A testament of faith in Jordan

The 30th Jersah Festival for Culture and Arts got off to a good start last Thursday, with more than the expected number of visitors having already attended its multi-faceted cultural and art shows, and concerts in the Greco-Roman city of Jerash.

More than 15,000 people attended the festival during the past weekend, with many visitors coming from several Arab states, according to its executive director, Mohammad Abu Summaqa, who described the opening as “remarkable”.

Many diplomats and officials attended the opening ceremony, at which Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour deputised for His Majesty King Abdullah. 

“The turnout over the weekend was higher than expected and higher than last year’s so far,” Abu Summaqa added. 

Ticket sales are brisk for several concerts planned for the rest of the week, with the festival concluding on August 1. 

The success of the annual event is a testament of the faith that Jordanians and foreign visitors have in the stability of the country. 

It is also a vivid demonstration of the will of people to enjoy the atmosphere of peace that pervades the country and to take a break from the daily news full of gloom and doom about regional wars and destruction. 

The spectators who flocked to Jerash, located some 48km north of Amman, wanted to enjoy the richness of the various cultural activities and watch the various concerts and folkloric dance performances by Turkish, Circassian, Spanish and Chinese troupes among others. 

Launched in 1981, the Jersah festival is an annual celebration of local, Arabic and international culture that is an article of faith by Jordan in the good things in life.