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On behalf of the King, the Prime Minister Lights the Torch of the 39th Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts
Representing His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Dr. Jafar Hassoun attended this evening, Wednesday, the opening ceremony of the 39th Jerash Festival and the lighting of its torch, which will run until August 2nd. This year's theme is: "Here Jordan... and its Glory Continues."
The sky over Jerash was decorated with images of His Majesty the King and the Crown Prince, the festival's torch and logo, photos of the archaeological city, and the Jordanian flag.
Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the Festival, Mustafa Al-Rawabdeh, said: "Peace be upon those who inscribed a letter, carved a word, and wrote a sentence in the book of homeland and its travel with eloquent Arabic script, with its everlasting letters... Peace be upon those who drew, colored, and wrote on the clouds a painting of the homeland, echoing the phrase: Here Jordan, and its glory continues."
During the event, which was attended by the Egyptian Minister of Culture and his wife, Al-Rawabdeh added: "Here we light the torch of the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts in its 39th edition. The torch symbolizes light, enlightenment, brightness, spreading joy and happiness, building bridges of dialogue, carrying the message of the Jordanian state, enhancing creative action, and introducing the Jordanian intellectual, writer, and artist."
He pointed out that today in Jerash, we celebrate the homeland, its heritage, and its national values, which have never been anything but values supporting truth, supporting Palestine's right to freedom, statehood, and living with dignity and peace.
While expanding Jordanian participation, the festival focused on committed art and serious culture that align with Jordan's constants and Arab stances. It emphasizes efforts to support the resilience of Palestinian brothers on their land, defend their rights, and Jordan's firm stance against attacks on Gaza, repeated assaults in the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
He noted that Arab artists and intellectuals stand on Jerash's stages expressing the voice of Palestine through their art, echoed by the audience. Jerash Festival will remain a bearer of this message and a reflection of Jordan’s culture, art, diversity, and authentic Arab and human face.
The Chairman of Jerash Municipality, Mohammad Bani Yasin, greeted the attendees on behalf of Jerash and its people. He explained that the Jerash Festival is not just a cultural or artistic event but a profound expression of Jordan's conscience, a pulse of its national identity, and a luminous civilizational message to the entire world.
He emphasized that the festival is part of our national identity and Jordan’s message to the world. Today, the festival demonstrates Jordan’s ability to remain a beacon of thought, a melting pot of cultures, a platform for dialogue, and a renewed source of hope.
The opening activities featured the theatrical "On the Heights of Glory," which celebrates Jordan's history, leadership, and people, and the spiritual relationship between language, poetry, and homeland, in a scenic, dramatic, and musical framework, with patriotic songs written by poet Haidar Mahmoud.
An ancient stone from the Roman theater was used as a digital display screen, showcasing 4D digital scenes including historical images, flags, symbolic paintings, and animated poetic scenes.
The opening also featured national folkloric shows and dances. The festival management chose artist Omar Al-Abdallat, "Jordan's Voice," as the star of the opening ceremony, in honor of his artistic career.
