MOC Revives Poet "Al-Asha" in an Annual Event in the Manfouha Historic District

MOC is organizing the "Al-Asha Life" event as part of its project to revive the Arab heritage and celebrate its symbols. The event will celebrate the history of the Arab poet Al-Asha and review, in various activities, his great accomplishment in both literature and poetry, as well as, his life journey spent in Manfouha historic district in Riyadh.The events are scheduled to start in March 2020 and will be held in Manfouha neighborhood annually. These events include cultural activities presented in a unified narrative framework, to offer visitors an interactive experience through which they learn about Al-Asha’s life and the ancient history of Manfouha neighborhood, as well as, various aspects of social, cultural and economic life in that era.MOC has redesigned the site where Al-Asha lived in Manfouha neighborhood to simulate that historical period. Actors at the site will wear historical costumes that were in vogue at that time. They will also interact with visitors by talking about Al-Asha and his poems. This is accompanied with a heritage market in which buying, selling and bartering following the same manners of Arab customs.Additionally, "Al-Asha Life" event includes a number of literary activities, including the "Poem Theater", in which the story of the poet's Mu'allaqa "Zarqa Al-Yamamah" and the story of Tassam and Jedis will be presented. The activities will also include audio, light and interactive music performances that convey the poet’s story in various artistic forms. Furthermore, the walls of an old house in Manfouha will display the story of Al-Asha in the various stages of his life in a three-dimensional display of four minutes. Saudi musicians will perform their own pieces in the corridors of the neighborhood, and "Art Street" will present artistic participation by painters, photographers and sculptors whose artistic creations is derived from ancient life.Among the most prominent activities of the event is "Al-Asha Museum" which will present contents and documents of Manfouha neighborhood history and its most important historical sites, as well as the history of the poet Al-Asha and his most famous poems, accompanied with the most known traditional costumes at that time, weapons and manuscripts. The event also includes a café designed to imitate the ancient era, serving traditional food and drinks with live music performances. Visitors will also be able to wear traditional clothes and take souvenir photos.The " Al-Asha Life" event comes within MOC efforts in preserving and documenting heritage, and celebrating in Arab history, through interactive cultural activities that enhance community participation and present culture as a living product, a lifestyle, and a knowledge source that influence people's lives.

December 13, 2020 - 12:00