Photo: Aziz Dahman

The Ghat Tourism Festival kicked off its 26th edition on Tuesday despite the coronavirus pandemic under the slogan (Creativity and Innovation is Born from the Suffering Womb).

"Festival organizers were determined to make sure the show will go on this year, and they made this edition a success," Salem Al-Tohamy, Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the International Ghat Festival, told The Libya Observer.

However, he did confirm that the program was curtailed, due to the coronavirus restrictions. " We had to make changes to keep this event in line with protocols, explained al-Tohamy.

"We restricted to outdoor activities to add a level of safety, while events of the old cities of Ghat had to be canceled" he added.

Despite these circumstances, the festival featured all the fair favorites including, folk music and dancing, crafts, besides the Mahary riding race, which the desert population the "Tuareg" are noted for.

According to al-Tohamy, 37 associations participated in the festival among them, eight folklore music bands and seven Mahary Racing clubs.

He indicated that most of the turnout was from the southwest and central region, while only a few came from the north coastal region this year due to the suspension of flights between Tripoli and Ghat.
 

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