The Diplomat
The Círculo Intercultural Hispano Árabe (CIHAR) celebrated its eighth anniversary last Monday at Casa Árabe, with its president Abdo Tounsi at the helm.
The deputy director of the cultural and diplomatic centre, Cristina Juarranz, welcomed the audience and expressed “the harmony in the collaboration between CIHAR and Casa Árabe for cultural and intercultural objectives that will coincide this year in the project of the environment and Andalusian ecology”, which will be reflected in the cultural events that CIHAR plans to hold this year, which it has declared Year 2023, the Year of Andalusian Ecology.
After Abdo Tounsi highlighted the great work being done by Casa Árabe, and especially its staff, in highlighting Arab culture, the association’s second vice-president, Juan Martos, gave a brief overview of the Circle’s activities, highlighting “its variety and its location in time and place”, followed by a video summary of its activities over the last eight years.
Basilio Rodríguez, President of Sal Pygmalion Publishing House, then highlighted CIHAR’s work in connecting the Arab and Hispanic worlds culturally. He also presented Casa Árabe with a valuable book of Las Muallaqat for Millennials (pre-Islamic Arabic poems); he also presented CIHAR with the book El Real Alcázar de Sevilla, referring to the “Year 2023, year of Andalusian Ecology” with a book that highlights the architectural beauty as well as the gardening.
To conclude the event in commemoration of the anniversary, the concert “Sueños de Azahar” by the group al-Maram took place, which thrilled the audience in such a way that both the group and the public connected immediately with long ovations and clapping to the sound of Hispano-Andalusian music that leaves no one indifferent.
