Artists gather in Morocco for the 17th Sufi culture festival in Fez

Around 200 artists, researchers and musicians gathered in Fez in Morocco for the 17th edition of the Sufi Culture Festival last week. 

Participants came from various countries including Morocco, Senegal, Turkey, Spain and India, to celebrate Sufi heritage. 

Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism. The Sufi Culture Festival of Fez was founded in 2007 to celebrate this religious practice.

Its location is not a coincidence as the city of Fez has been a major historical centre for Sufism. 

"One of the messages we wish to convey is that we are working hard to keep this heritage alive at all times and in all places," said artist Ayoub Hanine. "We also want to pass it on to future generations, just as we've learned it from our ancestors."

The festival's goal is to promote Sufi heritage, arts and spiritual values such as equality and tolerance. 

The event also aims to highlight how Sufism is practised around the world. 

"We have come here to Morocco to tell the audience about Indian music and how we use this music in India," said Mohamad Aslam Sabri, an artist from India.

Throughout the festival, artists presented musical performances, chanting and praise sessions, as well as workshops on Sufi rituals. 

This year’s event also included various talks and round table discussions to dive into the key philosophical and spiritual questions driving Sufism today under the theme "Living Poetically: Art and Spirituality."

The purpose of this theme was to "truly explore the contribution in terms of intangible capital and immaterial wealth of this Sufi culture," said Faouzi Skali, the president of the Sufi Culture Festival of Fez.

In addition to performances and conferences, paintings and writings were also on display as part of the event, which started on 18 October and ended on Saturday.