As part of the events of the Damascene Rose Harvest Festival, the Damascene rose exhibition, organized by the Directorate of Intangible Heritage at the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Aleppo Culture Directorate, opened today at the Tishreen Hall in Aleppo with the participation of ten exhibitors, experts and specialists in the field of products extracted from the Damascene rose.
The director of Aleppo culture, Jaber Al-Sajour, in a statement to SANA reporter, pointed to the importance of the Damascene Rose and its global position, which was culminated in its inclusion on the UNESCO’s list of intangible human heritage.
He added, “the various events in this regard, including the Damascene Rose Exhibition, express the responsibility of culture in spreading this heritage among people and introducing them to the features of the this rose and its benefits in various fields of life, especially in the most prestigious Syrian industries.”
Dr. Othman Haj Hassan, a participant in the scientific symposium accompanying the exhibition, stated that the Damascene rose plays a significant role in the medical products industry, as it is primarily friendly to human skin, and is a natural source for the production of rose water and oil included in cosmetic products and sterilizers.
Representative of the food products category, Wafaa Juma, referred to the symbolism of the Damascene rose in the life of Syrians with its presence on their tables, adding: “I feel responsible in teaching the manufacture of food products using the Damascene rose to my daughters and the new generation to preserve this heritage, which is an important part of our national cultural identity.”
The exhibition also included a corner dedicated to plastic art where each visitor would participate in drawing the Damascene Rose according to his own impression.
Supervisor of the workshop, artist Obaida Qudsi, said: “The art corner aims to collect small drawings of the Damascene Rose in a large painting to express the status of the Damascene Rose among the people of Aleppo so that it is like the mosaic of different colors in one painting.”
Amal Farhat