Sharjah24 – Reuters: For the first time in 18 years, Iraq holds the international Babylon festival which kicked off on Thursday (October 28) in the ancient city of Babylon, an annual cultural event that came to a disappointing halt after the 2003 U.S. invasion.
Held amid famous Babylonian ruins, the festival brings together a number of international bands from the Arab world and beyond, performing live shows, plays and musicals on a stage set up in the city's grand amphitheatre.
The festival is the 15th of its kind, which before coming to a pause had been running since 1987.
Among the famous singers headlining the event is Lebanese singer Nawal El Zoghbi, who performed a number of pieces at the amphitheatre.
The ancient city of Babylon, first referenced in a clay tablet from the 23rd century B.C., was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, after a vote that followed decades of lobbying by Iraq.
The city lies about 85 kilometers (55 miles) south of Baghdad, and was once the centre of a sprawling empire, renowned for its towers and mudbrick temples.
The festival began on October 28 and will run for five consecutive days.
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