ID :
348430
Wed, 11/19/2014 - 09:26
Auther :

Minister of Culture Hails Traditional Dhow Festival

Doha, November 18 (QNA) - HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari commended the contribution of the Traditional Dhow Festival in preserving Qatari tradition, customs and heritage, while welcoming the outstanding participation of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states in the event. HE the Minister said that the event will cover marine life and traditions related to it, and appreciated the role undertaken by Katara, the organizer of the fourth edition of Traditional Dhow Festival. He added that HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani's keenness on attending the event reflected the importance attached by HH the Father Emir to ensuring a successful festival. With over 300 participants in various competitions during the five-day event, the festival is showcasing traditional dhow building techniques, used in the Gulf's post-oil discovery period when pearl diving and fishing were two of the main sources of income. 16 on-beach workshops saw craftsmen performing live demonstrations of their ancient maritime professions that were popular in the pre-Oil-and-Gas era such as smithing, sail sewing and ship building. Traditional Arabian coffee was also on offer, adding the country's authentic flavour to the mix. The festival's most notable musical number'Al Tabaa' (The Edition) took spectators back to 1925 when the pearl-diving boats sank in the waters of the Arabian Gulf after being exposed to a strong cyclone and heavy rains. The operetta runs daily at a special stage set at Katara's beach, for the entire duration of the festival. Besides the folk shows, daily cruise and the operetta, the festival's second day will witness the inauguration of the traditional sailing competition with the participation of 40 contestants on board 8 boats, as well as the free diving competition and school visits for students. Starting on Wednesday, visitors will also have the valuable opportunity of learning about the rituals of pearl diving, by watching a full crew on board a traditional diving vessel with tools and equipment, which they used to dive into the depths of the sea to extract oysters and pearls. Visitors and guests will be able to watch the dive trip from the Katara Beach. As part of this year's celebrations, the festival's third day (Thursday, November 20) will feature 'Al Dashah' event; a traditional celebration held in the old days when sailors entered the sea, heading to the diving vessels before launching them into the pearl banks (Al Hayrat). Moreover, 'Al Qafal' heritage festival, which embodies the return of the divers to their homeland, will take place on Saturday, with the conclusion of the Traditional Dhow Festival. (QNA)

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