Jordan Times
Monday, July 10, 2006
Jerash
Festival to begin July 26
By Mahmoud Habboush and Grace Peacock
AMMAN — The stage is set for this year’s two-week
Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, with a diverse line-up of international
artists preparing to bring the ancient Roman city’s amphitheatres, temples and
forums to life.
The Jordanian National Orchestra will open the event along with local singers on
July 26 to launch the 25th anniversary of the festival.
Veteran Arab artists including Lebanese singer Wadi Safi and his compatriot
Majida Roumi, as well as Iraqi singer and composer Kathem Saher, are expected to
perform during the festivities, which will take place in venues in Jerash and
Amman until Aug. 11.
Younger pop singers such as Lebanon’s Fares Karam also have a place in the
schedule.
Lubna Far, assistant director of the festival, said the event’s ancient
surroundings and origins contribute to its uniqueness.
“Since Jerash first started, year by year it grew into the most unique and
spotlighted festival in the Arab world,” said Far, adding that “every Arab
musician and dancer wants to perform at the event – it’s become a gateway to the
world.”
The festival also includes a variety of activities and events such as the Arabic
music competition award ceremony organised by Radio Monte Carlo, the Arabic
Flute (nay) Forum, and the International Day of the Oud.
Far added that the festival’s organisers are committed to protecting the ancient
site from damage during the event.
“We are working with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and have given them
a commitment that everything… we install and build is removable,” she said.
“There will be cleaning services provided daily and the site will be protected
100 per cent. We can’t even spill a cup of tea on the ground. It is forbidden,”
she said.
Ticket prices are capped at JD12 to encourage more people to attend performances
at venues primarily in Jerash and in Amman, according to the event’s director
Jeryes Samawi.
Most performances begin in the evening around 8:00pm; the exact times will be
printed on the tickets when purchased.
Concerts will be broadcast by Arab Radio and Television network (ART), although
they will not be live in order to get as many people to attend as possible,
according to director Samawi.
Her Majesty Queen Noor, with a committee of volunteers supported by staff and
students from Yarmouk University, launched the first Jerash Festival in 1981.
Jerash, located 48 kilometers north of Amman, is considered one of the largest
and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy.
Archaeologists have found the ruins of settlements dating back to the Neolithic
Age, indicating human occupation at the location for more than 6,500 years.
The dates and locations of the performances are on the festival’s new website
www.jerash-festival.com. The organisers can be reached at 06 5675199 for more
information.