This cultural event, organized in collaboration with the Serbian Ethnographic Museum, was marked by the presence of senior Serbian personalities, notably the First Lady of Serbia, Tamara Vucic, as well as numerous guests from diplomatic, academic, media and cultural circles, indicates a press release from the embassy.
In addition to a precious traditional Ben Ch’rif brocade caftan from Fez, which will be part of the “World Collection” of the Ethnographic Museum, the exhibition presents accessories that complete the traditional outfit and demonstrate the know-how of the artisans and Moroccan goldsmiths (cherbil, m’mdemma, gold jewelry set with precious stones, etc.), as well as samples of different brocades.
In his inaugural address, Morocco’s ambassador to Serbia, Mohamed Amine Belhaj, noted that the exhibition offers an opportunity to “pay tribute to the talented and qualified Moroccan artisans who have dedicated their lives to perfecting the art of the caftan.”
“It is thanks to their dedication and their know-how that the caftan has become a symbol of our cultural identity and our heritage, transmitted from generation to generation,” welcomed the diplomat, noting that the gift of a traditional brocade caftan dating back five generations by the Moroccan Embassy at the Museum, will serve “not only as a token of friendship between the two Serbian and Moroccan peoples, but will also allow the Serbian public to discover up close some aspects of the Moroccan ethnography.
Morocco, he said, faces similar challenges to Serbia in protecting its heritage and artisanal heritage, stressing the imperative to educate future generations regarding the importance of craftsmanship.
“By educating future generations, in schools and elsewhere, about craftsmanship and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage, we can ensure that this priceless heritage survives and continues to thrive for generations to come,” assured the diplomat.
The cultural event was also an opportunity to provide a historical overview of the art of the Moroccan caftan and its evolution over the years through the different dynasties that have reigned in Morocco to date, the press release added.
The inaugural ceremony of the exhibition, which continues until July 4, paid a vibrant tribute to the talented and qualified Moroccan artisans who have dedicated their lives to perfecting the art of the caftan, through the screening of promotional films highlighting the know-how passed down from father to son. A dedication which has allowed the caftan to become a symbol of cultural identity and the influence of ancestral Moroccan heritage, concludes the press release.