What's On Magazine Sample

Ramadan Kareem
The month of Ramadan carries a special meaning

for every Muslim; it is a month of spiritual healing,
in which people try to rinse their souls from sins
and wrong-doings through fasting and prayers.
The month of Ramadan is, also, a major social event
that casts a unique and charming atmosphere on
our daily lives and changes the way we usually spend
our days in. work hours are shorter, the markets and
souks are extra-ordinary busy, drivers are extra-
ordinary nervous and the words: Iftar and Suhoor
are on everybodys tongue.
As expected, during the month of Ramadan almost
all cultural activities come to a stop: galleries are
closed, the Opera house has no programs and all the
cultural centers are suspending their activities during the holy month, thats why you
wont fnd your usual calendar in this issue of Whats On.
Another unique feature of Ramadan during the last few years is the huge number of
TV series produced throughout the Arab world and broadcasted on all Arabian satellite
channels. Our Film & TV section has a dedicated and detailed article that discusses all
the new Syrian TV series for this Ramadan.
In Our interview section we have an exclusive and interesting interview with the mega-
star Harrison Ford in which he gives us all the details about his new role together with
Daniel Craig in the extra ordinary movie Cowboys & Aliens, one of the biggest flms
for the year 2011.
Our Fashion section is as rich as always with a full coverage for the latest Paris Fashion
Week, while our Lifestyle section is blooming with a very useful article about the top
women perfumes for this season. Another interesting lifestyle article is one that talks
about where and how to buy makeup in Damascus with details and tips about brands,
hazards and prices.
All the sections that you love: culture, Events, Literature, Society...etc. They are all
here, and they cover all the important events in the country.
Remember that our upcoming issue will be released on September the 15th, and that we
are always ready to receive your valuable feedback at: Whatson@awicompany.com.

Enjoy.
Basel
September
2011 Issue No. 76
Published by
UNItEd GRoUP under decree no:1597 by
Syrian government on 3 APR 2005
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UG coUNtRy maGazINES maNaGER
Carole Bechara
commUNIcatIoN maNaGER
Haidara Suleiman
maNaGING EdItoR
Basel Aal Bannoud
basel.bannoud@awicompany.com
EdItoRIal cooRdINatoR
Reem Zakhour
dESIGN
art & Production manager
Rita Zahar
Senior designer
Alaa Abdullah
Production officer
Feras Kaissy
PHotoGRaPHy
Principle Photographer
Qusai Al Jarrah
www.whatsonsyria.com
SalES maNaGER
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SalES cooRdINatoR
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Sales team
Zeid Al Ajlani - Asaad Ebish
FINaNcE
Gihan Abbas
Ahmad Mashnoq
Abdulqader Asmar
RESERVatIoN
Ayham Ibrahim
September 2011 Issue No 76 1
vvv
12 In the memory of the late Mahmoud Jabr.
14 Fuad Ghazi: The Painful Departure.
18 Flows of Creativity.
04 HARRISONFORD: IS COLONEL DOLARHYDE INCOWBOYS ANDALIENS
17 Arabs and Syrians in the USA: A Call for More than a Cultural Role.
20 Identity and National Belonging.
22 Caesarean Sections Double in Syria.
24 Breaking Taboos: Young WomenWorking as waitresses defy the traditions of a Conservative Society.
44 Perfume Tips for Women
48 Overcome the painful memories.
50 Shopping for Makeup in Damascus.
58 A Book of Secrets: Daughters, Absent Fathers.
59 Paradise Lust.
60 A First Rate Madness.
61 The Lovers.
28 Graduation Ceremony of the AIU Arab International University.
29 Celebrating the National Day of the Republic of Venezuela.
30 Cocktail Party to Support the Syrian Pound..
32 Ta3m El Laimon Film Premiere.
35 Aleppo: The tender heart of Syria.
38 Sergilla: Dead City with a Living History.
43 BOSRA: The City of Treasures.
64 Whats On Movies.
68 Syrian Drama in Ramadan: : The Season is here.
52 Armani Prive: From Japan with love.
53 Chanel: The magical touch of Mr. Lagerfeld.
54 Dior: A sad festival of colors.
55 Elie Saab: The beautiful dream.
56 Stephane Rolland: Stroke of creativity.
57 Jean Paul Gaultier: Black Swan.
4
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Heritage & Travel
Film & TV
Fashion
72 Guide
Lifestyle
Literature
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CONTENTS
Harrison Ford has always been entranced
by Westerns. He grew up watching cowboy
classics featuring the likes of Gene Autry and
Roy Rogers and they made a long, lasting
impression on a young man destined to become
one of the best-loved actors of his generation.
He dipped into the genre early in his career,
taking guest roles in TV series like The Virginian
and Gunsmoke and back in 1979, starred
alongside Gene Wilder in The Frisco Kid.
Ford would have welcomed the opportunity
to do more. In the time that Ive been doing
most of my work in the last 40 years Westerns
havent fgured heavily they werent seen to
be money making movies, he says.
But early on in my career I did a number
of television shows like The Virginian and
Gunsmoke and a bunch of those. And I always
enjoyed them, and I was ambitious to do a full
scale, full fedged Western some day.
The Western is a classic American form, he
says. I like the simplicity of the storytelling
and I like the visceral nature of the flms. I
like the kinds of characters and circumstances
that you can deal with in a Western.
So when director Jon Favreau (Iron Man)
asked him if hed be interested in starring
in Cowboys and Aliens he was immediately
intrigued and jumped on board to play Colonel
Dolarhyde, the hard-bitten boss of a desert
town called Absolution.
Dolarhyde is a ruthless, iron-fsted rancher
used to getting what he wants by any means
necessary a granite hard archetypical Western
villain hewn from the unforgiving landscape of
the old West.
And Ford an actor who has played some of
the most iconic roles in contemporary cinema
from Han Solo in Star Wars to Indiana Jones
relished the challenge of creating a character
vastly different from any hes played before.
For me, this character was the
opportunity to play something different to
what I spent my whole career doing, he says.
Playing a character that did not require to be
loved or admired by the audience meant I had a
different utility in this flm.
Jon talks about the quality of redemption,
which is part of every Western and this
is a character who does fnd a degree of
redemption in the quest to regain the victims
of these aliens.
And he does become a kinder, gentler man
but he starts out as a very rough guy and I
think it would have been a mistake to try
and curry favour with the audience, to try
and make him more sympathetic, to try and
make him more acceptable.
Thats an obligation that you often fnd
that you take on when you are the leading
man because you have to bring the whole
audience to the picture. I didnt feel that
requirement (with Cowboys and Aliens) and
so it gave me a bit of freedom to indulge in
the mendacity of this character.
And you know, it was a lot of fun and I
loved working with all of these people. It
was a terrifc, positive experience.
Playing against the audiences
expectations was a liberating
experience, he says. He is
certainly a character that
I hadnt played before. Hes
unabashedly a product of his
environment and he doesnt
explain or make amends, or
apologies, for the bastard that he is
and thats his utility to the movie.
But that kind of role can almost
be too liberating and you have to
guard yourself against doing party
tricks because the danger is that youll
begin to embroider on the theme and
spin off up your own butt. The more you
can master the fun of it and turn it to the
good of the flm overall the better.
Cowboys and Aliens is a straight down the
line action thriller. It honours the traditions
of the Western, says Ford, and then adds a
spectacular twist an alien invasion.
Ford stars alongside Daniel Craig who plays
The Stranger another quintessential Western
character who arrives in Absolution and
cant remember where he came from, his own
name and why he is wearing a metal shackle
on his wrist.
He discovers that Absolution
and in particular Dolarhyde
dont welcome strangers and is
promptly locked up. And then
all hell breaks loose as blinding
lights in the sky herald the
arrival of an enemy determined
to wipe out all the inhabitants of
Absolution, no matter who they
are, friend or foe.
Dolarhyde and The Stranger along
with the Apache warriors, the outlaws and
every other human have to unite against a
common enemy to try and survive. As The
Stranger slowly begins to remember who
he is and where hes been, he realises that
he holds a secret that could give the town
a fghting chance against the overwhelming
alien force.
Blending two very distinct genres into one
flm Sci-Fi and Western required a bold
vision and a frm grip on the tone of the picture,
says Ford. And Favreau did a brilliant job.
With a flm like this, tone is very
important and its in the hands of the
director. As an actor you bring your own
understanding and consciousness to it, but
the director has to get the tone right overall
through a variety of different kinds of actors
with different ambitions.
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4 September 2011 Issue No 76 5 magazine
HARRISON FORD Interview
But the starting place in this flm is
the Western and then aliens come and shit
happens and if it suddenly became a different
kind of movie I think that would have been a
big mistake.
The human experience here is in the
Western context, and then even after the aliens
have come and shown what good fun they can
bring to the party, it still has to be a Western.
Filmed on location in the rugged terrain of
New Mexico, Ford thoroughly enjoyed working
alongside a stellar cast that includes Olivia
Wilde as Ella, a traveller who has holed up in
town, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul
Dano and of course, Daniel Craig.
Daniel was great and hes a very
accomplished actor, he says. Im not a
great flm buff but I knew his work and hes
wonderfully capable. And hes knowledgeable
without being pedantic about it. He knows
the nature of flm acting very well. Hes
generous and collaborative and I had an
enormously good time working with him.
He also embraced the experience of flming
on a beautiful, and at times inhospitable,
frontier landscape. Oh I loved it, he says. I
like a good outdoor job, its much more fun
than being indoors or on a soundstage riding
a directors chair. And with this one we were
outside most of the time and the weather was
what it was and thats what you get from a
Western, thats part of it.
Ford is an expert horseman and frst learned to
ride as a youngster growing up in Wisconsin. On
family vacations we would go out to various
places and horseback riding was something that
kids did in those days, he recalls.
And at a certain point I bought a
property in Jackson, Wyoming and started
using horses as a tool to get around. It had
of the frontier. And so you see that in the
Anamorphic lenses, and the landscape
becomes a character in the flm.
He was, then, delighted with the experience
and the opportunity to fnally get to be part
of a full-fedged Western. But Jon (Favreau)
pointed out to me the other day that a lot
of the characters that Ive played have been
informed by Western archetypes Han Solo
is a gunslinger, Indiana Jones has a degree
of the Western in it, so, in a way, its what I
grew up doing.
Ford has enjoyed a remarkable career. His
incredible flm CV includes American Graffti,
The Conversation and Star Wars: Episode IV
A New Hope, through to Raiders of the Lost
Arc, Blade Runner, Witness, The Mosquito
Coast, Presumed Innocent, Patriot Games,
The Fugitive, What Lies Beneath, Hollywood
Homicide, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of
the Crystal Skull and Morning Glory.
Mr. Ford was
kind enough
to give us this
exclusive
interview
been a working ranch although we never
kept cattle but the land was accessible more
easily on horseback.
So Ive kept horses for 25 years and
riding them has given me an enormous
amount of pleasure, it still does. For this I
went and rode four or fve horses and found
one where I thought we would come to
understand each other.
And he had a comfortable gait and was
responsive and big, strong. He was a good partner.
Ford lobbied against the flm being shot in
3D a trend that has taken hold with many of
the summer blockbusters. A Western, he felt,
wouldnt beneft at all from the technology
and would take the audience out of the story.
When we started there was a
discussion about doing this in
3D and I argued strenuously
against it, he explains. It was
for the same reason that Jon
fnally decided and argued
against it you want that
physical context in a Western.
One is at the mercy of
the elements in the Western
world, in that historic period.
I think we have to see those
stories in place and know
that this is a place where
you live by your wits, this
is a place where nature can
overwhelm you, this is a
place where you havent any
resources other than the
ones you bring with you,
your wit and whatever you
can pack on your horse.
And thats the
tone and the reality
Interview
6 magazine
HARRISON FORD
- Are you a fan of Westerns?
Well I grew up watching Saturday matinees
with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers so I was
always intrigued by cowboys. And I never
really got the chance to play one. The only
Western I did before this was The Frisco Kid
and that was about 30 years ago. But I always
had ambitions to do a Western but they werent
being made during the period of time that Ive
been making movie. So I was very excited to get
the opportunity to play this. But Jon (Favreau)
pointed out to me the other day that a lot of the
characters that Ive played have been informed by
Western archetypes Han Solo is a gunslinger,
Indiana Jones has a degree of the Western in it,
so, in a way, its what I grew up doing.
- You play a very tough, mean character in
Cowboys and Aliens and were used to seeing
you in more heroic roles. Was that part of
the attraction?
For me, this character was the opportunity
to play something different to what I spent my
whole career doing. Playing a character that
did not require to be loved or admired by the
audience meant I had a different utility in this
flm. Jon talks about the quality of redemption,
which is part of every Western and this is a
character that does fnd a degree of redemption
in the quest to regain the victims of these aliens.
And he does become a kinder, gentler man but
he starts out as a very rough guy and I think
it would have been a mistake to try and curry
favour with the audience, to try and make him
more sympathetic, to try and make him more
acceptable. Thats an obligation you that you
often fnd that you take on when you are the
leading man because you have to bring the
whole audience to the picture. I didnt feel that
requirement (with Cowboys and Aliens) and
so it gave me a bit of freedom to indulge in the
mendacity of this character. And you know, it
was a lot of fun and I loved working with all of
these people. It was a terrifc, positive experience.
- How was working with Jon Favreau?
Jon was wonderfully generous in
collaboration, which was interesting to me
from the very beginning. I came on early
enough so that there were still problems to
address, things that were of concern with
the character and the flm overall and hes
wonderfully collaborative. But I should
mention, Ive always had a fear of working
with acting directors (laughs). And I have seen
his work as an actor and hes a very skilled
actor in some of his earlier, funnier flms. But
the fear is that an acting director will look at it
from an acting point of view and tell you how
to act, which is never a good thing. What you
want is to come to an agreement, an ambition,
in each scene. And if the ambition is clear
enough, an adequate actor will recognise the
human experience and be able to bring it to
the game. And I found Jon very attentive and a
sensitive director. And I really appreciated the
opportunity of working with him.
- You said earlier that it was an enjoyable flm
to do. What are the components that make it
enjoyable? What sort of has to be in place to
make it a good experience?
Clear ambitions, good story, companionable
workers, good weather, good horse and all of
those were in place. So it was a pretty nice job.
And you never know what degree of satisfaction
youre going to be able to obtain. You go from
talking about it endlessly to doing it in the short
period of time, and you never really know how
well its going to go. I thought it went pretty
well. Jon turned out to be a very good manager
of traffc and time, and turned out to have the
patience and the intelligence to try and get the
best out of every scene, and I think hes doing
good work in the editing room. And I think each
flm has its own destiny, its own audience, but
Im hopeful that this one will do well.
- How important was it that the tone was
right on this one?
With a flm like this tone is very important
and its in the hands of the director. As an
actor you bring your own understanding and
consciousness to it, but the director has to
get the tone right overall through a variety
of different kinds of actors with different
ambitions/ But the starting place in this flm
is the Western and then aliens come and shit
happens and if it suddenly became a different
kind of movie I think that would have been a
big mistake. The human experience here is in the
Western context, and then even after the aliens
have come and shown what good fun they can
bring to the party, it still has to be a Western.
- You said that youre playing a different kind
of character here. Is that quite liberating?
He is certainly a character that I hadnt
played before. Hes unabashedly a product of
his environment and he doesnt explain or make
amends, or apologies, for the bastard that he is
and thats his utility to the movie. But that kind of
role can almost be too liberating and you have to
guard yourself against doing party tricks because
the danger is that youll begin to embroider on
the theme and spin off up your own butt. The
more you can master the fun of it and turn it to
the good of the flm overall the better.
- You were out in rugged country, riding
horses. Did you enjoy the physical aspect of
the role?
Oh I loved it. I like a good outdoor job, its
much more fun than being indoors or on a
soundstage riding a directors chair. And with
this one we were outside most of the time and
the weather was what it was and thats what you
get from a Western, thats part of it. When we
started there was a discussion about doing this in
3D and I argued strenuously against it.
- Why?
It was for the same reason that Jon fnally
decided and argued against it you want that
physical context in a Western. One is at the
mercy of the elements in the Western world,
in that historic period. I think we have to see
those stories in place and know that this is a
place where you live by your wits, this is a place
where nature can overwhelm you, this is a place
where you havent any resources other than the
ones you bring with you, your wit and whatever
you can pack on your horse. And thats the tone
and the reality of the frontier. And so you see
that in the Anamorphic lenses and the landscape
becomes a character in the flm.
- And to use 3D would take you out of that world?
Yes, it squeezes you into a box. And also, one
of the restraints of the technology is that you
end up having to stage physical action for the
camera. And you end up creating moments
where you are pumping it into the foreground
and its bullshit and artifcial.
- Was horse riding a skill you learned as a
young actor?
No, its something that I learned away from
the job. It was a part of growing up. On family
vacations we would go out to various places and
horseback riding was something that kids did
in those days. And at a certain point I bought
a property in Jackson, Wyoming and started
using horses as a tool to get around. It had been
a working ranch but we never kept cattle but the
land was accessible more easily on horseback.
So Ive kept horses for 25 years and riding them
has given me an enormous amount of pleasure,
it still does.
- Did you choose your own horse for
Cowboys and Aliens?
Well, for this I went and rode four or fve
horses and found one where I thought we would
come to understand each other. And he had a
comfortable gait and was responsive and big,
strong. He was a good partner.
- Tell me about working with Daniel Craig.
How was that?
Daniel was great and hes a very accomplished
actor. Im not a great flm buff but I knew his
work and hes wonderfully capable. And hes
knowledgeable without being pedantic about it.
He knows the nature of flm acting very well.
Hes generous and collaborative and I had an
enormously good time working with him.
- You mentioned that youd only done one
Western, The Frisco Kid, before this. But
early in your career you did TV shows in the
genre
In the time that Ive been doing most of my
work in the last 40 years Westerns havent fgured
heavily they werent seen to be money-making
movies. But early on in my career I did a number
of television shows like The Virginian and
Gunsmoke and a bunch of those. And I always
enjoyed them, and I was ambitious to do a full
scale, full fedged Western some day.
- What do you like about the Western?
I like the simplicity of the storytelling and I
like the visceral nature of the flms. I like the
kinds of characters and circumstances that you
can deal with in a Western. But as I say, they
have not been a moneymaking proposition
under most circumstances in the last 30 years.
- Its a classic American form.
It is because it attends to this vibrant
period in American history. And America
is a country that has always been very
sort of coy about its history, very
complicated in terms of its ethical
posture. And as much as the Western
is a story of mans confrontation of
Frontier and the opportunities of the
Frontier, its also a very complicated
story about pushing the Indians
off the land. And its the notion of
Manifest Destiny that God meant
America to exist from sea to shining
sea. So there was this assumed
moral authority in expansion.
It came directly from God, so
it was unquestionable.
- And does Cowboys and Aliens honour that
form?
This movie doesnt directly deal with those
complicated elements but the elemental nature of
life there is a big part of the story. These people
have no context of understanding the aliens.
There was no such word as alien then, it didnt
even mean people that had crossed the border
illegally and they had no sense of space travel or
rockets or any of those things. It never occurred
to them, so the only context they had for this
event that took place in their little town was the
context the preacher gave them, that they were
possibly demons. It was an event that could only
be understood in terms of biblical proportions.
So thats a pretty natural, dramatic context.
- Both Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard are
involved in the project as executive producers.
Was that a factor when you decided to take
the role?
In every case its just, what is the job? Is it
something I respond to emotionally? Do I like
the people involved? I certainly like Ron and
Steven, but I didnt work with them, I worked
with Alex and Bob Orci and Jon. And was it a
flm that I thought would be, having made good
use of the money it would take to make it? I
dont like to see people piss away good money.
Things cost a lot of money these days to make
and you want to invest your energy and their
money in something you think will earn it back.
Its no compliment to your choices if the movies
you make over a period of time dont make any
money. So I always want a flm to be successful,
I want to fnd an audience because its no fun to
do all this work and then fnd out that people
dont really care pretty much about what you
have done.
- The technology used in flmmaking has
developed radically in recent years. But is the
job of an actor still essentially the same as it
was when you started your career?
I think it is. Our job is to bring a human story
to an emotional expression. And regardless of the
genre or the taste of the audience, I still think
the language of flm is emotion and I have to
have an emotional relationship to the events in
the character that I play. With my character in
Cowboys and Aliens theres a development of the
character but its not exactly what you think
it would be and that was one of the interesting
things about it for me.
- Do you expect your directors to be good
collaborators?
Its just not as much fun for me if theyre
not. Its fun when you participate. Its not so
much fun when its, stand here, say it this way,
then move over there and say it that way.. I
think whatever fun you have in the process, the
pleasure that you take in your work gives you a
reservoir of renewed interest in your work and
ability to communicate about your work, so
fun is part of the process. And working
with people is a pleasure. Working
against people is not so much fun.
- Do you have anything lined up
next?
No, I have a couple of things
in development, which arent
ready yet, but Im quite
happy to wait.
Interview
8 magazine
HARRISON FORD
Words by: Murhaf Zino
2
weeks ago, the third annual memorial of the Syrian artist Mahmoud Jabr passed. It
was an occasion to remember this featured artist who spent more than 40 years of
his life contributing to the Syrian artistic movement through its different felds: theatre,
cinema, TV and radio. His experience made him one of the best Syrian comedians
especially in the Syrian theatrical movement since its birth till the 1980s.
He was born in Shahba , a small city near Sweida , southern of
Syria, in the year 1935. In his early childhood he moved with his family
to live in Damascus. The family settled in Al-Medan- the famous
quarter in the old city of Damascus where he joined its secondary
school -al-Kwakeby- but he could not continue his study because he
could not pass the exam for many times. He was not lazy but he was
fond of theatre, and it was clear that he selected his way in life since
that early age, it was not strange that the school where he failed to be a
successful student in, witnessed the frst birth of his talent as a man of
theatre who established a small theatrical band of amateurs, before he
left the school as a loser student.
He, and his young band, started to present their comedy shows
at schools and institutes under the patronage and direction of the late
Syrian artist and teacher Safouh Kassab Hasen. During that period, the
late Muhmoud Jabr used to write short plays which consist of a single
act and present them during the different occasions and celebrations.
He did not forget his study or leave it completely; on the contrary he
completed his study secretly at a private school.
The year 1958 is considered the real turning point in his life when
he presented his frst play as a writer, actor and director at the same
time. this play suffering, marriage and me was an announcement of
the birth of a new trend of the public critical theatre in Syria, and
was enough for the ministry of culture to select the late artist to join its
ranks as a theatrical expert, side by side with the famous pioneers in the
Syrian theatrical movement as: Abdullateef Fathi, Waleed Mardeni,
Omer Hajjou and others who together presented a series of plays
inspired from the world literature like the noble Bourgeois, the price
of freedom, the champions of our country, getting out of paradise,
under the ash and other important plays.
