BEIRUT: On the sea-front boardwalk of Zaitunay Bay, Afkart exhibition 2016 opened for the 15th edition of the annual art, craft, and event show. Organizers Maha Masri and Nayla Bassili teamed up with the Beirut Association for Social Development to build an exhibition that fosters and supports more Lebanese designers, makers and artists every year. With 70 stands, strungout along the quay side, designers and producers have the opportunity to share their work, promote it and meet new clients. The show, launched Friday, offers an important chance for many designers to make connections that can keep them in orders and working for the rest of the year.

There’s an eclectic selection of stalls selling everything from clothes, shoes, and accessories, to home furniture. The meandering visitors can explore the newest Lebanese trends and upcoming fashions. This year, and for the first time imported products are on show from the likes of AGUEA Colombia, a Lebanese startup that’s importing products from Columbia and Peru.

The initial edition of Afkart in 2002 was one of the first initiatives of its kind in Lebanon to gather together rising talent, new and young designers in a single outlet. The exhibition has gained popularity over the years, making it a summer fixture on the event scene in Lebanon. It is hotly awaited by the public and has participants preparing for months beforehand.

“We started these exhibitions to promote Lebanese designers, and especially the designers that work at home and don’t have shops, that have small ateliers, that don’t have a commercial platform,” Masri told The Daily Star. “They do many nice things so that is why we started to encourage them to promote them.”

While each year new products have been added to the feature, a new trend has emerged among newcomers this year: Upcycling. This is the art of reusing unwanted and discarded material to create a new, more valuable product.

Funkyard Furniture is one of the many new designers in the exhibition for the first time this year. Founder of the brand Elias Haber, a civil engineer, uses old tools from construction sites to add an industrial touch to home furniture. This is one of the many examples of upcycling products on show at the exhibition.

“The thing about the exhibition is that it is an incentive for people to change that touch in their homes,” Haber told The Daily Star. “It also helps with networking, as we get very good exposure here. We are very selective in the exhibitions we participate in so as to get good exposure and attract clients that are interested in our products.”

The trend of upcycling goes beyond style and fashion, as it encourages Lebanese people to be more aware of the benefits of reusing waste items.

While the exhibition’s main aim is fashion, design, and artisan products, it also features events like yoga for those looking for a calm and relaxing evening. Saturday, as the sun was setting over the water, a large lycra-clad group gathered in Zaitunay Bay for a one-hour-long yoga session with a view.

The exhibition is open to the public in Zaitunay Bay daily from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. until July 15.

Pour visiter le musée du Patriarche Elias Hoyek
Couvent de la Sainte Famille 
Maison Mère - Ebrine, Batroun,

Veuillez nous contacter aux numéros suivants

من أجل زيارة متحف البطريرك الياس الحويّك
دير العائلة المقدّسة
دير الأُم - عبرين، بترون

 الرجاء الإتصال على الأرقم التالية

To visit the museum of the Patriarch Elias Howayek
The Holy Family monastery
Mother's house - Ibrine, Batroun

Please contact us at the following numbers 

 : 06 725 310 

: 03 822 905

: 03 594 705  

 : info@saintefamille.org

Le musée est ouvert tous les jours de 9h à 18h sauf le lundi

المتحف مفتوح يوميًّأ من الساعة 9 صباحًأ حتى 6 مساءً ما عدا يوم الإثنين

The museum is open  daily from 9 am to 6 pm except Monday 

THERE’S A CERTAIN AESTHETIC ATTACHED to the oldest cities in the world: bustling souks beneath a bright blue sky, flowing garments made of whispery white cotton, stone masonry painted yellow by the sun.

In reality, however, the oldest cities in the world have faced deep unrest throughout their long histories. Tragically, some are still uninhabitable. The Syrian town of Aleppo, for example, is likely the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world but rages with civil war today. Damascus too is categorically off limits.

That’s not to say the ideal is lost. Some of the oldest cities in the world are flourishing. Places like Plovdiv in Bulgaria have adapted to modern society while preserving the beauty of times long past.

We examine below both sets of cities: those that flourish and those that still fight.


10. Beirut, Lebanon



3,000 BC

Beirut, often likened to a Phoenix, has been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. It’s mentioned in letters to the Pharaoh of Egypt as early as 14th century BC and archaeologists have unearthed flint tools dating from the Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic through the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

Top sight: National Museum of Beirut — the city’s foremost cultural institution charts Lebanon’s history and features pieces from the Bronze and Iron ages as well as from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Mamluk periods.


