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2022-06-07

The 14th Faqous Festival in 2022

The municipality of Beit Sahour and the Palestine Wildlife Society(PWLS), in cooperation with the Bethlehem Agriculture Directorate, organized the 14th Faqous Festival in 2022, at the Virgin’s Well site in the old town of Beit Sahour, to preserve and revive the natural cultural heritage and Palestinian heritage. In the presence of Mr. Hani Al-Hayek, Mayor of Beit Sahour, members of the Municipalty, Engineer Samah Heikal, Director of Bethlehem Governorate, members of the administrative and executive body for PWLS, police representatives, institutions and associations of the city, and a large crowd of attendees from Beit Sahour, from different governorates of the country and the various media.

The festival leader, Mirna Magdy Bannoura, welcomed the attendees, and the festival opened with the Palestinian national anthem, playing by the Arab Orthodox Club's Scouts Beit Sahour. Then Mr. Hani Al-Hayek, Mayor of Beit Sahour gave a speech in which he spoke about the importance of reviving the Faqous Festival in the center of the old town in Beit Sahour in order to encourage farmers to sell local products and revive the old city. He praised the relationship between the municipality and PWLS, and stressed the importance of cooperation and partnership in the success of such festivals and activities that would raise the name of Beit Sahour high and lofty.

On behalf of Mr. Sami Thaljieh, head of the board of PWLS, Mrs. Hanan Bannoura, a member of the board, welcomed the audience and gave the Society’s speech, stressing the Society’s keenness, in cooperation with the Beit Sahour Municipality, to hold this annual festival that carries the message of preserving the natural and cultural heritage and encourages farmers to continue to cultivate Faqous Al-Sahouri and steadfastness in their land and encouraging the young generation to preserve our heritage of customs, traditions and social values, and praised the cooperation with the Bethlehem Agriculture Directorate and thanked everyone who contributed to the success of the festival’s activities.

The festival included many artistic and folk shows and folk dances, where the rising artist Shadi Bassem Khair son of Beit Sahour presented traditional songs, followed by the Palestinian wedding paragraph presented by the Palestinian Heritage band. And then a Dabke presented by Baqoon Heritage Band, and the closing of the festival's paragraphs with the rising artist Marah Magdy Al-Shomali, daughter of Beit Sahour, many songs of folklore and heritage.

The festival concluded by honoring Mrs. Ismahan Al-Atrash Barham, Principal of Beit Sahour Secondary School, for her excellence at the national level in the activities of the Environmental Club and environmental events inside and outside the school in cooperation with the Wildlife Society in Palestine.

The Kanari nursery for organic farming was also honored for its owners Nidal Koo and his wife Rana Koo for their initiative to propagate the endangered Akub seedlings on the Palestinian and international levels. Then all the teams participating in the festival were honored.

The festival included the sale of local products to many associations, including the Rural Women's Association - Nabe` Al-Khairat Market, the Arab Women's Union - Beit Sahour, Beit Sahour Women - Small Business Owners, and Surif Association for Livestock Wealth, in addition to many individual initiatives in Beit Sahour.