Islamic cultural capital lines up year-long féte

Muslims all over the world are happy over the selection of Madinah, which is also known as the city of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as the Islamic cultural capital for 2013.

Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed said his administration would organize year-long celebrations to mark the occasion, adding that the programs would start on Jan. 20.

A number of other Muslim cities including Rabat, Isfahan, Dakar, Fez and Alexandria were declared the Islamic cultural capital in the past.

A variety of programs including conferences, seminars, competitions, and folk art shows will be organized by the Madinah governorate to highlight the rich culture and civilization of Madinah city.

“The people of Madinah have an original and beautiful culture and heritage that would be showcased at the event,” the governor said. The celebrations coincide with the ongoing expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque, the largest in history.

 “Prominent personalities from different parts of the world will take part in the activities marking the occasion,” the prince said.

Prince Abdul Aziz called upon Madinah people to extend their contributions to make the celebrations a success. He also noted the role of new media, especially the social networking sites, in promoting the festivities.

Cultural and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja praised the idea of holding a conference of archaeologists in Madinah, describing it as excellent.

“There will be a conference for writers also,” he added.

Madinah has remained a symbol of Islamic culture for centuries. Madinah’s turn as the Culture Capital comes 10 years after the holy capital of Makkah was chosen as the Islamic Cultural Capital in 2003.

According to historians, there are about 100 names for Madinah and it reflects the city’s important position in the Muslim world. They include Taiba, Yathreb, Dar, Iman, Dar Al-Hijrah, Dar Al-Fatah and Dar Al-Akhyar.

“These names refer to the various events that had taken place in the city,” one report said.