History

 Lifestyle

Forgotten luxury hotel from Ottoman Empire re-opens in Lebanon

A forgotten luxurious hotel built under Ottoman rule over 100 years ago, in the village of Sofar east of Beirut, officially reopened its doors to the public on Sept. 16 as it celebrated works honoring its past by British artist Tom Young, according to AFP.

AFP offered a look inside the grand space and spoke to Young about his exhibition paying homage to the hotel’s glamorous past, before the civil war forced the building’s doors closed.

“This place is just full of history… it was once one of the greatest hotels in the Middle East,” Young, a 45-year-old painter who has been living in Lebanon for a decade, told AFP.

A sneak peak inside the Grand Sofar Hotel before it opened for public viewing. (Facebook/Tom Young Art)
A sneak peak inside the Grand Sofar Hotel before it opened for public viewing. (Facebook/Tom Young Art)

“It was where kings and princesses and emirs and generals used to meet — also the most famous singers of the day.”

The paintings on display for Young’s exhibition showcase the exclusive parties of high society, lively dance scenes in the ballroom, card games played by the rich and powerful as well as historic political meetings — sometimes held in secrecy.

“Breezing through the Grand Hotel’s seventy five roomed corridors you can almost hear the secret deals being made between generals and ministers as celebrity love affairs nestled in the corners of the Monkey Bar,” Young wrote on his website.

The Grand Sofar Hotel is open to the public for a special art exhibition until Oct. 14. (Facebook/Tom Young Art)
The Grand Sofar Hotel is open to the public for a special art exhibition until Oct. 14. (Facebook/Tom Young Art)

Young’s show will run through Oct. 14, but programming at the Grand Sofar Hotel will also include: music, dance performances, kids workshops and art workshops.

The hotel and exhibition are featured in a video shared by Young on YouTube, take a look inside:

Throughout the exhibition, Young’s website says shuttles to the hotel are available every Saturday of the week from Beirut. Pick-up is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the return is set for 7 p.m.

For more information, visit tomyoung.com or email grandsofarhotel@gmail.com.

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 Lifestyle

Rare newsreel video shows Lebanon in 1969

Rare footage from British Pathé, a producer of newsreels and documentaries, shows Lebanon in 1969.

British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect.

Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. If it happened, British Pathé filmed it.

Beirut, the thriving beautiful capital city of Lebanon.

But even here, in the biblical land of milk and honey, the honey is not so sweet.

These are refugees — some of the many who have lost their homes in Middle East strife.

Lebanon has seen its share of troubles through the centuries. Romans, Arabs, the Crusaders, Turks, the French, and the allied forces all have passed this way.

But Lebanon has survived, and has merged as a prosperous and democratic state, composed equally of Christians and Muslims.

The president, Charles Helou, is a Christian. The prime minister, by agreement, is always a Muslim. The set up appears to work well.

In spite of its geographic position of strategy in the current Middle East situation, the financial comparison of Lebanon to Switzerland and its role as the trading house of the Middle East is a fair one.

Free enterprise flourishes. Modern roads cover the country. Luxury buildings and hotels have sprung up.

One of the main objects of both is tourism. About 30 percent of the national income is derived from visitors, including Jewish people. Even now Lebanon is still a tourist attraction.

This is traditional and universal in appeal.

So is this…

In this small land, bordered by Israel and Syria, the east and the west fuse smoothly. Ancient and modern, Christian and Muslim.

It’s a land of contrast. Sunny lowlands, snowy mountains.

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 City Beat, New York

LAU lecture explores question: Was Jesus a Phoenician?

(NEW YORK) — The Lebanese American University held a lecture Wednesday exploring evidence compiled by author Karim El Koussa, which suggests Jesus may be a Phoenician, according to his private studies.

The university hosted the Lebanese author at the LAU New York Academic Center, where university officials frequently host public forums and hold Arabic language courses, among others.

El Koussa said 40 people attended the lecture, which included a book signing for his publication “Jesus the Phoenician.” He admits the results of his studies often spark controversy because they contradict conventional beliefs that Jesus was a Jew.

“Some people are used to the traditional way of thinking that was imposed on them throughout their life and are definitely afraid to open their minds to controversial ideas in matter of religion and history,” El Koussa said, referring to points discussed in his book. “They usually react in a very fierce way as if they are threatened, although many of the reference I am using are coming from the New Testament itself.”

El Koussa, who has a degree in communications from NDU, said he spent years researching the origins of Jesus. He said he was inspired by a mentor, Father Youssef Yammine, the author of the Arabic book, “Christ was Born in Lebanon.”

“Many others understand and accept the logic behind the material used in the lecture and find it truly consistent and holding,” he said.

