City Centre Rotana Doha Hosts the 'Bulgarian Folk Motifs' Art Gallery for Renowned Petya Ilieva

Press release

Published April 30th, 2018 - 09:35 GMT

Award-winning restaurant 'Teatro'.

City Centre Rotana Doha in collaboration with the Bulgarian embassy in the State of Qatar will host the art gallery for the renowned Bulgarian artist Petya Ilieva titled “Bulgarian Folk Motifs” from May 1 – 6, 2018 at its upscale and award-winning restaurant “Teatro”. This collaboration comes in the framework of the Bulgarian local EU Presidency and the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, as well as the fact that the Bulgarian Republic is a member of the UNESCO, EU and a host of the UNESCO Regional Center for the Safeguard of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in South Eastern Europe.

On this occasion, H.E. Metin Kazak, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria in the State of Qatar said:” Through this exhibition, we aim to share the rich Bulgarian culture with the Qatari public. This initiative is in conjunction with Europe celebrating its diverse cultural heritage under the title ‘When the past meets the future’. We seek to encourage communities to discover and interact with the heritage of the European cultural, which is embodied in our identities and in our daily lives and surrounds us in all European cities, towns and villages of Europe and characterized by beautiful natural landscapes and archaeological site.”

“Culture isn’t only found in literature, art and objects, but also in the crafts we learn from our ancestors, the stories we tell our children, the food we enjoy. Today, through Petya Ilieva’s art gallery, the local community and the people of Qatar will be able to see a work of art that tackles all elements of the Bulgarian heritage in paintings embodying traditional Folk Motifs,” he added.

Commenting on her art gallery at City Centre Rotana Doha, Petya Ilieva, said: “I am thrilled to be in Qatar because of its rich reputation in all global cultural forums. I have participated in many individual exhibitions, artistic gatherings and international art seminars in Bulgaria and abroad. Today, through our collaboration with City Centre Rotana Doha, I am showcasing my painting for the first time in Qatar and second time in the region. I focus a lot on details especially people tend to think that heritage is all about folkloric dancing, songs, stories, proverb and architect and they totally forget about Folk Motifs and traditional textiles.”

On this occasion, Martin Kendall, General Manager of City Centre Rotana Doha, said: “We are proud to associate with the Bulgarian Embassy in Qatar to host the art exhibition of artist Petya Ilieva, who is doing some remarkable work in reflecting the culture of her country through her paintings representing the art for ancient textiles, which showcases the elements of Bulgarian heritage in traditional folk motifs.”

Background Information

Rotana Hotel Management Corporation

Rotana was founded in 1992, by a partnership between two visionary thinkers, Nasser Al Nowais and Selim El Zyr, who were joined three years later by Nael Hashweh and Imad Elias.

Operating as Rotana, it opened its first property in Abu Dhabi in 1993 and is today one of the leading hotel management companies within the Middle East and North Africa.

Rotana is a company offering the best of both worlds. A unique understanding of the culture and communities of the Middle East combined with the collective expertise of an executive team contributing over 35 years of international experience in the service industry.

Rotana aggressive expansion plans have seen the company grow from 2 properties in 1993 to a total of 70 by 2014. With several further properties planned for opening and new projects in the pipeline confirming the company's intention to have a Rotana managed property in all the major cities throughout the Middle East and North Africa within the next five years.