Raqqa hosts first folk poetry festival honoring Mahmoud al-Dhakhira

The city of Raqqa has launched its first folk poetry festival, an event organized by the Raqqa Directorate of Culture to revive local dialects and preserve the oral heritage of the Euphrates Valley. The inaugural edition is dedicated to honoring the late poet Mahmoud al-Dhakhira, recognized for his significant contributions to documenting the social, economic, and cultural history of the region through verse.

Festival activities include poetry recitals, interactive seminars on Euphrates folk poetry patterns, and documentary screenings detailing al-Dhakhira’s literary career. Participants and cultural officials emphasized that the festival serves as a vital platform for protecting intangible heritage and ensuring that the linguistic nuances and historical memories of the community are passed down to younger generations.

Al-Dhakhira’s legacy includes a collection of over 1,069 verses and various historical works covering the Euphrates region from 1551 to 1950. The festival aims to become an annual tradition, with each subsequent edition honoring a different prominent figure of local folk and Nabati poetry.