9. Gaziantep, Turkey



3,650 BC

Gaziantep, like many of the other oldest cities in the world, has passed through many hands in its extraordinarily long history including the Byzantines, Crusaders and Ottomans.

Situated in southern Turkey, close to the Syrian border, it is today one of the leading producers of machined carpets, exporting $700 million of carpets in 2006 alone.

Top sight: Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum — the biggest mosaic museum in the world with 1700m² of mosaics, many of which were unearthed at the Roman site of Belkıs-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam flooded much of the site forever.


8. Plovdiv, Bulgaria



4,000 BC

Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, has long competed with the capital, Sofia. Originally a Thracian settlement, it later became a major Roman city before falling to the Byzantines and Ottomans.

Today, it is an ethnically and religiously diverse city with a range of churches, mosques and synagogues as well as an Armenian church and Gothic cathedral. Its tolerant attitude and vibrant culture has won it the title of European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Top sight: Plovdiv Roman Theatre — constructed under the rule of Emperor Trajan, the theatre was only uncovered in modern times after a freak landslide in 1972. Now restored, it’s used as a venue for special events and concerts.


7. Sidon, Lebanon



4,000 BC

In Christianity, Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine in Sidon. If not miraculous, then Sidon is certainly magical. Located on the Mediterranean coast, 40km (25 miles) from Beirut, Sidon’s Old City is a beautifully preserved maze of narrow alleyways, arched pathways and a number of mosques dating back to the Umayyad Era.

It’s said that St Paul once visited Sidon as did Alexander the Great who of course went on to conquer the great city.

Top sight: Sidon Sea Castle — constructed by the Crusaders, the sea castle sits on a small island connected to the mainland by a stone causeway. The castle was destroyed by the Mamluks to prevent the Crusaders returning to the region and later restored by Fakhreddine.


6. Faiyum, Egypt



4,000 BC

Located 100km (62mi) southwest of Cairo, Faiyum occupies part of what was Crocodilopolis, an ancient Egyptian city which worshipped a sacred crocodile named Petsuchos. (It sounds made up but we checked.) Petsuchos lived in a special temple pond and was fed by priests with donated food. When Petsuchos died, it was replaced by another crocodile.

Today, Faiyum comprises large bazaars, mosques and baths with the nearby Lake Qarun a popular vacation spot for city-swelling Egyptians.

Top sight: Wadi Elrayan — a natural depression in the western desert of Egypt comprising two lakes connected by Egypt’s only waterfall. Elrayan was designated as a protected area in 1989 to preserve the area’s biological, geological and cultural resources.


5. Susa, Iran



4,200 BC

Susa is the setting of The Persians, a tragedy by Aeschylus and the oldest surviving play in the history of theatre.

Susa is mentioned by the name of Shushan in the Hebrew Bible, mainly in Esther, but also in Nehemiah and Daniel. It’s said that both Daniel and Nehemiah lived in Susa and that Esther became queen there, married King Ahasueurus, and saved the Jews from genocide. The city has since been renamed to the rather delightful Shush.

Top sight: Shush Castle — constructed under the leadership of French archaeologist Jean-Marie Jacques de Morgan in the late 1890s, Shush Castle is now open to the public as a museum. It was heavily damaged in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s but has since been fully restored by the Iranian government.


4. Damascus, Syria



4,300 BC

Named by some as the world’s oldest inhabited city, Damascus may have been occupied as early as 10,000 BC, although this is debated. One of the world’s great ancient cities, Damascus has been conquered by Alexander the Great and ruled by the Romans, Arabs and Ottomans.

The city became an important settlement after the arrival of the Aramaeans, a Semitic people from Mesopotamia who established a network of canals still used by the city’s modern water networks.

Top sight: Umayyad Mosque — the city’s greatest tourist attraction is said to be home to the head of John the Baptist. It also contains the mausoleum of Saladin and is believed by Muslims to be the place where Jesus (Isa) will return at the End of Days.


3. Aleppo, Syria



4,300 BC

Situated at the crossroads of several early trade routes, Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans.

Currently embroiled in civil war, the city has suffered a tumultuous history. Its earthquake of 1138 is commonly listed as the third deadliest earthquake in history after Shensi and Tangshan earthquakes in China, a result of its location along the northern part of the Dead Sea Transform fault system on the boundary of the Arabian and African plates.

Top sight: Aleppo Citadel — built in the 13th Century, the citadel overlooks Aleppo’s Old City and is ‘protected’ as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tragically, the citadel was damaged last year by bomb blasts. The BBC has reported that fighting on the ground and government airstrikes have destroyed more than 60% of the Old City.


