15th Jawahiri Poetry Festival Opens, Celebrating Arab Heritage

The 15th Jawahiri Poetry Festival, a prominent cultural event celebrating Arab literary heritage, opened on the stage of Al-Mansour Theatre in Baghdad. Organised with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, this year’s festival is dedicated to the influential Iraqi poet Haseeb Al-Sheikh Jaafar and is held under the theme “Palestine and Lebanon: Tributaries in the Land of Mesopotamia.” The event also honoured the memory of the renowned Arab poet Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri for his legacy and literary contributions.

The Ministry’s Undersecretary for the Arts, Mr. Qasim Al-Sudani, attended the opening ceremony along with Dr. Nofal Abu Ragheef and representatives from the Public Cultural Affairs Department, the Iraqi Manuscripts Department, the Cultural Relations Department, the Kurdish Culture and Publishing House, and the Conference Palace. Iraqi and Arab poets joined to celebrate this annual tradition, further cementing Baghdad’s role as a hub of Arab literary culture.

Renowned Iraqi poet Kazem Al-Hajjaj opened the festival’s poetic readings with his piece “Mirrors,” setting the stage for a series of performances by prominent poets from across the Arab world. Notable participants included Ahmed Abdel Moaty Hegazi from Egypt, Hassan Al-Muqaddad from Lebanon, Ajwad Mujbil from Iraq, Taher Riyadh from Jordan, and Dr. Bushra Al-Bustani from Iraq.

In his remarks, Mr. Al-Sudani highlighted the dedication of Iraq’s cultural and intellectual community, who continue to strengthen Iraq’s cultural landscape despite challenging conditions. He noted that Iraq’s cultural revival is due in part to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani’s dedicated support for the arts, which has invigorated cultural, artistic, and journalistic institutions throughout the country.

Omar Al-Saray, Secretary-General of the Union of Writers and Authors, closed the opening ceremony with thanks to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities for their support, which has been instrumental in bringing this new edition of the Jawahiri Festival to life. The festival continues to be a testament to Iraq’s enduring commitment to Arab literature and culture.

Source: Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities