Jersah, July 22 (Petra) — Patronizing for His Majesty King Abdullah
II, Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Wednesday inaugurated the 40th
Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, lighting the festival flame to
mark the start of the annual event.

Held this year under the slogan, “A Legacy That Endures…
Generations Meet,” the festival will feature more than 220 cultural
and artistic events from July 23 through Aug. 2.

Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh, who also chairs the festival’s
Higher Committee, said the event has become an important platform on
the Jordanian, Arab and international cultural scene through programs
that promote dialogue among cultures and demonstrate that culture and
the arts serve as a bridge for communication and cultural exchange
between nations.

“At the Jerash Festival, living languages come together, and on its
stages the arts of the world converge,” Rawashdeh said.

He welcomed participants from Arab and friendly countries to an
international festival held in the ancient city of Jerash, which
historically played a key role in connecting peoples through trade
routes and continues to serve as a venue for cultural, artistic and
intellectual exchange supported by the Jordanian state.

Rawashdeh said the festival represents a national and humanitarian
cultural landmark and reflects the state’s vision of understanding
the past, engaging with the present, and looking to the future. He
said the festival forms an integral part of documenting the
“Jordanian narrative the story of the land and its people” through
its philosophy and objectives.

He added that the festival’s continuity over 40 editions reflects
Jordan’s resilience and stability, noting that the number 40
symbolizes maturity, wisdom, youth, strength, generosity and
fulfillment. He also thanked the people of Jerash for their
hospitality in welcoming visitors and guests.

Rawashdeh said the festival’s continuation despite regional
challenges demonstrates Jordan’s ability to modernize its programs
and methods to keep pace with the times while using modern
technologies to engage younger generations and showcase the country’s
cultural and civilizational heritage.

Mohammad Bani Yasin, head of the Greater Jerash Municipality
Committee, said in remarks on behalf of the local community that the
festival brings together the authenticity of the historic city with
artistic creativity in a vibrant celebration of culture and the arts.

He said the 40th edition marks a significant milestone in the
festival’s artistic, organizational, and administrative development,
reflecting its growing stature while reinforcing Jordan’s cultural
presence and enhancing the country’s position on the regional and
international cultural festival map.

The opening ceremony featured a specially produced performance
celebrating the festival’s 40th anniversary, tracing the evolution of
Jordanian music from traditional folklore and heritage to independent
and alternative music, culminating in contemporary works that have
brought Jordanian artists to Arab and international stages.

The performance combined live music, an orchestra, a choir, visual
projections and advanced lighting techniques to present an artistic
narrative of four decades of Jordanian creativity.

Structured in five chapters, the production began with themes of
memory and heritage before charting the development of Jordanian
music and its regional and international reach. It concluded with a
commemorative song marking the festival’s 40th anniversary, followed
by the lighting of the festival flame, an annual tradition
symbolizing the continuity of the festival’s cultural mission and
Jordan’s place on the Arab cultural landscape.

The performance featured leading Jordanian artists representing
different stages in the development of Jordanian music, including
Omar Al-Abdallat, Hussein Al Salman, Aziz Maraka, Nidaa Sharara and
Issam Alnajjar.

The ceremony also honored two icons of Jordanian and Arab musical
heritage, singer Samira Tawfik and the late artist Abdo Mousa, in a
tribute celebrating both tradition and renewal.

The opening ceremony was attended by ministers, members of the Senate
and the Lower House of Parliament, Syrian Minister of Culture
Mohammad Yasin Saleh, heads of Arab and foreign diplomatic missions,
and other officials.

//Petra// AF