Damascus, Sept. 23 (SANA) Poets gathered at the Arab Cultural Center in Mezzeh for an evening of verse spanning nature, love and social themes, with participants calling for more cultural events to help poetry reach wider audiences.
Tuesday’s event, titled “A Stroll Through the Gardens of Poetry,” featured poets Mazen Mahmalji, Ziad al-Jazaeri and Fawaz Abdoun, alongside Aseel Mustafa, who hosted the evening and recited her own work.
Mustafa, a professor at Damascus University’s Faculty of Science, told SANA she chose the event’s title to give poets the freedom to select their subjects rather than confining them to a single theme.
She called for more poetry competitions, festivals and cultural events to help poets reach wider audiences, while also stressing the importance of Arabic-language education and teacher training.
Al-Jazaeri presented several works, including a poem inspired by a visit to Lake Balloran, another titled “Eve” exploring portrayals of women and their transformations, and a third about moving beyond setbacks and seeking new opportunities.
He said the evening’s range of themes gave poets freedom in choosing their work, adding that the value of such events lies in the quality and substance of the contributions.
The evening was organized as part of the Ministry of Culture and Damascus Directorate of Culture activities supporting literary creativity and public engagement with arts and literature.
T.S /M.F
