The Book Fair

On the 3rd of august the Assad Library courtyard hosted the opening of The twenty-second International book exhibition and it lasts until the 11th of the same month.

The exhibition is accompanied by a multi activity includes lectures and poetry readings.
And it includes a lecture by Dr.Ahmed Berqaoui titled ( Arabs and current questions)
A lecture by Dr. Tayeb Tizini titled ( Arab culture and its place in Human culture) and a poetry reading by the great poet Suliman al essa. It also includes activities of Dr. Riyad Nassan Agha the Minister of culture and Dr. Buthaina Shaaban Minister of expatriates. And also a lecture by the litterateur Walid Ikhlasi.

And two poetry readings for the late poet and writer Mamdouh Edwan, and an evening about the Intellectual property rights between law and practice involving Rabee Khashaneh, Adnan Salim and George Jabbour.


Furthermore There is an information center inside the exhibition for media correspondents. And its noteworthy that the administration did not prevent any book from being exhibited expect for the lousy ones and that it is ready to receive any complaints from visitors.


the countries participating in the exhibition this year amounted to 21 including 12 Arab and 9 foreign as well many organizations and international centers. The number of publishing houses participating are more than 4000 house and the number of titles are about 43000 issued and printed over the past five years.

The whole aim of the exhibition is to enrich the cultural arab scene and to find new mechanisms for developing intellectual networking between Arab peoples and the world.

Jazz Fever in Damascus

On the 2nd of July Damascus hosted the opening of the Jazz Festival
the concerts will be held until the 6th day of July at 8 p.m., 5 days of Live Jazz Music at the newly renovated Citadel Of Damascus.

The words of the Swiss Ambassador, Jack Dovatvil, at the opening night gave a Brief spotlight and tried to emphasize that the primary goal of the festival is the dialogue of cultures and to present jazz as a factor in disseminating humanitarian values in the world and not the conation of showing the skills of foreign players, or even locals, and that The diversity of performance will allow the public to discover new horizons of music in every evening.

the Swiss Syrian Jazz orchestra is considered to be the only one in the Middle east
And its music is wrote and composed by many well known composers all over the world
Like Frank Kalberg (Finland) Amadis Duncal and Oliver Verdle (Switzerland), and Allen Johnson (US). The Jazz Orchestra( The big band) consists of 42 musicians divided between Syrians and Swiss members.

Further more what was so interesting was the use of the Oriental Instrument ( Qanoon) in some of the music peaces they played. So the mix of the eastern and oriental Music was just amazing… for all Jazz fans in Damascus u still got 2 days to go so don’t lose the opportunity because I guaranty you’ll have one heck of a time .