2. Byblos, Lebanon



5,000 BC

Byblos, as named by the Greeks who imported papyrus from the city, is home to the Phoenician alphabet, the world’s first widely-used alphabet.

Located on a cliff of sandstone 40km (25mi) north of Beirut, the city has been continuously inhabited since Neolithic times. Today, it is growing in popularity as a cultural tourist destination and offers a mixture of ancient ruins, sandy beaches and picturesque mountains.

Top sight: Byblos Castle — built by the Crusaders in the 12th Century, the castle was dismantled by Saladin in 1190 and then rebuilt in 1197 after the Crusaders recaptured Byblos. Today, it stands near a number of Egyptian temples, a Roman amphitheatre and Phoenician Royal Necropolis — a testament to the city’s rich and varied history.


1. Jericho, Palestinian Territories



9,000 BC

Seen glittering in the distance from the banks of the River Jordan, Jericho is likely the oldest city in the world. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of 20 successive settlements, dating back 11,000 years, although it should be said that the city was abandoned for great periods in between.

The city was occupied by Jordan from 1949 to 1967 and has been held under Israeli occupation since 1967. In 1994, it became the first Arab town in the West Bank to be given administrative autonomy under an agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Top sight: St. George Orthodox Monastery in Wadi Qelt — built in the late 5th century AD by John of Thebes, the monastery clings to the cliffs of Wadi Qelt. Like other sights across the oldest cities in the world, the monastery has been destroyed and restored across the centuries and is open today to pilgrims and visitors.

Dans le cadre de sa politique de promotion du tourisme religieux au Liban et au Moyen-Orient, le ministre du Tourisme, Michel Pharaon, ainsi que l'Organisation mondiale du tourisme (OMT) ont célébré hier soir en grande pompe et devant un parterre exceptionnel de dirigeants politiques et spirituels l'inscription sur la carte du tourisme religieux international du sanctuaire de Saydet el-Mantara (Notre-Dame de l'Attente) des grecs-melkites à Maghdouché, à l'instar de Notre-Dame de Lourdes en France, de N.D. de Fatima au Portugal et de la Vierge de Medugorje en Bosnie-Herzégovine.

La cérémonie qui a eu lieu sur le parvis du sanctuaire est le fruit des efforts conjoints du ministre du Tourisme et de l'OMT. Elle a regroupé entre autres, aux côtés d'une foule de fidèles, le nonce apostolique, Gabriele Caccia, les députés Bahia Hariri, Michel Moussa et Antoine Zahra, l'épouse du président du Parlement, Randa Berry, le ministre du Tourisme et hôte de l'événement, Michel Pharaon, et l'ambassadeur de France, Emmanuel Bonne. La soirée a récité prières et cantiques dans le ciel de Maghdouché couronnant ainsi les efforts depuis des années pour sa promotion sur la carte internationale du tourisme religieux.

« Aujourd'hui, c'est un lieu unique que nous célébrons, un lieu saint visité en personne par la Vierge Marie et non pas un simple lieu d'apparition, d'où sa spécificité », explique Michel Pharaon à L'Orient-Le Jour. Le ministre, qui avait lui-même supervisé les derniers préparatifs pour la promotion du site au niveau touristique mondial, avait invité par ailleurs le journaliste américain John Defterios de CNN et la journaliste britannique Alison Hilliard de la BBC afin de modérer une table ronde axée sur l'importance du tourisme religieux au Moyen-Orient en tant que connecteur et trait d'union entre toutes les populations méditerranéennes.

Cette table ronde regroupant des professionnels dans le domaine du tourisme international, méditerranéen et religieux, notamment le ministre jordanien du Tourisme, Nayef el-Fayez, la ministre palestinienne du Tourisme, Roula Ma'aya, le conseiller du ministre égyptien du Tourisme pour la promotion touristique, Amr el-Ezabi, le secrétaire général de l'OMT, Taleb Rifaï, et le secrétaire général de la fondation « Sur les pas du Christ au Liban-Sud », Samir Sarkis, a précédé la célébration officielle de cet événement exceptionnel propulsant le Liban et notamment le Liban-Sud au-devant de la scène touristique internationale. Pour M. Rifaï, « le tourisme religieux devient plus important lorsque tous les pays voisins développent ensemble ce secteur et offrent au pèlerin, qui recherche une expérience unique, la possibilité de visiter toute la région riche en symboles spirituels ». « Le lancement du sanctuaire marial au Liban-Sud sur la carte touristique religieuse mondiale sera par ailleurs l'occasion de créer des emplois dans cette région », indique-t-il.

