- Title: ISRAEL: The sand in Haifa gets a make over.
- Date: 25th August 2006
- Summary: VISITORS LOOKING
- Embargoed: 9th September 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA6DSHPBVILO6XGQBE87FZ9AZ50
- Story Text: After they spent a month in the bomb shelters, the residents of the rocket-hit city of Haifa arrived at the beach to watch how local and foreign artists have turned the seaside thrill of building sand into an art form.
Every summer, dozens of individuals, couples, and groups enjoy the gigantic sand castle creations to be judged. Sculptures include animals, cartoon characters, people, toys, and themed sculptures.
But this year the festival was postponed after a war, sparked by a cross-border kidnap of two Israeli soldiers, erupted between the Jewish state and Lebanese Hizbollah guerillas.
"The festival was supposed to open on July 13 but exactly on July 13 the rocket showers began, the whole mess started and that is why the festival was put on hold. The festival hosted domestic and foreign sculptors," said Israeli sculptor and a participant, Eyal Ramschupak.
Under the theme of fairy tales, the festival presented dozens of huge sand sculptures of animated caricatures such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Sleeping Beauty and other children idols.
The sand sculpturing art was first practised by the Egyptians, who probably weren't short of a grain of sand or two. Haifa has miles of fine sand which is perfect for constructing some of the huge structures on display but they also ship in another 900 tonnes especially for the occasion.
During the war Haifa was repeatedly hit by rocket showers.
About a dozen civilians have been killed by Hizbollah missiles in Haifa, Israel's third largest city.
More than one million people in the north were affected by the rocket attacks during the war. Many of them fled south to escape the rockets. Others stayed in bomb shelters.
"After being stressed everyday and having to enter a protected room each time a siren was heard, it is not the most enjoyable situation. But now, when I come here, I enjoy watching all kinds of sculptures such as the Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella," said visitor Roee Bitan, whose family stayed at home during the war, in Kiryat Shmuel on the the outskirts of Haifa. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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