprising:[2]
Additionally, there was an advisory board of respected intellectuals, artists and literati including such figures as Adunis, Asaad Fidda, Abed Azrie and Ghassan al-Maleh.
The festivities were officially launched on January 18, 2008 with fireworks and a spectacular visual and light show at the Umayyad Square. The opening ceremony included levitated dancing, musical segments, floating acrobatics, and hot air balloons. The ceremony was attended by the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad who was introduced by the legendary Syrian/Arab movie-star Muna Wassef. Foreign guests included the Turkish prime minister Abdullah Gul, the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa and the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa.[3]
The Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad, attended a concert at the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain along with Queen Sophia of Spain on January 31, 2008. The concert was a musical presentation of the poems of Wallada bint al-Mustakfi the daughter of Muhammad III of Córdoba, one of the last Umayyad Caliphates in Spain.[4]
For the opening ceremony of Damascus, Arab capital of Culture 2008 Studio Festi proposed the show Le Rideau se Lève (the Curtain Rises), designed and produced by Monica Maimone e Valerio Festi.
The show afforded citizens of Syria the first opportunity to witness a grand 'piazza' celebration. To the collective emotion that the show aroused, the grand finale was added: a fireworks concert witnessed by the 1.6 million inhabitants of Damascus, launched from the hills of Mount Qasioun.
Over the course of 12 months many major cultural events were sponsired and numerous festivals and exhibitions were held, turning Damascus into a cultural center.
Highlights of the events of the festival include by month:
|
|||||