« Il y a plus de 3 000 sites religieux au Liban et nous avons de quoi promouvoir notre tourisme religieux et aussi faire revivre la route phénicienne ou la route romaine qui reliait Jérusalem à Sidon, comme l'a fait l'Égypte avec la mise en place d'un circuit de la Sainte Famille », a dit le ministre Pharaon. Le ministre a par ailleurs exprimé son souhait de pouvoir concrétiser son deuxième projet, celui consacré au tourisme de la diaspora libanaise : « Il faut que chaque émigré libanais vienne visiter son pays d'origine au moins une fois durant sa vie. »

Le sanctuaire marial inscrit désormais sur le parcours des pèlerins étrangers est constitué d'une grotte que les premiers chrétiens ont transformée en sanctuaire, d'une basilique et d'une tour de 34 mètres abritant en son creux une chapelle et couronnée par la statue en bronze de la Vierge-Marie portant l'enfant Jésus. Le site est situé à cinquante kilomètres de Beyrouth et à l'est de Saïda. Cette grotte naturelle creusée dans la roche, découverte par hasard par un berger en 1720 avec une icône de la Vierge datant du VIIe ou du VIIIe siècle placée sur un autel, servait de lieu d'attente pour la Vierge Marie. La Vierge, étant une femme juive, attendait le retour de Jésus lors de ses pérégrinations à Cana, Sidon, Tyr et Sarafand, car selon la tradition d'alors il lui était interdit de l'accompagner dans les régions païennes.

Par conséquent, comme Sidon était une ville cananéenne et donc païenne, Marie attendait son fils dans cette grotte à Maghdouché, située sur la route romaine qui reliait Jérusalem à la côte libanaise. Ici, elle a attendu dans la prière et la méditation, d'où vient le nom Notre-Dame de l'Attente (al-Mantara).
Ce sanctuaire qui surplombe la côte de Saïda-Zahrani et reposant à l'entrée du village de Maghdouché est régulièrement visité par des pèlerins, toutes communautés confondues, afin de demander la grâce de la Vierge, surtout en ce mois de mai, mois de Marie. Par ailleurs, c'est surtout le 8 septembre (date de la naissance de la Vierge) que chaque année les fidèles et croyants affluent vers ce lieu saint.

Dans un petit Mémoire, Mgr Georges Kwaiter, l'archevêque grec-catholique melkite du diocèse de Saïda et de Deir el-Qamar jusqu'en 2011, et parrain de la construction de l'actuelle basilique, a expliqué comment ce sanctuaire trouvait ses origines dans les Évangiles.
Apparemment, les choses ont beaucoup évolué durant ces dernières années : le tourisme religieux bénéficierait actuellement d'un vrai engouement non seulement au plan local mais aussi international. Une bonne nouvelle pour le Liban qui regorge de sites religieux hautement spirituels pour les personnes qui recherchent une expérience unique lors d'un voyage hors des sentiers battus.

BEIRUT: Bashir is a Lebanese-American freestyle rap artist who goes by the name of Dizaster. A hugely polarizing figure, he first made a name for himself by battling – and defeating – many of the best rappers in the United States. His reputation, however, hasn’t intimidated some of the most renowned artists in Beirut, many of whom are teaming up with him to promote the freestyle battle scene across the Arab world.

“This [freestyle rapping] is going to become an outlet for way more people here,” Dizaster told The Daily Star. “I promise you. I’m sitting on a gold mine and I’m going to tap the hell out of it right now.”

Dizaster’s prophecy is one that many local rappers such as Najeeb have expressed. Najeeb is a low profile artist who has cultivated a following for himself in Lebanon. Known by his peers as Muhandes – “Engineer” – he said that freestyle rap is a progressive art form since it endorses confrontation without sanctioning violence.

“I resort to solving issues with words rather than violence,” he said. “The idea of a rap battle is an important concept in the Arab world ... because we [the youth] can resort to writing music instead of fighting each other.”

Last month, Muhandes faced off against Dizaster on the steps of Mar Mikhael in Beirut. It is here where dozens of people gathered without the need to purchase a ticket or reserve a seat in advance. That’s precisely why their battle remained genuine to the origins of the art: Their performance was available to the public and their verses were rooted in dialectical expression.

