First Lady oversees the Launch of the 12th Edition of the Nights of Praise Festival

The First Lady, Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah, on Friday evening at the Sheikha Ould Bedia Stadium, oversaw the launch of the 12th edition of the Nights of Praise Festival, organized by the Tranem Center for Popular Arts, which this year bears the name of journalist Mohamed Fall Ould Oumer.

In his speech on the occasion, the Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication and Relations with Parliament, Spokesperson of the Government, Mr. El Houssein Ould Medou, expressed his sincere gratitude to the First Lady for her participation in this event, as she always supports and values all initiatives of a cultural and national nature.

He explained that the objectives of the Nights of Praise Festival are at the heart of the vision of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, for culture and heritage, to glorify religious rites, consolidate the love of the Prophet (PBUH) and celebrate his lovers and praisers, stressing that the government of Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Diay is making serious efforts to materialize this vision in practice through a set of policies and strategies.

He said that praising the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not just an art sung by minstrels, words sung by artists, or poems sung by poets; it was a manifestation of sincere love, a means of evoking the greatness of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in hearts, and evoking light and mercy from his days and fragrant attributes.

The Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication and Relations with Parliament pointed out that praise, or praise, was not just words that were recited in this land, but a spiritual and educational school, through which generations were imbued with the love of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and imbued with his morals and virtues.

He continued: “The Mauritanian literary taste found in Hassani poetry, and in its artistic forms, a wider and more sincere space to express the prophetic feelings, so the Hassani poems, with their melodious rhythms and sweet music, were closer to people’s hearts and more impactful on their souls, blending art and faith, history and conscience, until they became a milestone in African Arab Islamic culture.”

He pointed out that the continuation of the Nights of Praise Festival for more than a decade confirms the status of the Prophet’s praise in Mauritanian culture, just as it confirms the festival’s excellence, success, and everyone’s constant yearning for it and its nights, attributes that have multiplied in this edition.

He reiterated the commitment of the Ministry of Culture, Arts, Communication and Relations with Parliament to support all initiatives aimed at reviving and valorizing heritage, given its role in consolidating identity and enhancing cultural awareness.

For his part, Mohamed Aly Ould Bilal, President of the Tranem Center for Popular Arts, said that the idea of the Tranem Center began twelve years ago, as a simple dream to revive the heritage of prophetic praise, not only as an artistic legacy, but also as a vibrant cultural identity, a bridge between generations, and a space that promotes social cohesion.

He added that thanks to the support of lovers of the praise of the Messenger of Allah, the Nights of Praise Festival has become an annual event that brings together Mauritanians from all walks of life to revive this ancient heritage in an atmosphere of peace and love.

He reiterated his call for the registration of the praise on the World Heritage List as part of our cultural identity, and the recognition of the Tranem Center as a public benefit association so that it can perform its mission more effectively.

After the official ceremony of the festival, the First Lady, the Minister of Culture, and their accompanying delegation toured the exhibition held on the sidelines of the festival, which includes several pavilions, including the lecture, folk arts and their instruments, the project of teaching folk arts, the project of writing praise texts, a pavilion featuring some of the works of the late journalist Mohamed Fall Ould Oumer, and another for plastic art. Attendees also watched a “sketch” simulating a judicial session aimed at enabling folk arts to gain recognition and empowerment.

The first lady was honored by the president of the Tranem Center in recognition of her patronage of the Nights of Praise festival and folk arts in general. In turn, the First Lady honored the family of the late Mohamed Fall Ould Oumer in recognition of his support for the Tranem Center, in addition to honoring a number of actors at the center.

On the first night of the festival, the first evening of the festival featured recitations by Medieval troupes singing the praises of the Prophet Muhammad, to the tune of what is known locally as the “neifara”.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Ministers of Youth Empowerment, Employment, Sports and Civil Service, Social Action, Childhood and Family, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Interior, Promotion of Decentralization and Local Development in charge of Decentralization and Local Development, an advisor at the First Ministry, the Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Arts, Communication and Relations with Parliament, the President of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, the Assistant Governor of Nouakchott West, the Governor and Mayor of Ksar Province, and a number of people interested in culture and the arts.