Egypt celebrates 10 years of the Luxor Festival of Arabic Poetry

This celebration took place during the opening ceremony of the tenth Luxor Festival of Arabic Poetry, organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The four-day festival featured the participation of more than 140 creative individuals, including Egyptian and Arab poets, artists, and critics.

The opening ceremony was held at the Luxor Conference Centre Theatre, attended by His Excellency Abdullah bin Muhammad Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture; Mr  Muhammad Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture; His Excellency Abdel-Muttalib Amara, Governor of Luxor; Dr Khaled Abu Al-Leil, Chairman of the Egyptian General Book Organisation, representing His Excellency Ahmed Fouad Henou, Egyptian Minister of Culture; Dr  Hisham Abu Zeid, Deputy Governor of Luxor Governorate; Dr  Muhammad Abdel-Wahab, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports; Dr  Muhammad Al-Nubi, Dean of the Faculty of Languages at Luxor University; and Dr  Ahmed Mohi Hamza, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Luxor, along with executive and administrative figures from the governorate, deans of faculties, academics, students, and a large audience, were present.

Generous gift from the Ruler of Sharjah

At the outset, Hussein Al-Qabbahi, Director of the Luxor House of Poetry, welcomed the attendees, saying in his opening remarks: "All credit goes to those who deserve it, and especially to His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for bringing together poets, innovators, artists, and lovers of thought, culture, and creativity from all corners of Egypt to the House of Poetry in Luxor. His Highness has honored us by making the House of Poetry in Luxor one of his enduring benevolent acts, which continue to bear fruit, emanating from Sharjah, the guardian of beauty in the Far East, whose light extends to all corners of the Arab world."

He said: "After ten years of the House of Poetry, a generous gift from His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, it has presented a brilliant constellation of Egyptian creators, especially its youth, and added a large number of creative individuals to the cultural scene who have now become prominent figures in numerous Egyptian, Arab, and international cultural events.

Al-Qabbahi added: "On this land, the guardian of the earth, the sower of wheat, the composer of music, the singer of hymns, and the spreader of goodness and beauty to all corners of the world, on this land, the land of Egypt, the House of Poetry was established in Luxor ten years ago. Great joy swept through all the creators and poets in Egypt upon hearing of this initiative, which was born great.

Every year, the House presents a large number of poets and creators who crown the poetic and creative scene in Egypt and launch themselves from there to the wider Arab world." He pointed out that the House of Poetry has reached every corner of Egypt, opening doors to cultural cooperation with hundreds of local institutions, both those affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and serious private organisations. It has collaborated with these institutions, providing them with all possible moral and material support. He explained that this cooperation is based on a spirit of love and a desire for thought and culture to be the guiding principles for the minds of the current generation. He listed some of the governorates and places the House has visited, including Arish, Salloum, Matrouh, Beheira, Alexandria, Tanta, the Egyptian-Libyan border, all the governorates of Upper Egypt, and other governorates, locations, and institutions.Al-Qabbahi noted that the festival's opening evening will feature four poets under the age of 25, underscoring the House's mission to support young talent. He indicated that the House of Poetry has supported their creative journeys from the very beginning, emphasizing that its efforts aim to promote beautiful human values, goodness, love, and a sense of belonging to our homelands, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf.

Continuity, giving, and excellence

Al-Owais delivered a speech in which he noted the Luxor Poetry House's continued creative excellence, now in its tenth year, saying: "We are delighted to gather today in an atmosphere brimming with poetry and creativity at the Luxor Festival of Arabic Poetry. This cultural event has become a shining beacon on the Arab literary scene, as it launches its tenth edition, continuing its creative journey of ten years marked by distinction, success, and diverse cultural contributions."

He added, "Ten editions, each year bringing new poems and fresh poetic voices, have united poets from all corners of our beloved Egypt. The festival has always been vibrant with attendance and creativity, and throughout the year, it has strengthened poetry's place in our hearts. The Luxor Poetry House continues to open doors of hope for young talents and contribute to shaping a vibrant Arab poetic movement that blends authenticity with beautiful innovation. The House continues its tours across the Egyptian governorates, making its activities a symbol of literary vitality in the Egyptian and Arab cultural landscape." Al Owais expressed his gratitude to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture for its ongoing cultural cooperation, saying, "It is a pleasure to extend our thanks and appreciation to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture for hosting the House of Poetry and for its sincere efforts to ensure the success of its activities here in Luxor and throughout the governorates. This cooperation reflects the deep historical ties between the United Arab Emirates and the Arab Republic of Egypt."