Yet none of that would have mattered if their battle didn’t electrify the crowd. In fact, the battle wouldn’t have even taken place if Muhandes didn’t participate in a rap battle four months ago at Yukunkun, a small club located off Gemmayzeh Street in Rmeil. That event was the first official freestyle rap battle in Lebanon. And when Dizaster got word of it, he made sure that it wouldn’t be the last.

“He [Muhandes] refused to battle me when I first asked him through our mutual friend Chino,” Dizaster said. “But when I got his contact and called him personally, that’s when he agreed.”

“Our battle was just a prep for the main one that we’re going to have in August,” said Muhandes, a slim man with a short beard and glasses.

Muhandes and Dizaster showcased two contrasting, yet equally entertaining styles of freestyle rap. The former relied on his rich vocabulary to produce sharp and cutthroat verses. His words, charged with an intensity, demonstrated his excellence as an Arabic lyricist.

Dizaster’s performance couldn’t have been more different. He relied on animated theatrics and strong punchlines, evoking lots of laughter from the crowd. His act showcased how wit, flow and confidence are vital in winning the support of casual observers. But performing in Arabic was nonetheless a challenge for Dizaster, who admits to have grown more accustomed to rapping in English, as evidenced by his career in the United States.

“It [rapping in Arabic] was super challenging,” he said. “The style is slightly different [than English] since there are less multisyllables and less aggression.”

Muhandes further added that the concept of freestyle rap draws many parallels to an Arabic folk tradition known as the Zajal – a style of colloquial oral poetry that dates back to the pre-Islamic era.

Zajal became one of the most popular forms of spoken poetry during the 1930s in Lebanon. While this performative art appears to have taken a backseat to freestyle rap nowadays, it’s clear that the very practice of dialectical expression has roots across the world.

Regardless of its origins, the follow-up battle promises to be a special event for fans in Lebanon. Rappers from all over the region are expected to attend the next showdown between Dizaster and Muhandes, both of whom are predicting a much larger crowd to show up in August.

And why shouldn’t they? After all, the popularity of freestyle rap has continued to expand worldwide, seemingly without limits.

Editor’s Note: Fashionista Hadia Sinno took the style world by storm with a unique combination of expertise and avant-garde style, rising to become one of the most preeminent voices on all things fashion. Every Friday, Sinno will join The Daily Star to cover the hottest trends and latest styles, sharing professional fashion tips as well as her favorite salons, restaurants, and places to be seen.

BEIRUT: The first Lebanese product designer to make it big in Italy launched his latest collection at Milan Design Week. “Pattern Interrupted,” the latest collection by Samer al-Ameen, showcased pieces inspired by the famous patterns of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. The collection launched to huge success in Milan, showing the smart thinking that makes me so proud to be Lebanese.

Ameen was born in Lebanon, studied fine arts and advertising at the Lebanese American University, before working for many years in advertising agencies. In 2006, he decided to launch his own studio specialized in branding and image consultancy. During this period, Ameen was interested in and began to fall in love with the objects and product designs he was carrying out for his clients.

In January 2012, he designed his first collection, called “Walking Objects,” all set around the classic, high-backed bamboo chair. Later that year, he decided to move to Milan to pursue his masters degree in industrial design at Scuola Politecnica Di Design in Milan, and after graduating in 2014 he opened a new studio there.

The same year, he took part of the Milan Design Week in an exhibition called “Around the Frame.” In April 2015, he also presented a collection named “The Forgotten Pattern of the Alhambra Palace” at the Alberto Levi gallery in Milan.

This year again, he worked around the patterns in an interrupted and a more elaborated way, he explained. Each piece has story-telling blended into the designed objects, that include side tables, stools, tableware, outdoor beds and lights. Ameen explained that “all my objects have the ability to fit into any space, regardless the scale or style, specifically because of the way it’s done.” In addition, “the forgotten arabesque patterns of the Alhambra Palace of Andalusia revive two geometric styles, which I used to transform into modern objects,” he added.

Ameen went into details of his collection: “each piece has its different uses and name.” The “All You Can Seat” can be a stool or a side table in the shape of the forgotten pattern he created, all made from different material like wood, metal and cooper that allows you to create and personalize it the way you want, he explained.

The “Unitedivided” mirror composes 112 hand-cut pieces of glass with the shape of the forgotten pattern from the Alhambra Palace. The pieces are the exact same size but are made with four different thicknesses to create a feel of distortion.

The “Marbellous” table is square-shaped with a simple copper frame and a three-layered marble top. Three different colored sheets of marble – black, white and an electric blue – gives you the choice to select the appropriate color for the appropriate mood.

