Damascene Rose in Syrian Literature is symbol of Beauty and Heritage  

Talking about the Damascene Rose in Syrian literature as a symbol of beauty and cultural heritage, which occupies a unique position in the heart of all Syrians, was the focus of the literary evening presented by the historian and writer, Dr. Sami Moubayed, on the second day of “The Damascene Rose… From Syria to Turin” event, at the Celebration Hall in the Royal Palace in Turin, Italy.

During the evening, which was attended by a crowd of Italian intellectuals, mainly Prof. Paolo Matthiae, who was awarded the Syrian Order of Merit of Excellent Class, Dr. Moubayed began his speech with a historical presentation about the Damascene rose and its cultural value, tracing its origin and cultivation in the Syrian lands until it became a symbol of love.

Dr. Moubayed reviewed what was written about the Damascene Rose by Syrian writers and poets, including the great poet Nizar Qabbani, who dealt with the rose through two poems.

He talked about the impact of the Damascene rose in the writings of non-Syrian writers, including Shakespeare, who mentioned it through one of the heroes of his plays, when he likened his beloved to the Damascene rose.

Dr. Moubayed emphasized that the Damascene rose, specifically in contemporary Arab poetry, was a symbol of eternal beauty, and a source of inspiration for Arab writers throughout history, underlining the importance of this in preserving cultural heritage, in addition to the continuity of inspiring writers to present literary achievements that praise the Damascene rose and its lovers.

Dr. Moubayed also touched on the importance of cultural diplomacy, as it is capable of building bridges of amity and dialogue between people of different cultures.

Dr. Moubayed emphasized that including the Damascene rose and the practices associated with in the UNESCO list along with other Syrian cultural elements such as the Oud, Shadow Theater, al-Qudoud Al-Halabiyya, and the elements that will be recorded later, are an attempt to give Syria what it deserves.

Syria has a lot of culturally valuable elements that are worth documentation and registration because teh country is more than 12,000- year-old.

It is noteworthy that the “The Damascene Rose… From Syria to Turin” days are organized by the Royal Museums in Turin and the Syrian Trust for Development, in cooperation with the “Santagata” organization for the cultural economy.

Inas Abdulkareem