International Festival of the Sahara
- International Festival of the Sahara
The International Festival of the Sahara in Douz is an annual festival in Tunisia.
=HistoryThe very first festival, called the "Camel festival", began in 1910 when Tunisia was under French rule.In 1967 it took on its modern identity according to the will of Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia's first president of the new republic, to become the country's oldest and best-known festival. M'hammed Marzougui, who dedicated his life to making people aware of and appreciate nomadic way of life and traditions, was mainly responsible for the festival's foundation. Since then, every year at the end of December for four days, thousands of people, mostly from all over Tunisia and other Maghrebien countries flock to Douz.
What to expect during the Festival
After the official opening ceremony, the main events take place in the H'naiech stadium in front of the desert surrounded by Bedouin tents. Camel marathons, "fantasia"- galloping Arab horses ridden by daring riders, a Bedouin marriage, "sloughi" desert hunting dogs - catching rabbits are the principal features.In the evening, groups from visiting countries perform popular songs and dances. However, the central event is the annual poetry contest run by the famous desert poet, Abdellatif Belgacem in order to keep poetry alive, which represents the desert's principal communication medium.
Nowadays, the festival has become an important mediatic and touristic event followed by cameramen and journalists from all over the world, thanks to the Douz's website - http://www.Douz.org - which plays an important role in putting the M'Razig people on the global map, thereby maintaining an intelligent balance between tradition and technology.
External links
* [http://www.gonomad.com/features/0402/douzfest2003.html www.gonomad.com]
* [http://www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/middle_east_and_north_africa/tunisia_and_libya/sahara_festival.php Desert Culture: Festival of the Sahara]
* [http://www.Douz.org www.Douz.org]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Festival in the Desert — The Festival in the Desert (Festival au Désert) is an annual concert in Essakane, Mali, showcasing traditional Tuareg music as well as music from around the world. The Tuareg band Tinariwen first garnered international attention with their… … Wikipedia
Sahara Film Festival — The International Sahara Film Festival was first held in 2004. It is now an annual event which takes place on the Sahrawi refugee camps in the South West Corner of Algeria, near the border with Western Sahara. The Festival is backed by the… … Wikipedia
International Union of Socialist Youth — The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) encompasses socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organizations from more than 100 states of the world. IUSY is a member of the Socialist International.Full members status is held to … Wikipedia
Festival International Du Film De Hong Kong — Le Festival international film de Hong Kong est un festival de cinéma, créé en 1976 à Hong Kong Sommaire 1 Palmarès 1.1 Asian Digital Competition 1.1.1 Golden Digital Award 1.1.2 … Wikipédia en Français
Festival international du film de hong kong — Le Festival international film de Hong Kong est un festival de cinéma, créé en 1976 à Hong Kong Sommaire 1 Palmarès 1.1 Asian Digital Competition 1.1.1 Golden Digital Award 1.1.2 … Wikipédia en Français
Festival international film de Hong Kong — Festival international du film de Hong Kong Le Festival international film de Hong Kong est un festival de cinéma, créé en 1976 à Hong Kong Sommaire 1 Palmarès 1.1 Asian Digital Competition 1.1.1 Golden Digital Award 1.1.2 … Wikipédia en Français
Festival au Désert — The Festival au Désert (Festival in the Desert) is an annual concert in Essakane, Mali, showcasing traditional Tuareg music as well as music from around the world. The Tuareg band Tinariwen first garnered international attention with their… … Wikipedia
Desert festival — may refer to: Burning Man in the United States Dubai Desert Rock Festival in the United Arab Emirates Festival in the Desert in Mali International Festival of the Sahara in Tunisia This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same… … Wikipedia
Festival international du film de Hong Kong — Le Festival international film de Hong Kong est un festival de cinéma, créé en 1976 à Hong Kong Sommaire 1 Palmarès 1.1 Asian Digital Competition 1.1.1 Golden Digital Award 1.1.2 Silver Digital Award … Wikipédia en Français
The Gambia — Gambia redirects here. For the river, see Gambia River. Republic of The Gambia … Wikipedia