The Head of the Department of Culture conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and His Highness's wishes for the participants' success.

Valley of poets' genius

Dr Khaled Abu Al-Leil delivered a speech on behalf of the Egyptian Minister of Culture, His Excellency Ahmed Fouad Hanno, emphasizing that the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has been a landmark in the Arab cultural landscape. He noted that the Houses of Poetry initiative represents a very rich cultural vision for cooperation, which has continued for ten years with remarkable regularity. He added, "This demonstrates the deep and strong roots of this cooperation."

This also reflects the deep bonds of brotherhood and friendship between Egypt and the UAE.” The minister’s speech indicated that the Houses of Poetry initiative invites everyone to learn from it, especially when we move beyond the capital to discover talents in remote governorates. He explained that the House of Poetry is located in the ancient and historic city of Luxor. The Egyptian Minister of Culture considered Luxor a city of poetry, saying in this regard, “It was said in the past that poetry is the Arabs’ record, and I say that Luxor is the record of poetry. No visitor enters it without hearing spontaneous, natural, and instinctive poetry on people’s lips. Poetry here is an innate talent honed over thousands of years. Just as we say it is a city of antiquity and a city of monuments, it is also a city of poetry. It was said in the past that whoever wants to be a poet should go to the Valley of Genius, and here, whoever wants to learn poetry should come to Luxor, where poetry is found in its eloquence and depth.”

A beacon of creativity

At the beginning of his speech, Abdel-Muttalib Amara praised the “great support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for cultural projects in the Arab world, especially His generous patronage of poetry houses, including the Luxor Poetry House, which has become a beacon of creativity and a meeting place for new talents.” The Governor of Luxor said, “We are proud that Luxor was chosen as a key location for the Poetry House, which organises this festival annually. It has become a shining platform that brings together poets and creative individuals from across the Arab world.” He also commended the outstanding efforts of the Luxor Poetry House team in serving the cultural movement and spreading the spirit of beauty and knowledge among members of the community. During his speech, the Governor of Luxor extended his congratulations to the people of the United Arab Emirates on the occasion of their National Day, which falls on December 2nd each year.

Poetry readings

The first evening of the festival featured poetry readings by four young creative talents under the age of 25: Ahmed Ramadan (18 years old), Ahmed El-Deeb (21 years old), Hazem Mustafa (22 years old), and Rawda Shaheen (25 years old), whose poetry collection, “A Citron Stuck in My Mouth,” was published by the Sharjah Department of Culture as part of the Poetry House’s publishing competition. The House of Poetry dedicated the festival's opening evening to this group of young poets, showcasing a distinctive and innovative poetic voice nurtured by the House, and reaffirming its commitment to supporting talent and enhancing their literary journeys by providing them with opportunities to showcase their work and connect with audiences and critics.

Statistics of the first decade

The House of Poetry's statistics for the first ten years since its establishment reveal a remarkable cultural momentum, reflecting its proactive spirit and vibrant energy within the Egyptian and Arab cultural landscape. From 2015 to the present, the House has organised over 600 cultural events, with the participation of approximately 3,000 poets. It has also held more than 250 critical seminars featuring nearly 480 critics, organised around 25 training courses, and hosted 20 exhibitions of Arabic calligraphy and visual arts. Furthermore, it has published over 50 books.

Festival personality

Al-Owais and Al-Qasir were honoured, accompanied by Amara and Abu Al-Layl. Egyptian critic and academic Dr  Mohamed Abu El-Fadl Badran was named Cultural Personality of the Year for the tenth edition of the festival, in recognition of his ongoing creative contributions.

The festival also featured an exhibition showcasing several publications from the Sharjah Department of Culture, including: Sharjah Cultural Magazine, Al-Rafid Magazine, Al-Qawafi Magazine, Al-Masrah Magazine, Al-Heera Magazine from Sharjah, and Al-Sharqiyah and Al-Wusta Magazines. The exhibition attracted a large number of visitors eager to purchase the magazines, exploring a diverse range of cultural titles covering local Emirati, Arab, and international topics.