The House of Poetry in Tetouan, in coordination with the Regional Directorate of Culture in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, is organizing the seventh edition of the “Seas of Poetry” festival on August 29 and 30 at the archaeological site of Hercules Cave in the city of Tangier. The festival begins on Friday, August 29, at 8 PM with honoring the Moroccan poet residing in France, Jamal Boudouma, accompanied by a poetry evening featuring poets Mustafa Al-Zain, Latifa Al-Amarti, and Bilal Al-Dawas. Oud player Mohamed Ahdaff will perform at the opening ceremony.

On Saturday, August 30, starting at 8 PM, the audience will attend the “Poet in Exile” meeting, hosting the honored poet Jamal Boudouma, followed by a poetry evening titled “The Ruins… Poetic Readings in Archaeological Sites” with poets Faisal Al-Amin Al-Baqali, Zakia Al-Haddad, and Ahmed Faraj Al-Roumani. Oud player Younes Al-Fakhar will close the event. The participating poets are from Tangier and have not previously participated in House of Poetry events in Tetouan, which are held across various Moroccan cities to include all Moroccan poets with diverse experiences and poetic references.

“Seas of Poetry” is a major event organized by the House of Poetry in Tetouan since its establishment, previously hosted on the shores of Larache, Al Hoceima, M’diq, Fnideq, Oued Laou, Nador, and Saidia. The “Poet in Exile” meeting honors prominent literary figures from the Moroccan diaspora, including Tahar Ben Jelloun, Taha Adnan, Miloud Graifi, and Maimoun Ghazi. The “Ruins” event is an annual occasion to reconnect with archaeological sites as cultural spaces witnessing Morocco’s enduring civilization.

Hercules Cave tops the list of archaeological sites supervised by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication. It overlooks both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, representing a natural, archaeological, and legendary jewel. The oldest human settlement traces at this site date back to around 2000 BC, found in Hercules Cave and nearby smaller caves such as the Cave of Small Statues, the High Cave, the Summer Cave, and the Horse Cave.

According to legend, Hercules arrived in this area to accomplish one of his twelve labors, which included picking the three apples from the Hesperides gardens at the archaeological site of Lixus. These apples symbolize immortality, and Hercules Cave, bearing his name, immortalizes his memory and legend through its enchanting rock cave and poetic landmark.