Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The marvelous performances of as many as 2,000 professional artists and actors, mostly Saudis, have left memorable and captivating experience for hundreds of thousands of visitors who thronged the month-long Souk Okaz festival, which will come to a close on Saturday. The visitors, from within the Kingdom and outside, were treated to an amazing experience of stepping into a high tech ‘ancient souk,' which was the major hub of commercial and cultural activities in the East during the pre-Islamic era 1500 years ago, when they entered the majestic gate of the venue of the fair, 34 km from Taif city. Ibrahim Ansari from Riyadh, and Rabia Shaibani and Ziyad Abdul Aziz from Jeddah were among the horse riders who greeted the visitors with a couplet of a traditional welcome song. Dressed in ancient garb and speaking classical Arabic, they recreated the ambience of the ancient souk, which was demolished by Kharijites in 726 AD. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, they expressed their joy and pride over getting an opportunity to be part of the great team of Saudis who recreated the historic souk by preserving all its salient features and originality as much as possible. The very sight of seven huge digital screens, representing the classical Muallaqat poets in the pre-Islamic period, tend to arouse enthusiasm among visitors to peep into the glorious period of Arab poetry that was prevalent 1400 years ago. The seven distinguished Muallaqat poets are Imru-ul Qays, Tarfah Bin Al-Abd, Zuhayr Bin Abi Salmaa, Labeed Bin Rabeeah, Amr Bin Kulthum, Antarah Bin Shaddad and Al-Harith Bin Halza. Each screen represented one of these poets with his image and voice, simulated by renowned Saudi artists. The Poets' Square gave the visitors a unique opportunity to get an in depth view of the ancient Arab poets, their eloquence and interesting dialogues excerpted from their poems. An operetta titled "Arab 501" was staged in the opening ceremony of this year's Souk Okaz. Some of the most famous singers of the Arab world — Mohammed Abdu of Saudi Arabia, Kadim Al-Saher of Iraq and the Carole Samaha of Lebanon — performed on the occasion. The operetta was based on the Muallaqat (suspended) poems, that were chosen as best poems recited at the poetry contest in the ancient Souk Okaz and subsequently were picked to hang on the wall of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah as a token of great honor. The operetta evoked the beginnings of the emergence of the Souk Okaz in 501 AD, through the transitions witnessed in the market since its inception, and the civilizational movements witnessed by the Arabs after the emergence of Islam, and the growth of the Arabic language and the emergence of more dialects. The themes of dramas mirrored the pre-Islamic era and the status of poetry in the lives of Arabs through the presentation of poetic meters and rhythms espoused by Amr ibn Kalthoum and Antara and other poets of ancient times. The theatrical performance titled the "Knights of the Homeland" was staged at the Knights' Square in the souk, showcasing the Arab life of yore — highlighting the skills of the young Knights of Okaz, and the camel caravan that added a special luster to the Okaz Avenue. Dueling knights with swords and spears on horses and camel; march of caravans, the reception of delegations, review the conclusion of deals and commercial auctions in the past were recreated in style in the souk. It was amazing to watch the reincarnation of the ancient wars between the Bani Abs and the Taghlebians and other tribes. The scenes of battle, with dialogues such as "Fight, Oh Bani Tayyib... showed the skills in acting and martial arts of many of the actors. Visitors to Souk Okaz witnessed the caravans march, during which more than 100 camels and 50 horses traveled across the boulevard, loaded with goods from Syria or Yemen. Diverse activities of the horses, which saw some of them being used in tours within the market, and some transporting passengers or participating in a theater show — allowing for participants reliving interesting details with some crucial moments during live duels with swords and spears. More than 20 jockeys are taking part in the event, which includes an area of 20,000 square meters and an amphitheater for more than 1,500 people, to teach boys to ride horses. Saudi female riders are taking part for the first time in the souk, offering different performances: sword, spear, and horseback salute. The ancient Souk Okaz is considered as one of the three famous historical markets in the Arabian Peninsula. The other two were Majna and Dilmajaz. The Arabs used to visit Souk Okaz for 20 days from the beginning of Dul Qada before moving to Majna where they spent the last days of the month. Later, they would head to Dilmajaz where they would spend the first eight days of Dul Hijjah. After that they would take part in the annual Haj pilgrimage. The souq was called Okaz because the Arabs used to gather in the place and provoke each other by talking about the greatness and valor of their tribes. The ancient souk was a cultural platform where sheikhs met tribes, initiated agreements and exchanged prisoners. It provided opportunities for reconciliation, declaration of alliances and ending hostilities. It was also known for horse racing and fencing and was a large commercial market visited by traders coming from Syria, Persia and Yemen, among other countries, and a forum where titles were given to poets, knights and tribes.
