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Jerash, Aug. 2 (Petra) — Continuing its mission of celebrating shared cultural heritage, the Hippodrome stage at the **Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts** hosted an evening of performances showcasing the richness and diversity of Arab music, folklore and traditional singing.
The event was attended by Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Festival’s Higher Committee Mustafa Rawashdeh, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin, Culture Ministry Secretary-General Nidal Al-Ahmad, Festival Executive Director Yazan Khudair, Director of the Jerash Antiquities Directorate Mohammad Al-Shalabi and Director of the Jerash Tourism Directorate Thaer Al-Ayasrah.
The Hippodrome continued its role as a platform for Arab cultural expression, presenting performances that highlighted traditional arts as a bridge for cultural exchange and dialogue among peoples.
The Syrian Heritage Masterpieces Ensemble presented a performance celebrating Syria’s artistic legacy through traditional folk dances, heritage music and Aleppine music, one of the oldest and most distinguished schools of Arab singing originating from the city of Aleppo.
The ensemble showcased scenes inspired by Syrian folklore, reflecting customs and traditions passed down through generations while highlighting the distinctive melodic richness and artistic depth of Aleppine musical traditions. The performance offered audiences a vivid glimpse into Syria’s rich cultural heritage and was warmly received by festival-goers.
The Kan Choir, affiliated with the Jordanian Kan Culture Association, followed with a choral performance featuring a selection of patriotic, traditional and humanitarian songs. The concert highlighted the expressive power of choral singing through harmonious vocal arrangements that reflected Jordan’s cultural identity.
The evening concluded with a performance by the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble, which brought one of the Arab world’s oldest musical traditions to the Jerash audience. Led by renowned maqam singer Hussein Al-Aadhami and featuring ten musicians, the ensemble performed a selection of maqamat associated with Baghdad, Mosul, Erbil and Basra, illustrating the diversity of Iraq’s musical heritage.
Iraqi maqam is regarded as a comprehensive musical tradition built on artistic principles refined over centuries, blending Arabic poetry, vocal performance and instrumental accompaniment into a sophisticated musical form. Each maqam is distinguished by its own melodic and rhythmic structure, expressing a wide range of emotional and human experiences, making it one of the most profound forms of Arab traditional music.
The performance also featured the traditional instruments that define the maqam tradition, including the jawza, santur, naqqara and oud, whose distinctive sounds have helped preserve the authenticity and continuity of the art form across generations.
Widely regarded as a cornerstone of Iraq’s cultural identity, Iraqi maqam has long been performed at social, cultural and religious occasions and remains an important part of the country’s musical heritage. Its artistic richness continues to attract the attention of scholars and enthusiasts of traditional music throughout the Arab world and beyond.
Blending the sounds of Iraqi maqam, Syrian folklore and Jordanian choral music, the Hippodrome stage offered audiences a vibrant celebration of Arab cultural heritage, reaffirming the Jerash Festival’s role as a platform for cultural dialogue and artistic creativity that bridges tradition and contemporary expression.
//Petra// AF
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