Middle East - Anthony Ham [348]
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Architecture
Ancient architecture in Lebanon can be found at Baalbek’s (Click here) spectacular remains, in the traces of the Romans in Beirut (Click here) and at the Umayyad ruins at Aanjar (Click here).
Much of Lebanon’s more recent heritage architecture has been damaged over the last century by the combined effects of war and redevelopment, though there remain a substantial number of examples of the country’s traditional architecture dotted about the country. To the north, Tripoli’s old city souqs contain a wealth of medieval and Islamic architecture, while Deir al-Qamar (Click here), in the southern Chouf Mountains, is a well-preserved village with some beautiful 18th- and 19th-century villas and palaces. Beiteddine Palace (Beit ad-Din; Click here), also in the Chouf Mountains, is a melange of Italian and traditional Arab architecture, more remarkable for its lavish interiors than any architectural innovation.
Interior designers are doing wonderful work in Lebanon these days, and the B 018 nightclub (Click here), designed by Bernard Khoury, is a top-notch example. Situated on the former Green Line, the club pays homage to the past at a site that was formerly a quarantine zone, a refugee camp and the site of an appalling massacre during the war – and is worth a visit as much for its appearance as its sizzling-hot DJs and crowd.
Painting
Lebanon’s first art school was established in 1937, and by the 1950s and ’60s a number of galleries opened to showcase the country’s art, while the private Sursock Museum (Click here), in Achrafiye, began to show new artists.
Though, like most of Lebanon’s cultural output, the visual arts suffered during the civil war, the scene re-established itself with vigour soon afterwards. Apart from the earlier William Blake–style paintings of poet Khalil Gibran, famous 20th-century artists include the painters Hassan Jouni, Moustafa Farroukh and Mohammed Rawas. Better-known contemporary painters include Marwan Rechmawi, Bassam Kahwaji, Amin al-Basha, Helen Khal, Salwa Zeidan and Etel Adnan (who, like Gibran, is also a writer) and Salwa Raodash Shkheir, a current Lebanese star of the sculpture world.
The photography and visual arts scene is the most vibrant and cutting-edge of all the arts in the region. The best places to experience the current Lebanese visual arts scene are the numerous small galleries around Hamra and Gemmayzeh and in the studios of Saifi Village (Click here).
Theatre & Dance
Most theatre in Lebanon is based in Beirut, where prominent and established Lebanese playwrights such as Roger Assaf, Jalal Khoury and Issam Mahfouz are trying to encourage younger artists – though lack of funding remains a perennial problem – and a revitalised Lebanese theatre scene is gradually emerging. Beirut’s Théâtre de Beyrouth (Click here) in particular puts on high-quality performances (often experimental works) by young and emerging actors and playwrights.
As in other parts of the Middle East, both dabke, the traditional Levantine folk dance, and raks sharki (belly dancing) are very popular. Caracalla (www.caracalla.org) is the closest thing Lebanon has to a national dance troupe. Founded by Ahmed Caracalla, the choreographer of the Baalbek Festival in the 1960s, the group’s performances are inspired by oriental dance, but also combine opera, dance and theatre. With colourful costumes and musicals based on diverse sources, from Shakespeare to modern Lebanese literature, they can be seen at some of Lebanon’s summer festivals, and at the Monnot Theatre (Click here) in Achrafiye.
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ENVIRONMENT
The Land
Though Lebanon is one of the smallest countries in the