Museum & Cultural Center

Samih Al Qasim Museum design launched on its fourth anniversary
Written by: Watan Al-Qasim

The completion of the design phase of a museum and cultural center named after the poet Samih al-Qasim in the area where he chose to be buried, the foot of Haider Mountain overlooking Lake Tiberias, Jordan and Syria from the east, and Haifa, Acre and the Mediterranean Sea from the west, with the fourth anniversary of the departure of the body of the beloved father, Samih al-Qasim. (19.8.2014), one of the most important Arab poets in the twenty-first century.
I remember well the approach of the good contractors and businessmen of our people, in the first months after the departure, and their generous offers to donate the restoration of the mausoleum or its covering with stone and the like of suggestions that reflect the kindness and sincerity of our great people of all sects to their great ones, but we chose to be slow in the matter of restoring the mausoleum for several reasons, the most prominent of which is our preoccupation With other quick implementation projects such as:
• Organizing memorial and anniversary ceremonies.
• Issuing a special book that includes a collection of poems from all the collections, printing it in thousands of copies and distributing it in various events and activities.
• Issuing a special CD of poetry readings and rare recordings with the voice of Samih Al-Qasim, and printing and distributing it in thousands of copies.
• Participation in hundreds of events in the country and abroad to commemorate the beloved father.
• Producing special videos and designs and publishing them permanently on the official social networking pages of Samih Al-Qasim to reach more than five million followers annually from all over the world to preserve the great legacy he left among youth segments and school students, and other activities.
In addition to these reasons, it is necessary to acknowledge the state of shock that dominated the family, in the early years, with the loss of a father and the compass of a people. Perhaps there was a kind of evasion from planning and building a project of this magnitude, with its confrontation with loss and longing for the smell, presence and voice of the most precious people.
Today, on the fourth anniversary, and one year after the registration and launch of the Samih Al-Qasim Foundation from Al-Rama, and starting the steps of preparing the shrine area and submitting applications to obtain the necessary permits by the local council and the Planning and Construction Committee to implement the project, we have reached the stage of completing the distinctive architectural design of the museum and cultural center led by An international team that includes international designers, Arabs, Spanish and Italians, led by the architect Ayman Tabouni, the son of Nazareth residing in London.
Over the course of several months, the design team studied the personality and history of Samih Al-Qasim and his great legacy, read what was written about him, and followed up his translations in dozens of languages, so that the design was implemented in a way that suits all the data and the peculiarities of nature, land, olives and flowers of Palestine to be reflected in a unique building that combines what Between ancient civilization and modernity embodied in the personality and legacy of Samih Al-Qasim.
In parallel with continuing to work on licensing the construction from the competent authorities, we have launched a stereoscopic and three-dimensional video production phase for the project, in order to direct the appropriate and official level to Arab and international institutions and the parties from which we hope to provide support for this huge and civilized project, which will have a great impact on all our people and humanity I gather, and certainly everyone who visits the village of Rama and Galilee to become a cultural and civilizational landmark for the dissemination of art and creativity in all its forms, and a museum that preserves the great legacy left by a poet and a giant human being for humanity and for future generations, a poet whose resounding, brave and true voice we miss in this unfortunate stage we live in our homeland and in the world Arabi.

To contact the Samih Al Qasim Foundation: info@salqasim.org

• Photography and design: RU Architects

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