Katara--the Cultural Village Foundation launched the Palestine Cultural Festival on Thursday with a host of activities and shows highlighting the Palestinian heritage.

The festival continues until April 13. Opened by Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, the festival's inaugural day was attended by several dignitaries and diplomats, in addition to many visitors from the Palestinian community in Qatar and other communities.

The festival includes daily shows at the Katara Drama Theatre showcasing various cultural aspects. These include Zajal, which is a type of Palestinian poetry, as well as the folkloric Palestinian dance, Dabke, and coral operetta. The event will also feature a traditional Palestinian market displaying various types of handicrafts and food from Palestine. Besides, it will introduce some young Palestinian talents such as Mohamed Basyouni, who has been brought from Gaza to perform traditional Palestinian songs at the festival.

Further, the festival will feature a puppet show for children explaining the Palestinian cause and to raise awareness about the struggle of the Palestinian people. The final day of the festival will be themed 'Jerusalem Day' and witness the hosting of renowned Palestinian musician Bassem al-Ashqar. This will be one of several activities to celebrate the day, Katara has said in a press statement.


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