The “Leaf Me Alone” outdoor bed is in the shape of the forgotten pattern from the Alhambra Palace. With polyurethane foam and waterproof polystyrene on the inside and covered with water-repellent fabric for outdoor durability, it is a bed for one or seating for many.

The “Undercover” coffee tables are based on old Arabic-style geometry and patterns. The table is composed of six copper legs in the form of an eight-sided star. The top is made out of a circular marble and wood engraved using the laser-cutting technique. The engraving again represents the forgotten pattern from the Alhambra Palace. The table comes with a copper cover that can be used as a tray – conveying the hospitality of the Arab culture – but when not being used it can cover the marble top adding a protective copper shield.

The “Light-And-Seek” floor lamp has the shape of the forgotten pattern from the Alhambra Palace. The light intensity depends on the opening of the cube and with the multicolored LED light you get to choose the color you prefer.

The “Let’s Plate” tableware is inspired from the forgotten patterns of Alhambra Palace. The ceramic plates come in 18 different designs and are handmade and painted.

Additionally, Ameen will be part of “Ladies & Gentlemen,” a collective exhibition bringing together the most interesting designers on the contemporary scene right now. See his Light-And-Seek lamps in Milan.

The designer will also be featured in the “Raw Nature” exhibition curated by Vogue Casa Brazil. See his “All You Can Seat” stool at Dilmos Millano, in the Piazza San Marco, Milan, Italy.

To see more of Ameen’s work you can check his website: www.sameralameen.com

Editor’s Note: Fashionista Hadia Sinno took the style world by storm with a unique combination of expertise and avant-garde style, rising to become one of the most preeminent voices on all things fashion. Every Friday, Sinno will join The Daily Star to cover the hottest trends and latest styles, sharing professional fashion tips as well as her favorite salons, restaurants, and places to be seen.

BEIRUT: Paris has been, and will always be, the most important city for the fashion and art worlds. As many of you also know, a very high number of Lebanese live there and work in countless different fields. Last month, a photo exhibition took place in Paris at Maison Européenne de la Photographie. The show hosted the Lebanese photographer Tony Hage under the name of Pris sur le vif.

The idea of the show was to transport us back to the ’80s, that was a notable period in the history of fashion. The period saw the rise of young designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and was a real revolution in many areas of the fashion world.

The watershed moment came in 1983 when, for the first time, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York dedicated an exhibition to a living designer, Yves Saint-Laurent.

“Back then, Tony Hage was young and eager to capture candid shots of fashion and film stars. Since then, the intense media coverage of business celebrities has created a great obstacle for freelance photographers,” said curator Cristianne Rodrigues. “What’s true of the shows at fashion week also applies to the Cannes [film] festival. [Hage’s] images are a testimony to a time gone by in the history of press photography.”

Hage’s debut came when he moved to Paris at the age of 17 to study photography in Paris. After he graduated, he started working on the fashion world, focusing on fashion week.

Through the photo agencies of Gamma and MaxPPP, his photographs were published in The Times, The Independent, Paris Match, L’Express, Le Point, Marianne, Le Figaro Magazine, Le Parisien, Gala, Voici and many major publications in the Near East. In 2013, as part of PhotoMed, the Mediterranean photography festival in Sanary-sur-Mer, Hage presented a series of portraits of Eastern and Western celebrities between 1981 and 1985. The collection included the likes of Costa Gavras, Marcello Mastroianni, Clint Eastwood, John Huston, Youssef Chahine, Amin Maalouf, and Elham Shahin, among others. At the same time, he curated an exhibition of young Lebanese photographers. He also became a founding member of the Lebanese branch of the festival, PhotoMed Liban. He was asked to be an ambassador of Fujifilm’s X-Photographers France, and the Canson Infinity brand.

Pris sur le vif by Hage is the culmination of years of work in fashion photography, taken at special moments, Hage explains. He adds that, in the past, taking pictures was harder than it is today as life and technology, including new media, have changed the landscape. “Today, I’m so proud and honored to be part of the most important place to show my photos in ‘Maison Europeenne le Photographie.’ When I look back at the pictures, I remember the great days I had, how the fashion was different than today. But every period has its own flair,” Hage said.

BEIRUT: The Beirut Cultural Festivals Association has announced the first edition of the Beirut Cultural Festivals that will be held next month at the capital’s seafront area.

The May 17-22 event will include cultural, artistic, sports and entertainment activities, some featuring in Lebanon for the first time.

