First festival of heritage opened in Damascus

The First Syrian Festival of Heritage and Handicrafts was opened at the Culture Palace ( Anbar Office ) in Damascus on Sunday with participation of popular, civil activities and craftsmen. "The festival is an opportunity to celebrate the proficiency of our craftsmen who reflected throughout history the beauty of our environment and culture diversity in addition to the peculiarity of our handicraft productions," Minister of Culture Lubana Mshaweh said in a speech during the opening ceremony. She considered that the adherence to the heritage is a commitment to the identity, adding that encouraging the handicrafts and marketing them is a consolidation of the glory of Syrian heritage and history. Director of the festival Faten Afouf, for her part, said that the event came of revive the heritage which constitutes a civilized fortune in addition to showing Syria's glorious history. She added that such a festival is an assertion that the Syrian people are aware of the volume of attempts to distort the Syrian history by a number of groups. The festival which will last to June 3rd includes an exhibition for traditional handicrafts, particularly the Damascene Mosaic, drawing on wood, drawing on glass, mosaic of sea shells, cooperies, Damascene lanterns, oriental chandeliers in addition to textiles and accessories.