The Fes Festival of Sufi Culture and Wisdom has chosen the theme "Sufi Poetry, the Elixir of Healing" to celebrate its 18th edition, which will take place from October 17 to 24 in the scholarly capital of Fes. This year's festival, under royal patronage, aims to transform Fes into a space where poetry, music, thought, spirituality, and wisdom can once again converge.
Festival president Fawzi Saqali emphasized that since its inception, the festival has firmly believed that spiritual heritage only holds value when it remains a living source. Saqali stated, "This is not merely a celebration of our spiritual heritage as a static legacy of the past, but rather a reflection on its potential to nourish contemporary thought concerning what constitutes our humanity."
In his concluding remarks, Saqali noted, "True healing begins with the restoration of our ability to be amazed, away from the suffering and pains of the world. At that moment, this perspective becomes infused with hope, action, and ultimately healing."
The festival will kick off on Saturday, October 17, at Bab Makina starting at 8 PM with a special musical performance featuring Moroccan-Andalusian chants and presence by the artist Nabila Maen. The general program of the festival includes cultural meetings, roundtable discussions, art exhibitions, musical evenings, and more.
Events will be held at various locations throughout Fes, including the Shamsi Art Crafts School, Bab Makina, Souk Essemarine, Jnan Sbil Park, the Stars Center, and Ryad Sheherazade. During a press conference held on October 1 in Casablanca, a list of thinkers and artists participating in this year's edition was revealed, including François Atlan, Thouraya Iqbal, Amin Maalouf, Al-Tahami Al-Harraq, Idriss Al-Alawi Al-Maghribi, Sheikh Nour Artiran, Jason Elliott, Denis Greil, Sabah Rahmani, Juan Carlos Cafiero, Frédéric Calmès, Sheikh Ayman Hamdi, Yasmina Sabihi, Othman Saqali, and Michael Barry, among others.
The festival will also feature participation from various Sufi orders, such as the Harraqiyah Zawiya, the Qadiriyyah Budshishiyyah Order, the Charkawiyyah Order, the Raisuniyyah Order, and the Sqliyyah Order. The program is divided into three main time slots: roundtable discussions at 10 AM, artistic presentations and workshops at 4 PM, and musical concerts at 8 PM. The closing evening on Saturday, October 24, will take place at Bab Makina, featuring performances by Wassim Arslan, Anas Al-Attar, and Nour Al-Din Al-Tahiri, presenting Moroccan-Andalusian sounds alongside dervishes from Aleppo.
As reported by ahdath.info.