The opening will consist of a mass visual and musical production using the latest technologies to recount the main historical eras and events in the capital. The closing festivities will include Lebanon’s first F1 show starring one of the field’s leading names.

“The Beirut Cultural festivals strive to constitute a special event befitting our ancient capital, which is deeply rooted in history, in keeping with Beirut’s status as a point of convergence for civilizations and cultures, and with the capital’s iconic historical, civilizational and cultural background,” Lama Salam, the chair of the association, told a news conference earlier this week.

“The launching of the Beirut Cultural festivals aims to instill life once again in Beirut, and spread joy, arts, creativity and beauty in this city, which is dear to our hearts. The aim is to reignite life in wounded, problem-ridden Beirut and restore its former prosperity,” added Salam, wife of Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

Highlights of the festival include erecting a dome in Downtown’s Nijmeh Square that would house a 70-minute show, titled The Story of Beirut, which will recount the city’s past using the 3-D Mapping technique. It will also host concerts by popular singers Ragheb Alama and Nancy Ajram.

The festival will also host a motor sports village, a car show and Lebanon’s first F1 show with a RedBull team car driven on the road between Phoenicia Hotel and BIEL by Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Junior.

BEIRUT: Under the large crystal chandelier on the top floor of Phoenicia Hotel stood a circle of waiters receiving final instructions before they catered an evening of wonderful food and wine. The night served as an illustration of the multiple and customized blends of Chateau Kefraya, one of Lebanon’s most well-known wineries stationed in the west Bekaa Valley. “It’s very important to make people aware that we [Chateau Kefraya] are just blending wine. We do not produce our own original grape,” Fabrice Guiberteau, the winery’s technical director, told The Daily Star.

Chateau Kefraya was first established by Michel de Boustros in 1946. The first grapes were planted in 1951 and the first wine in 1979 despite the raging violence of Lebanon’s Civil War.

The vineyard covers 300 hectares located precisely 1,000 meters above the Mediterranean Sea. And while their wines have won multiple awards in the past, Thursday night enabled wine lovers to create the perfect blend for their own tastes.

Francois Fiorilla, the director of Phoenicia Hotel, said that he loved to mix a little bit of the spicy Syrah grape with the full-body taste of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Syrah is a dark red grape assortment that is more widely known as Shiraz. It tends to produce a fruity and medium- to full-body taste, especially when grown in warmer climates. On the other hand, Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most widely produced grape varieties in the world. And like many of the influences that Chateau Kefraya draws from, Sauvignon became globally hailed through its prominence in Bordeaux wines.

“The mixing of blends is an influence that can be attributed to France and particularly from Bordeaux,” said Fiorilla. “In America, for example, they don’t have mix blends so much. They like to produce much more singular blends when it comes to their wine.”

Blending wines is a craft that can be extremely difficult since the taste of each grape will slightly differ depending on the climate each season. That’s why each wine needs to be reviewed each year in order to maintain a consistent taste.

That said, Chateau Kefraya has managed to maintain a wonderful consistency in its wines. This was no more apparent than when the famous wine critic Robert Parker awarded the winery’s Comte de M a place on his list of the best hundred wines in 1997.

Thursday night, however, was less about the acclimated success of Chateau Kefraya and more about enjoying the taste of their wines. That’s precisely what people like Yara Abdel Ahad, Chateau Kefraya’s brand manager, had done throughout the night.

“In my own personalized wine I think I would make it with 50 percent of Syrah, 30 percent of Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 percent from Carmenere,” she said while taking a sip from her glass. “Our wine is very unique and I think it’s most important to mention that we don’t blend any of our wines with grapes outside of our vineyard.”

The Temple of Eshmun (Arabic: معبد أشمون‎) is an ancient place of worship dedicated to Eshmun, the Phoenician god of healing. It is located near the Awali river, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northeast of Sidon in southwestern Lebanon. The site was occupied from the 7th century BCE to the 8th century CE, suggesting an integrated relationship with the nearby city of Sidon. Although originally constructed by Sidonian king Eshmunazar II in the Achaemenid era (c. 529–333 BCE) to celebrate the city's recovered wealth and stature, the temple complex was greatly expanded by Bodashtart, Yatan-milk and later monarchs. Because the continued expansion spanned many centuries of alternating independence and foreign hegemony, the sanctuary features a wealth of different architectural and decorative styles and influences.

