Aleppo to Inaugurate as Capital of Islamic Culture
Syria-Regional, Local, 3/18/2006

More than five hundred Arab and foreign dignitaries are taking part on Saturday and Sunday in cultural manifestations of Aleppo that has been chosen by the Islamic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ISESCO to be capital of the Islamic culture in 2006.

The main opening ceremony of Aleppo, the second biggest city, to be capital of Islamic culture; would be held tomorrow evening under the patronage of President Bashar al-Assad. Makkah al-Mukarramah was the capital of Islamic culture in 2005.

A select few of intellectuals, statesmen, media and culture personalities form the Arab and foreign countries will attend the opening ceremony, an official in Aleppo governorate said.

Minister of Culture Riyad Nassan Agha described Aleppo in a press conference on the occasion as a gate of passing from the East to the West and a point of communication between cultures of the East and the West in addition to its being a bowl that contains a mixture of peoples.

Speeches to be delivered include the Islamic Conference Organization, the ministry of culture and Aleppo governorate as there will be the opening of the big Umayyad mosque of Aleppo in addition to exposition about the history of Aleppo since ten thousand years BC reaching up till today in addition to a historical photo exposition of Aleppo and its archeological sites.

Festivities of Aleppo, capital of the Islamic culture, for this year has eight international scientific symposiums and 150 lectures distributed over the city main auditoriums and halls including the university of Aleppo itself.

More than one hundred books will be printed on the event and many archeological buildings will be restored in addition, many plastic art expositions are to be opened as well photo expos and expos of documents, fashion and traditional industries together with samples of the Syrian kitchen and food, a supervisor of the merriment said.

He noted that concerts of music that Aleppo is famous of as well its typical songs and well known singers will be presented as there are competitions for Quran recitations.

Aleppo is considered as an intercultural city due to various historical times that passed over it. It poses to be an example of plurality and convergence as well as of assortment that contains all civilizations and holds dialogue with, an expert of old cultures in Syria said.

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