December 15, 2021/ Socotra Online
Follow up: Editorial Team
The Socotra pavilion at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi received a large visit and follow-up from the festival’s visitors to learn about Socotra customs and traditions and its unique cultural heritage.
The participation of Socotra Governorate comes at an official invitation from the festival management and the cooperation and support of the Khalifa Foundation, which is always keen to support the presence of the people of the island in regional and international forums and contribute to raising the experiences of young people and girls through their contact with the delegations of participating countries.
The participation of Socotra in the festival was represented by the blood group of the two brothers for heritage art and a number of female craftswomen in the manufacture of pottery, palm fronds and shamrocks products, and the display of various Socotra products.
The Dam Al Akhawain Troupe for Traditional and Folk Art presented a number of traditional songs, chants and plays related to the authentic Socotri customs and traditions, in addition to presenting Socotra folk dances and performances, including (Tiri, Badaq, Al-Sari’a, Zamela, Al Razha, Qalil Mizmar, Andaria, Andima, Ta’hin and Sebeeh), and the band was keen to present art in all its forms to introduce The audience of the festival on the aesthetics of Socotra art and its wide diversity.
While the women craftswomen in the Socotra pavilion presented handicrafts, including palm frond products of all kinds, such as draining in the Socotri language (Marhat and Al-Hasir) and in the Socotri language, and bags for clothes in the Socotri language (Dikliho and Hatami of Socotra) and the rope that is made to tie palms to when the dates are ripe, as well as making pottery Which is made of dirt and is engraved with the blood of the two brothers to complement its decoration beautifully and wonderfully. It takes many classifications and labels in the Socotri language, such as “Jasfa, Kaz, Foti, Falha, Zarf, Magmarah, Sharhin, Majmara ordinary, Kub, Sefa and his people.
Succulents were also displayed in the Socotra pavilion, including “Socotra patience, the blood of the two brothers Ffuss and the blood of the two brothers Miswak – Socotra frankincense (Sahez), as well as other Socotra products such as Socotra knives (Hanshahr) and the loathing with which food is hung, and the ancient Socotri women’s clothing (Ghalaq and Neqbah) and (“Mashiha” is the bag in which water slides from the well, and “shivers” is used to shake sheep’s and cow’s milk, in addition to the “mound” which is a bag in which tools for making leaves are kept, and “mizhal” in which hair is combined to make leaves, and “Maftek” which is intended for refuting hair. Lamb and leaf industry, and (heaving) in which leaves are sewed, and (Ani Tamer), which is a container in which fruits are preserved in Socotra, along with vegetable products, especially those used in the process of indication and treatment
Omar bin Qabalan, Director General of the Ministry of Culture’s Office, said that the governorate had participated in the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in the capital Abu Dhabi (Al Wathba) among the delegations from the countries of the world participating in the festival, which is a great opportunity for us to highlight our civilizational and cultural heritage, as well as a unique biological, environmental and plant diversity. As well as the customs, traditions and social and cultural characteristics of Socotra society.
He pointed out that the governorate’s participation in the festival this year with the Blood of the Brothers Folklore Band, which is one of the distinguished teams in folk art and a number of female craftswomen, and the attendance of the Socotra pavilion at the festival drew the attention of visitors and lovers, and there were beautiful and wonderful impressions of Socotra art and the local Socotra products that imposed their presence among the countries of the world .
On behalf of the Socotra delegation participating in the festival, bin Qabalan thanked the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works, its high representative on the island, for the hospitality, generosity, and continuous support for the heritage of Socotra and its presentation to the outside world.
For his part, Muhammed Abdullah Al-Dexami, said that Socotra’s participation in the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Abu Dhabi is a great gain for the island in showing its popular heritage, customs and traditions to the festival’s audience, who arrived from all countries of the world, and an opportunity to show the unique diversity that the island enjoys through the global media present in This is a world heritage forum.
Al-Dexami valued the stances of the brothers in the UAE, their cooperation and continuous support for the people of the island in all fields, including the heritage aspect, and ways to preserve it, introduce it to the world, promote it and its unique features.
