Aleppo-Sana
The researcher and writer Muhammed Qajah was a man of various types of humanities, and his life was abundant and full of practical and professional richness, and his Syrian cultural presence held an important position until he was called the “Historical and Literary Encyclopedia of Aleppo.”
The son of the city of Aleppo has published nearly 20 books and co-authored twenty other books. He has about 300 lectures to his credit that he gave in Syria and the Arab world. He worked in several fields such as education, culture and heritage, and held several positions in many associations, councils, committees, and unions.
In order to stand at the most prominent stations of Qujja, Sana had a meeting with him, where he explained that he was born into a cultural family and his father had a collection of books and manuscripts that he inherited from his father and grandfather, and his eyes opened to valuable books that he had seen. The cultural dimension, and he was keen on buying and acquiring books until he owned a library that currently contains 13,000 books.
He obtained a BA in Arabic literature from Damascus University, and as one of those interested in reading history and connoisseurs of its methods and appraisers of its benefits and advantages, he continued studying in Algeria for postgraduate studies in the history of Andalusia and the Levant, indicating that most of his writings and articles in newspapers and his books were directed according to two main axes, the first is writing in studies Literary criticism and the second writing in historical studies related to Islamic history.
Among the most important books he wrote (Eternal Battles in History, The Golden Book for Documenting the Effectiveness of Aleppo, the Capital of Culture, the Philosophy of Islamic Architecture, Aleppo as a Model, Intellectual Life in the Hamdani Court, Intellectual Life in the Ayyubid Era, Andalusian Stations, Aleppo on the Pages of History, Aleppo in Half a Century, Aleppo in my articles and poems, The Citadel of Aleppo is a Voice from History, Cosmopolitan Arab Cities, Encyclopedia of Aleppo in the Eyes of Poets).
His most important works in print, as he put it, are (Damascus in the eyes of poets, contemporary figures, figures from Arab history, mysticism and musical heritage).
He pointed out that what makes history is the mental movement, but there must be emotions and love that support this movement and guide it in this rational line in which he headed. In the world, and through the Arabic language, it presented the foundations of the enlightenment upon which the Renaissance was based and a celebration of an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance of the other and not intolerance of any idea.
Regarding the role of Al-Adiyat Cultural Society in his life, he said, “I was a member of it fifty years ago and took over its presidency in 1994. During this 25-year period, I was able to supplement its library with more than 15,000 titles, while it contained only 200 books, in addition to hundreds of recorded tapes, videotapes and thousands of photos.” and documents.”
Also, Al-Adiyat quarterly magazine and a quarterly book were issued in cooperation with the University of Aleppo called (Al-Adiyat Aleppo), which includes archaeological, historical and heritage research and lectures, not to mention holding weekly lectures and seminars, raising the number of the association’s branches from two to 15, and setting up trips to archaeological areas in Syria, international trips and concerts He indicated that the reason for the association's success is its interest in the cultural aspect and its work in a democratic-voluntary manner.
Regarding the city of Aleppo’s share in his books, he said, “My family has been in Aleppo for 600 years, and our old Arab house is 330 years old and has the writing of 1110 AH. It is rooted in the city of Aleppo, which was born with history, so Aleppo is 12 thousand years BC.”
He continued, "Here I speak without emotions, but rather methodically. Everyone says why Aleppo?
Simply because it includes all standards and played the most important cultural role in the court of Seif al-Dawla. I say that architecture in Aleppo represented all Islamic eras from the era of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs to the popular mosque in Bab Antioch through all ages,” explaining that each era has its own color, heritage and civilization.
Regarding the selection of Aleppo as the capital of Islamic culture, he explained that in 2006 the Islamic Organization for Culture and Science decided to choose cities that it named the capitals of Islamic culture, in response to the phenomenon (Islamophobia) that spread in the Western media and was the first city chosen in 2005, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, then later set criteria for selection. Aleppo was the first to embody these standards and it included all Islamic standards that represent all eras from the Rashidun era until today, in addition to its decisive economic role in history as a major station on the International Silk Road, and its huge cultural size, especially in the court of Saif al-Dawla al-Hamdani.
He pointed out that the city of Aleppo has passed through 30 civilizations and was subjected to several invasions and was always rising from the ashes, and thus, Beirut and Alexandria were selected from UNESCO and named as cosmopolitan cities, meaning that they have ethnic, religious and cultural diversity.
And he indicated that the most prominent works that resulted from the celebration of Aleppo, the capital of Islamic culture after his assignment as Director of the General Secretariat of the celebration, were (printing 134 new books, reprinting 30 books, organizing 27 international and 26 local symposiums, organizing more than 300 lectures, 100 exhibitions, 100 concerts, festivals, reviews, and restoring some archaeological buildings). Such as the City Memory Museum and Al-Mutanabbi Museum, documenting the celebration (print, audio, and electronic image), introducing Aleppo and the celebration through dozens of lectures outside Syria, and issuing the Golden Book).
On the making of history, he stressed that history is made by man, and we must find the objective reasons for an event to occur, explaining the importance of re-reading it for the continuation of popular memory, because nations without memory do not exist. These great men can be benefited from in the current stage. For example, when we study the Battle of Hattin, we benefit from it by reading the current circumstances that enable us to liberate Palestine later, as happened in the liberation of Bait Al-Maqdis in the days of Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi.
Qaja sent a message to the Syrian youth, saying, “Young people today call themselves the Internet generation, as development imposes itself and we must direct the cultural environment to serve this global trend. A malicious organization and funder to cut us off from our roots and the Syrian youth are the sons of a nation that has given a lot to humanity, and they must follow this path and provide humanity with what can be of benefit.”
He explained that history exists and the enemy wants to eliminate us from existence, and there are those who want to take the Arabs out of history and turn them into a human group that ruminates its daily life. Therefore, we must be aware of this matter and these generations will include leaders, thinkers, researchers and scholars, and they are a continuation of those who preceded them, indicating that the cultural reality in the city of Aleppo It is still fine. Culture over centuries has accompanied the movement of society and events and its development is coupled with that.
At the end of his speech, Qaja pointed out that Syria was subjected to a bitter experience that negatively affected the cultural, social and economic movement, but despite these difficulties it is still steadfast, indicating that it is fine because cultural activity did not stop in cultural centers and associations despite all the difficulties, but rather continued and it is part of the movement of society as well as The attention of the educational curricula, the media and the Ministry of Culture in Syria to the tangible and intangible heritage with an enlightened scientific vision that respects history.
Asma Khairu
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