Lebanese author Karim El Koussa signs a copy of his book, "Jesus the Phoenician" at the Lebanese American University New York Academic Center on Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo via Lebanese American University Communications Office)
Lebanese author Karim El Koussa signs a copy of his book, “Jesus the Phoenician” at the Lebanese American University New York Academic Center on Sept. 30, 2015. (Photo via Lebanese American University Communications Office)

The Phoenicians were ancient tradesmen largely credited with creating the first widely used alphabet. Historians believe the Phoenicians were centered on the coastline of modern Lebanon, with some ports reaching the Western Mediterranean.

Some Lebanese historians believe the Lebanese speak a distinct language and have their own culture, separate from that of the surrounding Middle Eastern countries.

El Koussa said he hopes Lebanese nationals consider researching the origins of Jesus, especially readings that point to geographical evidence along the Lebanese coastline.

“Lebanon is one of the oldest countries in the world and is full of history, going back to more than 7,000 years BC,” he said. “Lebanese should be proud of their cultural heritage and should not at all forget that their ancestors played an important role—if not the most important one—in the formation of the human civilization.”

For more information about El-Koussa and his books, visit el-koussa.com.

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 City Beat, Detroit, News, Raleigh, TV

Khayrallah Center aims to preserve Lebanese diaspora history

(ANN ARBOR, MI) — Dr. Akram Khater, director of the Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, said Lebanese-Americans have a responsibility to preserve their history of immigration to the United States.

“We have to build a place for ourselves here,” said Khater, during a keynote address at the Lebanese Collegiate Network student convention in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Apr. 11. “We have to carve out a place in American history for the Lebanese and for the Arabs in general.”

Khater said Lebanese-Americans have established an influential role in American immigration history.

“We belong in (the USA) because our values are American values, and American values are ours,” he said. “We didn’t just assimilate.”

The Khayrallah Center was launched in 2014 at North Carolina State University after receiving an $8.1 million endowment from Lebanese-American businessman Moise Khayrallah.

The center aims to study Lebanese history in the United States, and to preserve stories of early Lebanese settlers.

LISTEN to Dr. Khater’s remarks:

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 Lifestyle

Red Cross exhibition marks 40 years since start of Lebanese Civil War

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), together with the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), is organizing a special photo exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary of the start of the civil war in Lebanon.

The exhibition will feature photographs from the Red Cross archives and from Lebanese photographers, depicting humanitarian work carried out by the ICRC and LRC during the conflict. The civil war in Lebanon, which lasted for 15 years, left thousands of people dead and injured.

“The war brought about a lot of previously unseen challenges and had profound consequences for our organization,” said Fabrizzio Carboni, head of the ICRC delegation in Beirut, in a news release. “We faced a very volatile environment and often had to operate in urban areas under fire, crossing constantly-moving front-lines.”

Organizers say outcomes of the Lebanese Civil War continue to plague the country today.

“This exhibition is but a modest attempt to shed light on a history filled with pain,” said Georges Kettaneh, Secretary-General of the Lebanese Red Cross. “Wherever there are wars and victims, there are human stories. 40 years have passed, but memories still hurt us and are deeply engraved in our hearts and minds.”

The photographs at the exhibition will illustrate many of the humanitarian issues faced in Lebanon during the past four decades.

The exhibition takes place between 17 and 26 April, 2015 at the Villa Paradiso, Gemmayzeh, Beirut.

VIEW a sample of the gallery below:

picto-4
A damaged cemetery in Beirut, Lebanon in 1982. ICRC/L. Chessex
picto-6
Destroyed neighborhoods in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983. ICRC/E. Winiger
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Evacuating civilians in Bourj Al Barajneh camp, Beirut in 1987. ICRC/A. Manoukian
picto-9
The Lebanese Red Cross and the ICRC evacuate civilians from Chatila refugee camp in Beirut in 1987. ICRC Archives (ARR) / Hassan, Ali
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Following an explosion in Beirut’s Ashrafieh neighborhood in 2012. © Lebanese Red Cross Society / C. Souad
picto-11
A Lebanese Red Cross volunteer evacuates a little girl during one of several rounds of violence that hit Lebanon’s northern city, Tripoli in 2012. © Lebanese Red Cross Society/H. Baydoun
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 Independence Day, News

HISTORY: How Lebanon gained its independence

lebanon

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The Lebanese Independence Day, on November 22, 1943, is a national day celebrated in remembrance of the liberation from the French Mandate which was exercised over Lebanese soil for over 23 years.

When the Vichy government assumed power over French territory in 1940, General Henri Fernand Dentz was appointed as high commissioner of Lebanon. This new turning point led to the resignation of Lebanese president Emile Edde on April 4, 1941.

After 5 days, Dentz appointed Alfred Naccache for a presidency period that lasted only 3 months and ending with the surrender of the Vichy forces posted in Lebanon and Syria to the Free French and British troops.

