SUFI (1999)
Once each year the Sufi – adherents of a mystical branch of Islam – come together in a small village in the north of Syria. On this occasion, the day of Al-Ziyara, fifteen to twenty thousand men descend upon the poor and otherwise so tranquil village to honour the memory of the Sufi saint Al-Sheikh Abou Baker Al-Huwwari. The visitors bring money and gifts, and surrender themselves to song, dance, music and rituals. Statistics indicate that it is during this period that the most children are conceived in the village. The Sufi are a minority in Syria. With gatherings such as the day of Al-Ziyara they seek to strengthen their faith and emphasise their solidarity.
