Turkish folklore, dancing, poetry, and a Saudi comedy play and traditional Saudi Cuisine, §are the highlights of the inauguration of the women's 23rd annual Janadriyah Culture and Heritage Festival. Visitors are able to walk back into time through the restructured village lined with craftsmen and women sitting quietly carving wood, weaving carpets, and hammering on swords. The festival was inaugurated Friday, by Princess Adelah, daughter of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on behalf of Princess Nouf Bin Abdul Aziz at King Fahd Cultural Center. Young girls danced holding lit candles while wearing traditional folklore attire. A Saudi comedy play written, directed and performed by Saudi actresses presented the female audience with a rare live play. The play titled “The Very Honest Woman” was well received by the audience. “It was funny and impressive that Saudi women wrote, produced and acted in such a play,” said Nora Khalaf, an audience member. “This festival is a result of months of accumulative work by a large team of people,” said Saleha Otaibi, head of the Women's Heritage committee at the Janadriyah. The heritage festival showcases Saudi heritage and provides an opportunity for both Saudis and foreigners to experience how life was a hundred years ago in the Arab peninsula. The heritage festival is located at the Janadriyah Village, 45 km from Riyadh. The village itself is designed to resemble an old city with different sections representing each region of the Kingdom.This year a special section for Turkish food and handicraft exhibition and seminars on Saudi-Turkish relations will also be part of the festival. While the men's festival ended last Friday the festival will be open for the female public on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 A.M. to 6 p.m. __
