The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has launched its poetry award “Culture Capital as Seen by Poets,” which comprises two categories, the poem of Rabat, the capital of lights, and the poem of Cairo, the city of a thousand minarets. This award falls within the framework of the activities of the celebrations of Rabat and Cairo, Culture Capitals in the Islamic World for 2022, which are part of ICESCO’s Programme of Culture Capitals in the Islamic World.
The award, which is overseen by the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, aims at promoting the cultural, civilizational and historical heritage of Rabat and Cairo, enhancing their efforts geared toward promoting the Islamic culture worldwide, providing opportunities for cultural rapprochement and openness, stimulating eloquent poetic creativity in describing Arab cities, and raising awareness of the aesthetics of Arabic, its historical treasures and authentic heritage.

ICESCO will form a specialized committee made up of distinguished poets to evaluate the nominated poems and select three winners in each category. The first winner will receive US$2000, the second winner will receive US$1500 while the third winner will receive US$1000, in addition to appreciation certificates. ICESCO will also publish the best-nominated poems in a special poetry collection.

The nomination requirements include the following:
• The entrant must submit only one poem;
• The poem must address only one capital city (Rabat or Cairo);
• The poem must be written in classical Arabic in rhymed or prose style;
• The poem must not be less than twenty (20) rhymed verses or thirty (30) free verses;
• The poem must not have been published, on paper or electronically, previously, or participated in other competitions;
Poems must be sent in (PDF) and (WORD) formats, together with a resume of the entrant, before 30 September 2022, to ICESCO via e-mail (arabicpoetry@icesco.org). The name of the winners will be announced on ICESCO’s website and through official letters to the entrant concerned.