On November 30, I was invited to witness a unique tradition that is considered to be a historical ancestral legacy which continues even today in Qatar.
I refer to the life at sea of the brave Qataris who sailed in their typical wooden boats called dhow, seeking with great effort and courage a livelihood for their families, driven by strength and along with their oars co-ordinated with the wind in the historic Arabian Gulf.
I attended the inauguration of the 11th Katara International Dhow Festival organised under the direction of Katara general manager Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti and in the presence of Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani who both were proud and honoured to share the Qatari heritage and traditions showcased in the cultural village.
My knowledge with regard to the dhow tradition was mainly captured though my own curiosity and the willingness to learn more about Qatar and its traditions. I never had such a memorable experience that united other nations to take part in this event and educate others of their own traditions by "transporting us in time" and navigating through the beauty of the past, accompanied by various entertainment such music, unique dances as well as the handicrafts.
Those trips of many days and months must have been combined with great challenges, for that difficult life of sailors in multicoloured waters that sometimes appear serene and -suddenly- become great forces that must be overcome by an expert navigator as those waters do not easily deliver what they treasure.
Finding ties that link my country, Peru with Qatar, would seem a difficult task, however, we have something very much in common: our territorial coasts bathed by the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, respectively.
Our inhabitants also sailed fearlessly and admirably in modest boats (canoes) to collect that immense variety of fish that until now represent an important economic resource for Peru.
They were our so-called "caballito de totora" (reed watercraft) dating back thousands of years and built with stems and leaves of totora (scripus californicus), as well as our rafts further north of Peru built with four or five wooden trunks and an artisanal sail, where two sailors and an oar lost sight of the beaches and only oriented themselves on their return when the wind took direction towards land, in the afternoon.
By highlighting ancient connections with other countries and nations, people are able to understand how culture, and trade can bring nations together though the beauty of traditions and cultural values; so let´s hold on to our traditions as they are part of our identity and of who we are.
The festival, held in the sea off Katara with the participation of many countries and with contribution of many museums of Qatar, Kuwait, India and Greece, runs until December 18, with 50 different activities.
Finally, allow me to invite all people to visit Katara - The Cultural Village in order to learn about the sacrifices of the past that created the beauty of the present with warm hospitality of the Qatari people that I admire immeasurably.
I refer to the life at sea of the brave Qataris who sailed in their typical wooden boats called dhow, seeking with great effort and courage a livelihood for their families, driven by strength and along with their oars co-ordinated with the wind in the historic Arabian Gulf.
I attended the inauguration of the 11th Katara International Dhow Festival organised under the direction of Katara general manager Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti and in the presence of Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani who both were proud and honoured to share the Qatari heritage and traditions showcased in the cultural village.
My knowledge with regard to the dhow tradition was mainly captured though my own curiosity and the willingness to learn more about Qatar and its traditions. I never had such a memorable experience that united other nations to take part in this event and educate others of their own traditions by "transporting us in time" and navigating through the beauty of the past, accompanied by various entertainment such music, unique dances as well as the handicrafts.
Those trips of many days and months must have been combined with great challenges, for that difficult life of sailors in multicoloured waters that sometimes appear serene and -suddenly- become great forces that must be overcome by an expert navigator as those waters do not easily deliver what they treasure.
Finding ties that link my country, Peru with Qatar, would seem a difficult task, however, we have something very much in common: our territorial coasts bathed by the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, respectively.
Our inhabitants also sailed fearlessly and admirably in modest boats (canoes) to collect that immense variety of fish that until now represent an important economic resource for Peru.
They were our so-called "caballito de totora" (reed watercraft) dating back thousands of years and built with stems and leaves of totora (scripus californicus), as well as our rafts further north of Peru built with four or five wooden trunks and an artisanal sail, where two sailors and an oar lost sight of the beaches and only oriented themselves on their return when the wind took direction towards land, in the afternoon.
By highlighting ancient connections with other countries and nations, people are able to understand how culture, and trade can bring nations together though the beauty of traditions and cultural values; so let´s hold on to our traditions as they are part of our identity and of who we are.
The festival, held in the sea off Katara with the participation of many countries and with contribution of many museums of Qatar, Kuwait, India and Greece, runs until December 18, with 50 different activities.
Finally, allow me to invite all people to visit Katara - The Cultural Village in order to learn about the sacrifices of the past that created the beauty of the present with warm hospitality of the Qatari people that I admire immeasurably.
