BEIRUT - Youth Shadow minister of Tourism George Eid announced today, the first International Aramaic Festival that will take place in Tanourin on  the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of August.  The Festival, which is organized by a number of associtations among which the youth shadow ministry of Tourism, will gather arround a variety of Bands and Lecturers who will be performing in the language of the Aramaic language, language of the Christ. 

Eid urged the Lebanese youth "to participate in maintaining the Aramaic Language, which is Lebanon's cultural heritage".

"Today, in the era of globalization,  our individual cultural identity is facing the danger of  fading. Therefore, we must strive to maintain it, and by it our uniquenes," he added.

The Shedule is the following:

Date: 1-3 of August
Location: The square of Deir Houb Monastery in The Aramaic village of Tannourine

PROGRAM : Summer of 2008 will be the summer to remember

1st of August :  The Aramaic Language is Alive

Opening Ceremony:

Speakers: Rony Doumit president of the comitte of the Festival
                    Youth Shadow Minister of Tourism George Eid

17-18: Josef Asmar-Seminar about the Aramaic Music in the language
18-19: Elie Gabriel (Aramaic Lebanese singer)
19-20: Lebanese youth talent Rim Bitar (Lebanese folklore)
20-21: Doors to Aspiration (Lebanese rock band)
21-22: Tannourinian Dabke Group
22-23: Sargon sharro (Aramaic Syrian singer)
23-24: Sina Marawge (Aramaic Syrian pop singer)
24-01: Edward Elias ( Aramaic singer)

2nd of August : The Aramaic heroes of Iraq

17-18: Aramaic Teather group of Ugarit
18-19: Children talent Siba Abdallah (Aramaic songs)
19-20: Children talent Jenny Khalil (Lebanese folklore)
20-22: Video and seminar with and about the Christian victims of Iraq
22-23: Dilmon Lahdo (Aramaic singer)
23-24: Hannibal George (Aramaic Syriac singer)
24-02: Givara Chamoun (Aramaic Syriac singer)
15-16: 16-17: 17-18: Givara Shamoun (Aramaic Syriac singer) 

3rd of August : WE NEVER FORGET SEYFO

114-16: Syriac Maronite Mass in the open air. The Mass will be partly in the Aramaic language and assisted by the Qadissha coir and Pascal Sakr
16-17: Seminars about Seyfo with pictures and video
18-21: Blessings from Tannourine
Rania Younes (Aramaic gospel)
Rewarding Ghada Shbeir plus short performance.
Abir Nehme (Aramaic gospel)

Miss Abir Nehme will be concluding the festival with our hope that we will see you coming back to the Aramaic Music Festival every year. 

Entrance Fees : The Committee for the AraMusiC festival have decided to take all fees off and allow all visitors a free entrance. This is to encourage people to come to Lebanon and visit our festival, also to encourage the Lebanese to come to Tannourine and get to know their great heritage music and traditions. 

Accommodation :
1. 15 dollars renting one tent and night
2. 10 dollars renting a space with own tent
3. 30 dollars with a family in a village, including breakfast and lunch
4. 20 dollars in the Monastery of Houb, 5 minutes from the festival arena

Transportation
80 dollars Beirut Airport-Festival area
10 dollars Festival area-Lebanese coast and cities 

For transportation and accomodation call: 70 218 468