Tangible Heritage Week highlights historic neighborhoods in Damascus

Damascus, April 7 (SANA) Activities marking Tangible Heritage Week, organized by the Culture Ministry, continued with lectures, art exhibitions and heritage performances highlighting the city’s historical and artistic identity.

Heritage researcher Mazen Satot delivered a lecture at the Arab Cultural Center in Mazzeh, exploring prominent neighborhoods and alleyways of Old Damascus and the origins of their names.

He began with the Qaymariyya neighborhood, named after Ayyubid prince Nasir al-Din al-Husayn al-Qaymari, before discussing Bab Touma, known for the Church of St. Ananias, and Bab Sharqi, distinguished by its traditional Damascene houses.

Satot also highlighted the neighborhoods of al-Shaghour, al-Amara and al-Midan, concluding with al-Salihiya and al-Muhajireen, which were established in the late 19th century.

The Cultural Center in al-Midan hosted an art exhibition featuring eight young female artists presenting 30 works on canvas and wood. The artworks reflected elements of Syrian heritage through a raised, textured artistic style.

Under the supervision of Haitham Tabbakha, the Damascus House Association presented a heritage performance of “Shami Arada,” alongside a parallel showcase of traditional Haurani costumes, creating a festive atmosphere that reflected Syrian cultural identity.

Meanwhile, the Arab Cultural Center in Abu Rummaneh hosted an exhibition titled “Damascus, Pearl of the East,” showcasing works by several visual artists. The pieces captured the city’s beauty, memory and historical richness through diverse artistic styles.

The head of the Union of Syrian Arab Plastic Artists, Muhammad Subhi al-Sayyid Yahya, said that Syrian artists draw on a deep visual and historical heritage rooted in the city’s traditional neighborhoods, reinterpreting it through a contemporary artistic language that reflects the civilization of their ancestors while engaging with the present.

Tangible Heritage Week, organized by the Culture Ministry, aims to highlight the urban, artistic and social heritage of Syrian cities, particularly Damascus, while emphasizing the role of visual arts and specialized lectures in documenting and preserving urban memory.

R.A