Fathepla Baaki (left) and Sukaina Alshami at the Yemeni stand where rolls and coffee were offered. Photo by Rikki George
Alexandria’s inaugural American Arabesque, held Saturday, Dec. 3, animated the Durant Arts Center with Arabic music and food, arts and crafts, henna designs and calligraphy, and poetry readings by Wendi R. Kaplan, Alexandria’s poet laureate.
Thirty vendors included Palestinian, Lebanese, Egyptian and Jordanian caterers; exhibitors from Morocco, among others; and the embassies of the Arab League Delegation, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
American Arabesque is a project of the Office of the Arts, a division of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities.