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Albabtain participates in the celebration organized by the ISESCO on the occasion of the World Poetry Day.

March 23, 2021

Poet Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain participated in a seminar titled "Poetry and Its Institutions: Constants and Variables," organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in collaboration with the Academy of Arabic Poetry. This participation was part of ISESCO's celebration of World Poetry Day under the theme "Poets: Wings of Peace."

Albabtain's involvement was virtual, conveyed through a video presentation, after receiving an invitation from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. This invitation from ISESCO was a recognition of the contributions of the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Cultural Foundation in advancing poetry, offering an expression and enrichment of the human appreciation.

Prominent cultural figures from the Arab world participated in the celebration, which encompassed four panel discussions. Among them were poetess Rawdah Al-Hajj, former Minister of Culture in Sudan; Dr. Salah Fadl, President of the Arabic Language Academy in Egypt; novelist Wassini Al-Araj from Algeria; poet Jassim Al-Suhayeh from Saudi Arabia; poet Saeed Al-Suqalawi from Oman, and others.

On his part, poet Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain expressed his gratitude for the invitation to participate in this seminar and contribute with his words to the celebration of the World Poetry Day. He mentioned that Arabic poetry has undergone numerous changes and transformations, both in form and content, influenced by the various environments in which poets emerged, from the pre-Islamic era to our present day.

Albabtain further added that the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Cultural Foundation, which includes the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Prize for Poetic Creativity, aims to preserve and enrich genuine Arabic poetry while encouraging its composition. To achieve this, the Foundation has undertaken the printing of numerous poetry collections and manuscripts that had remained concealed within library archives for centuries and years. Additionally, it has produced poetic encyclopaedias for contemporary and deceased Arab poets. The latest of these is the "Albabtain Encyclopaedia of Arab Poets in the Era of States and Emirates," published in January 2020. This encyclopaedia encompasses (9462) poets from the Arabic literary tradition spanning the period from (656 - 1215 AH / 1258 - 1800 CE), and it consists of (25) volumes. The Foundation has also hosted specialized poetry gatherings and organized the annual Arab Poetry Spring Festival, along with arranging poetry evenings that featured poets from both the Arab world and beyond.

Albabtain continued by emphasizing the preservation of the printed and the manuscripted Arabic poetic heritage. To achieve this goal, Albabtain Central Library for Arab Poetry was established in 2006.

In conclusion, Albabtain urged for a focus on the poetic individuals, as they form the essence of this institution. He highlighted that the more attention is given to these poets, the more the poetic foundation flourishes, serving as a sign of the era and a means to understand the history of societies.


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