Various artistic activities including literature , theatrical shows, artistic performances , musical concerts and interactive workshops  and traditional  games as well as other heritage entertainment activities were held  within the Lattakia heritage festival . 

The opening ceremony of the festival,  which is held by Lattakia’s Culture Directorate and the Syrian Trust for Development, was characterized by presenting traditional Syrian songs by the “ Dozan “ project at Dar Al-Assad for culture in Lattakia. 

The founder of  “Dozan” Project Ali Hassan  stressed that Lattakia’s heritage  festival and Dozan project share the same purpose with the aim of reviving Syrian deep-rooted heritage and re-presenting it to the public in the same spirit in which it was written. 

On his part ,  Director of Culture in Lattakia Majd Sarem  said in a statement to  Syriatimes e-newspaper  that the eight-day festival  includes  carrying out activities for heritage  handicrafts, traditional children's and adolescent games, storytelling shows, shadow play theatre  and  holding symposiums  with the participation of specialists in heritage and history, along with presentations of theatrical performances, an interactive theater and a photo exhibition of archaeological sites in the governorate . 

Sarem indicated the festival’s activities are  distributed among  six  cultural centers in the city of Lattakia and its countryside, with the aim of reviving this heritage, which forms part of our cultural awareness. 

In turn,  Director of the Syrian Trust for Development in Lattakia  Rani Saqr  referred to the importance of preserving the heritage, especially in light of the terrorist war that Syria has been subjected to in an attempt to obliterate Syrian identity,  culture,  existence and  history. He pointed to the role of  the Syrian Trust for Development to register  Syrian symbols on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage, including the  Damascene rose  and  shadow  play theater, in which the  Syrian trust for development  participates through a series of performances at the festival. 

Launching the festival’s activities were  preceded by a visit to  Burhan Haidar ‘s heritage handicrafts Museum at  the Arab Cultural Center in Ein Al-Baida to introduce the  traditional crafts and efforts to protect them and stop their disappearance. 

Owner of the museum ,  archaeologist Burhan Haidar indicated that the museum  displays  13  heritage crafts including  silk,  producing silk napkins, weaving mats from straw, knitting chairs, making flutes and wooden spoons and  weaving  baskets. 

He  stressed  the importance of reviving activities and festivals which  celebrate Syrian  heritage in the face of attempts to obliterate or distort it. 

Interviewed by : Rawaa Ghanam