Syrian heritage Festival ‘AKITU’ kicks off
The Syrian Heritage Festival ‘AKITU’, held by Tourism Ministry and the AlIkhbaria Syria Television channel, kicked off Friday in the Tishreen Park in Damascus on the occasion of the Syrian New Year, which falls on April 1st.
The opening ceremony of the festival, which was attended by a huge number of people, included national songs and dances showing the Syrian heritage.
Tourism Minister Beshir Yazigy told reports that the AKITU is an ancient festival in the near East history and the celebration today proves that we [Syrians] are proud of our deep-rooted heritage and we are clinging to our homeland.
On his part, Nizar Mnardi, who is in charge of the St Nicolas Church, said that the Syrian heritage festival reflects the unity of the Syrian people and the rich heritage. “The festival proves that the Syrian people are working for preserving their homeland,” he added.
Director of Damascus Tourism Directorate May al-Saleh declared that the festival sheds light on Syria’s heritage and its role in civilization.
The festival will last until Monday where art exhibitions plus sport and musical activities will be held in Damascus to revive the Syrians’ celebrations on the occasion of the New Year since thousands of years.
The Akitu festival was one of the oldest Mesopotamian festivals, dating back to the middle of the third millennium BC and its known as the Babylonian New Year’s festival.
Basma Qaddour