The tenth Arab Cultural Weeks took place in Hamburg from 28 October to 27 November 2013. The tenth anniversary was intended to be special, and in retrospect it was a complete success. Gabriele von Stritzky led and organised the programme. Co-organiser Dr Mohammed Khalifa, a familiar face of the cultural weeks, had taught Arabic for many years at the Asia–Africa Institute at the University of Hamburg. More than 30 events were offered under the theme “Women in Arab Society”, presenting and discussing current developments in politics, culture and religion in the Near and Middle East.
The events aimed to show the diversity of Arab culture, explain current affairs and inspire further interest. A varied programme of lectures, discussions, films, readings, workshops and exhibitions offered different insights into the Arab world. In particular, presentations on women's everyday lives in Egypt, gender relations in the Arab world and the revolution in Syria prompted lively discussion.
Highlights in 2013 included Prof. Dr Eich's lecture on 7 November 2013 about debates on gender relations in Egypt before and after 2011; the Arab evening of music, theatre and food on 8 November 2013; and the Choir of Cultures on 27 November 2013, the final event that brought the cultural weeks to a close.
Co-organiser Dr Khalifa was delighted with the progress over the years: “A lot has changed in the ten years of the Arab Cultural Weeks. Originally, we started with a single week, focused very much on photography exhibitions and films. We have since added concerts, workshops, lectures and discussions. In 2013 there were 34 events over 30 days. Let's put it this way: we are growing more mature!”
We are already looking forward to the booklet for the Arab Cultural Weeks 2013, which is expected to be published at the end of 2014.