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The Temple Of Eshmun 

SIDON, Lebanon: Upholstering bed mattresses was once a prominent profession in south Lebanon which over time has faded away. In the past, beds and pillows were an integral gift in marriage ceremonies. Mattresses were stuffed with sheep wool and winter quilts were made from pure cotton in those days.

In fact, the parents of the bride were obliged to carry bed mattresses and complimentary accessories on the wedding eve to her new house according to tradition.

“But today everything has become based on trends,” 70-year-old Kamel Shaarawi, who works in upholstery, explained. “Globalization won over our heritage and openness closed what our ancestors and parents left us.”

Shaarawi knows how to sew and prepare bed mattresses. He is fighting to keep his profession alive despite the proliferation of readymade mattresses.

“The bed mattresses used to be stuffed with sheep wool after being washed, cleaned and sun-dried. The bride’s parents used to ask for the mattress a month ahead of the wedding in addition to the quilt, pillows and embroidered and printed bed sheets,” he explained.

“But today the mattresses are manufactured, stuffed with sponge and springs and have taken the place of our profession.”

The mattresses that the bride and groom sleep on were stuffed with 30 kilos of sheep wool and were upholstered every year.

Shaarawi recalled how they used to visit houses, rupture, upholster and tailor them again.

“Sometimes the groom would ask for a mattress that would make his wife pregnant with boys, while other ask for ones that would bring girls,” Shaarawi laughed.

He said he used to go along with it, and “design” mattresses for those who prefer boys in blue and those wanting girls in pink.

At Sidon’s souks, pillows and wool are hung in one of the city’s shops. Abu Hasan Traboulsi is seen making and upholstering quilts along with one his employees.

“Many continue to ask for quilts made from natural cotton,” Traboulsi said.

“The quilt needs to be stuffed with around 4 kilos of pure cotton in addition to fashionable fabric for the quilts.”

The quilt needs more than three hours of work, Traboulsi said.

Mehye el-Din Baba inherited a fabric-selling business from his father. Inside his historic shop, fabric of various colors can be found.

“The demand on bed mattresses made of wool is little, today the cotton is artificial,” Baba said.

Several modern mattresses are causing back pain he noted saying that when making coverlets or bed sheets one needs to be careful to keep them clean.

“Regardless of how comfortable the pillow is, conscience is what matters.”

TRIPOLI, Lebanon: At 3 a.m., the day begins for foul and hummus master Abu Abed. The head chef at the Akra restaurant in Tripoli, he checks on every detail: the boiling of the grains, the preparation of the pickles, the freshness of the bread. He performs his job with great precision, rejecting produce and discarding prepared items that do not meet his standards.

Despite a prevailing impression that hummus and foul restaurants are casual venues that are easy to run, their operation contains an entire world of its own, preserving the characteristics of historic Tripoli.

The capital of the north is famous for its exquisite Oriental sweets and foods, and has long maintained a vibrant souk drawing crowds of visitors. This has pushed Tripoli’s residents to excel at a number of trades, including food preparation, handmade crafts and soap making.

So it is no surprise that the city has become famous for its delicious hummus and foul, grown in the nearby countryside and accompanied by cucumbers, mint and tomatoes. A main feature of the plate is the deluxe olive oil and fresh Oriental bread served on the side.

People who work in the profession explain that each plate carries its own secrets.

Preparing a plate of hummus and foul, whose price rarely exceeds $2, requires the know-how to choose quality legumes, cook them correctly, and use them in the right dishes. There are few people who are skilled enough at the profession to earn a large income.

The restaurant where Abu Abed now works was named after Jamil Akra, who made his own mark at the tiny Abdo Hamza stand during the 1940s. The restaurant was smaller than 15 square meters, and had only one employee: Akra.

For his loyalty and dedication, Hamza decided to give the restaurant to Akra, who at the time was very poor, and served as the breadwinner for his 10-member family. He worked hard to provide his four children with a good education.

But Akra, now deceased, did not foresee that despite his children gaining university degrees, they would take up their father’s trade, expanding the shop into a family business with 120 employees. It now has four branches in Tripoli operating out of converted old houses to maintain Tripoli’s historic legacy.

One of Jamil Akra’s sons, Abdul-Kader Akra, used to be an electrician, but left his profession to join his father’s business, which he considers a source of pride.

“What I remember in my childhood is the copper cooker that is specially [used] to prepare foul,” he recalled. “I used to go to my father’s shop after school to have lunch from the shop’s products, and then deliver orders to houses and shops.”

Abdul-Kader makes sure that his son also visits the shop at least once a week so that he can begin learning the profession’s secrets.