Damascus, May 14 (SANA) A festival celebrating Kurdish culture and language opened in Damascus on Wednesday evening with a series of artistic and cultural events marking Kurdish Language Day.
The Kurdish Culture Days festival, held at the Dummar Cultural Complex, features music performances, lectures, poetry readings, theater and film screenings aimed at highlighting Kurdish cultural heritage and its contribution to Syria’s cultural landscape.
Organizers said the event presents a range of Kurdish artistic experiences, some of them showcased publicly in Damascus for the first time.
The opening day included discussions on Kurdish music and language, alongside a musical performance combining traditional Kurdish songs with contemporary works inspired by Kurdish folk heritage.
Ismat Ramadan, director of the National Center for Curriculum Development at the Ministry of Education, said during a lecture that Kurdish belongs to the Indo-European language family and has developed through several historical stages.
He noted that Kurdish dialects vary across regions, similar to differences among Arabic dialects, and described Kurdish literature as an important expression of Kurdish cultural identity.
Festival supervisor Idris Murad said Kurdish music reflects a long-standing cultural tradition shaped by the regions where Kurdish communities live. He pointed to the importance of folk dance traditions and instruments such as the buzuq and tambura in Kurdish musical heritage.
Murad added that the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli has become a notable center combining folkloric traditions with modern musical styles, citing artists including Said Yusuf, Jwan Hajo and Aram Tigran.
The festival runs through May 17, with events scheduled daily at 6 p.m.
Earlier this year, President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 13 of 2026 affirming that Syrian Kurds are an integral part of the Syrian people and that their linguistic and cultural identity forms part of Syria’s national identity.
N.J/ِABD
