Heritage Tourism Festival in Lattakia countryside sheds light on cultural and human heritage of Syrian villages

The village of Aramo in the countryside of Lattakia hosted the activities of Aramo Festival in its sixth season under the title (The one who misses his past dies) to present a model of the tales of Syrian villages rich in their archaeological, cultural and human heritage extending for thousands of years and embodying the harmony and brotherhood of Syrians throughout the ages.

The festival, which was held in cooperation between the Aramo Municipality and Lattakia Culture Directorate, highlighted the region’s heritage and its archaeological and touristic richness, in addition to various cultural activities including poetry, literature, visual arts, and the revival of popular singing and dabke.

The festival included many speeches and heritage interventions to shed light on the region and its heritage and archaeological landmarks, in addition to the poems by a group of poets who addressed national, emotional, and romantic poems, as well as poems praising the occasion. The festival was keen to honor the first pioneer teachers from the village who spent their lives serving generations, in addition to honoring the top students in the basic and secondary education certificate exams, presented in the name of the Martyr Afif Naisa and his Sons Award for Academic Excellence, as well as honoring the oldest people in the village of Aramo.

The festival was also distinguished by the distribution of more than 400 books provided by the Directorate of Culture, the Arab Writers Union, and some private libraries, in addition to distributing 150 laurel seedlings to the residents to be planted around homes as they symbolize glory, victory, life, and eternal greenery.

On the sidelines of the festival, an art exhibition was held by the plastic artist Abdul Ghani Damiati, through which he displayed paintings depicting the most important cultural landmarks in Lattakia, such as the Arch of Triumph, Ugarit, Sheikh Daher Square, and other architectural and archaeological landmarks.

Heritage researcher and director of Aramo Festival Haidar Naeesa said in a statement to SANA correspondent that this year’s festival was rich and diverse in its programs and goals in reviving what is useful and beneficial to preserve the identity and features that distinguish the Syrian coastal countryside, especially since the festival coincides with a period of social occasions and holidays celebrated by the region.

Head of Aramo Municipal Council Mahmoud Marqabi underlined the importance of the historical, archaeological, touristic and summer village of Aramo, which is located in the northeastern part of Lattakia Governorate, 45 km east of Lattakia city, and it is believed that its name is derived from its height and location in the high mountains.

Inas Abdulkareem