Tunisia –Manouba hosts the 44th edition of the Sidi Ali el Hattab Festival

Location: Manouba – Tunisia

Language: Arabic

Voice: Natural

Duration: 00:06:09

Source: A24

Restriction: A24 Clients

Dateline: 21-05-2022

Storyline:

Manouba city, north-eastern Tunisia, hosts the 44th edition of the Sidi Ali el Hattab Festival which includes competitions, equestrian games, and some Sufi shows, in addition to some religious lectures and competitions in memorizing and reciting Qur’an.

Followers of the Sufi orders are keen to hold this festival to revive the traditions and customs inherited from ancestors to preserve the Sufi orders in the country, as it represents Tunisian identity.

The followers of Sufi orders are active throughout the year in several areas in the capital, Tunis, and they hold annual events, with an average of 14 weeks in the winter, in the mausoleum of Sidi Ali el-Hattab, followed by 14 weeks in the summer in the mausoleum of Sidi Belhassan chedly.

Shot list:

Soundbite (Zine El Abidine Belharith – Tourathna Association):

“Today, we want to complete the Sufi work. We have organized Sufi rituals in Tunisia, not arbitrary; for worship, conversing with God, and supplication. Every Thursday of April, we come here to Sidi Ali al-Hattab until the end of May. This is the end of this winter practice, we will start the summer practice on the first Thursday of June, in Sidi Belhassan. There, the Qur’an is recited and the supplications of Sidi Belhassan are mentioned in which we pray to God. Sufi practice is easy, as we gather to recite a collection of supplications to draw closer to God.”

Soundbite (Mohamed Ali Al-Awni – Director of the Sidi Ali el-Hattab Festival):

“Sidi Ali el-Hattab is a righteous person known by his blessings, and visitors come to him from everywhere. It is an archaeological and historical landmark of more than 800 years old.”

Soundbite (Al-Manji- Tunisian man ):

“Sidi Ali el-Hattab was a righteous man and was known in the country. God gave him honors, and he was a woodcutter, collecting wood from the forest. He was famous for hunting lions and raising them here in this place. He isolated himself to worship God. He was known to the people by his good deeds and his obedience to God and the Messenger of God.”

Soundbite (Al-Manji- Tunisian man):

“We rejoice over our guests and visitors. The festival is annual and lasts for a week, after which it moves to Sidi Belhassen. Visitors come from all places.”

Soundbite (Mohamed Ali Al-Awni – Director of the Sidi Ali Al-Hattab Festival):

“The activities are many, including equestrian games that are held in front of the honorary podium, and for children’s activities, the Sambali and Al-Isawiya music.”

Soundbite (Zine El Abidine Belharith – Turathuna Association):

“This festival must be preserved and shouldn’t die. It is our heritage. It is the Tunisian character that we should preserve. This is the principle in our association.”