On July 14, 1941, an armistice was signed in Acre ending the clashes between the two sides and opening the way for General Charles de Gaulle’s visit to Lebanon, thus ending Vichy’s control.

Having the opportunity to discuss matters of sovereignty and independence, the Lebanese national leaders asked de Gaulle to end the French Mandate and unconditionally recognize Lebanon’s independence.

After national and international pressure, General Georges Catroux, a delegate general under de Gaulle, proclaimed in the name of his government the Lebanese independence on November 26, 1941.

Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Arab states, the Soviet Union, and certain Asian countries recognized this independence, and some of them even exchanged ambassadors with Beirut. However this didn’t stop the French from exercising their authority.

On November 8, 1943, and after electing president Bechara El Khoury and appointing prime Minister Riad al-Solh, the Chamber of Deputies amended the Lebanese Constitution, which abolished the articles referring to the Mandate and modified the specified powers of the high commissioner, thus unilaterally ending the Mandate.

The French responded by arresting the president, the prime minister, and other cabinet members, and exiling them to an old citadel located in Rashaya. This incident, which unified the Christian and Muslim opinion towards the mandate, led to an international pressure demanding the Lebanese leaders’ release and massive street protests.

After the imprisonment of the Lebanese officials, the Lebanese MPs reunited in the house of the speaker of parliament, Sabri Hamadé, and assigned the two uncaught ministers Emir Majid Arslan and Habib Abou Chahla to carry out the functions of the government.

The two ministers then moved to Bechamoun and by so their government became known as the Government of Bechamoun. The Government was provided shelter and protection in the residence of Hussein El Halabi.

Finally, France yielded to the augmenting pressure of the Lebanese people, as well as the demand of numerous countries and released the prisoners from Rashaya in the morning of Monday November 22, 1943.

Since then, this day has been celebrated as the Lebanese Independence Day. This historic site of Lebanese Independence and residence of the Halabi’s continues to welcome tourists and visitors throughout the year to celebrate national pride.

In 1945, Lebanon became a member of the Arab League (March 22) and a member in the United Nations (UN San Francisco Conference of 1945). On December 31, 1946, French troops withdrew completely from Lebanon, with the signing of the Franco-Lebanese Treaty.

CLICK HERE for more coverage of Lebanon’s 71st Independence Day.

Content validated and reprinted via Wikimedia’s Creative Commons License.

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 Lifestyle, News

Four Lebanese cities named in top 20 list of world’s “oldest cities”

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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A recent article published by The Telegraph named four Lebanese cities to the list of “the world’s 20 oldest cities.”

Tyre (#12), Beirut (#10), Sidon (#6), and Byblos (#2) were identified by the UK newspaper as the “20 oldest continually-inhabited places on earth.”

See the four cities featured in The Telegraph below:

12. Tyre, Lebanon

When did the earliest inhabitants settle? 2,750 BC

The legendary birthplace of Europa and Dido, Tyre was founded around 2,750 BC, according to Herodotus. It was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC following a seven-month seige and became a Roman province in 64 BC. Today, tourism is a major industry: the city’s Roman Hippodrome is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Bible: “Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes.”

 

10. Beirut, Lebanon

When did the earliest inhabitants settle? 3,000 BC

Lebanon’s capital, as well as its cultural, administrative and economic centre, Beirut’s history stretches back around 5,000 years. Excavations in the city have unearthed Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman remains, while it is mentioned in letters to the pharaoh of Egypt as early as the 14th century BC. Since the end of the Lebanese civil war, it has become a lively, modern tourist attraction.

Jan Morris (Welsh historian and travel writer): “To the stern student of affairs, Beirut is a phenomenon, beguiling perhaps, but quite, quite impossible.”

 

6= Sidon, Lebanon

When did the earliest inhabitants settle? 4,000 BC

Around 25 miles south of Beirut lies Sidon, one of the most important – and perhaps the oldest – Phoenician cities. It was the base from which the Phoenician’s great Mediterranean empire grew. Both Jesus and St Paul are said to have visited Sidon, as did Alexander the Great, who captured the city in 333 BC.

Charles Méryon (French artist): “Few persons new to the climate escape a rash of some description.”

 

2. Byblos, Lebanon

When did the earliest inhabitants settle? 5,000 BC

Founded as Gebal by the Phoenicians, Byblos was given its name by the Greeks, who imported papyrus from the city. Hence the English word Bible is derived from Byblos. The city’s key tourist sites include ancient Phoenician temples, Byblos Castle and St John the Baptist Church – built by crusaders in the 12th century – and the old Medieval City Wall. The Byblos International Festival is a more modern attraction, and has featured bands such as Keane and Jethro Tull.

To see the full article, click here.

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