http://www.bbc.co.uk/ Morocco hosted  its 14th festival of World Sacred Music. Artists from all over the world converged on its ancient city of Fez, to the east of the capital Rabat.

Morocco has for years been opening its arms to musicians from all over the world. The aim of the Fez festival is to promote better understanding between cultures and faiths through exposure to some of the most sublime expressions of faith - sacred music. 

Throughout the 10-day long festival and alongside the daily concerts, Western and North African writers, artists and academics met every morning to debate various aspects related to the role of the sacred in society and the arts.

When I ask Mr Kabbaj whether Morocco is in a better position than other Arab or Muslim countries to host such event, he answers with an unqualified yes.

He argues that not even Turkey - a part of which is in Europe - has had Morocco's long history of close ties with Western Europe.

The Moroccan coast on the Mediterranean is only a short distance away from Europe's southern borders. Both geography and history qualify Morocco to play the role of a bridge between the East and West.

The city of Fez in particular speaks with the weight of history behind it. This year's festival coincided with Fez marking its 1,200th anniversary.  The old town - were the main shows of the festival took place - is designated a world heritage site by Unesco.

Fez was for centuries the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco and the Islamic empire that flourished in Andalusia, today's Spain, for centuries.

The city has the oldest university in the Arab and Muslim world, al-Qarawyeen. Luminaries of the golden age of Islamic civilisation, such as the Jewish philosopher Maimoindes and Ibn Khaldoun, once lived and studied here.

Against the magnificent backdrop of one of its ancient gates, Bab al-Makina, artists from Africa, Asia and America performed.

The programme included for the first time joint performances of Muslim and Christian devotional music, thus underlying the fundamental message of the festival.

Sufi chants from Pakistan by Faiz Ali Faiz and his ensemble - known as the Qawwali - shared the stage with one of America's best known Gospel music artists, Craig Adams of New Orleans.

It was a thrilling performance that brought together some of the most vibrant devotional music from both faiths.

On a similar but less sparkling note was another joint performance the following night by Greek Orthodox choir, the Athens Tropos Byzantine Choir, with a Syrian Sufi ensemble, al-Kindi, led by Swiss convert to Islam Julien Jallaledine Weiss.

The sonorous tones of the Greek choir offered a sombre contrast to the powerful and lush Syrian orchestra in a show dubbed as Muslim and Christian homage to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.