Since the beginning of 1960s, he established and worked completely
in the Military theatre and was faithful to this experience until the
last days of his life. Through the military theatre he could express
himself completely as a critical comedian among the great Syrian
comedians at that time. He presented a large number of works on the
stage as: a boy at our home, the soft hands, 1+1=3, why did this happen
with us?, Het bel Kherg put in the sac- and many other plays which
made him the number one theatre star in Syria during the 1970ths and
1980ths.
The most distinguished feature of his theatre was his public style.
He got out of the classical roles of theatre as the formal language and
the static world texts and changed it into public and local language
and texts; by Doing so, he could present many works that were closed
to society and local problems of ordinary people, not only when he
dealt with social problems but even when he dealt with contemporary
political affairs. He based on the comedy of situation not on what is
called-fun for fun
His love for theatre did not prevent him from being a featured actor
in the cinema and television. He witnessed the frst birth of the cinema
movement in Syria and participated in more than 15 flms during the
1960th and 1970th, especially with the famous Syrian actors Duraid
Lahham and Nihad Qali and others. He was featured in most of his
roles in spite of that, his participation was not as the frst star. He
accepted to be a star of the second glass as we see in his roles in the
flms: A barber for ladies, a love punk, and a beauty and four eyes...
He also participated in many TV series. He witnessed the birth of
the Syrian TV at the beginning of 1960th and was one of its pioneers
who established the frst bases of Syrian drama through several works as
husbands and wives, the postman and family stories. He fell sick during
the last few years of his life which prevented him from completing
many artistic projects and works.
culture
12 magazine
In the memory of the late Mahmoud Jabr
Te Painful Departure
T
he researcher in the history of the Syrian song will not
be able to neglect the special talent and the fngerprints
of the late Syrian singer Fuad Ghazi who passed away last
week after a short life, if any researcher wants to present a
complete image of the history of the Syrian song, especially
during the 1970s and 1980s of the last century when the late
singer was a featured mark in the world of the Syrian song
because of the special kind of songs which he presented,
and also due to his exceptional talent and the abilities of
his voice which made him capable to perform and sing the
most kind of songs and poetry which were inspired by a
very specifc and private environment.
He was born in the year 1955 in Faqro, a
small village located among the mountains
of Al-ghab province in Syria, he spent his
childhood in his village as the most of children
in the Syrian countryside where the simplicity
and purity of life, the beauty of nature, and
the public and local artistic heritage, especially
that heritage of the local Syrian song of the
Syrian countryside and that related with the
native and public poetry which was labial
and said to be sang during the evenings and
celebrations of the villages, not to be written
or published at all.
The environment of his village affected
his personality a great deal since his early
childhood to the degree that people used
to call him as: Fuad Faqro instead of Ghazi,
his real second name, until the early years of
his youth when he became a famous singer
in Syrian TV and radio station. Being the
grandson of the fgure Syrian public poet
Assad Faqro, the child Fuad his chance to
listen carefully to the best masterpieces of the
most diffcult kind of Syria local public poetry
and songs which is called in the public accent
as: Ataba, and to recite a large number of this
kind of verse, and moreover to practice his
talent of singing during the different occasions
and celebrations which were held in his own
village and in the surrounding villages where
he could sustain a reasonable fame and became
well known as: the singer of the village, and
the king of Ataba.
Ataba is a kind of public verse and song.
It is very close to stanza or the in English.
Each piece of these songs is consisting of four
lines: the frst three lines must end with the
same word, the same syllables, and the same
spelling, but at the same time they must be
different in meaning. So, this kind of public
poetry needs a special talent and skill, and
a high knowledge of the local language and
environment from the poet to be capable to
attract the attention of the audience and to be
satisfed by the listeners.
A talented poet is not enough to this kind
of songs. It needs also a professional singer
who has a featured voice with special abilities:
pure, clear, charming and loud voice are the
most important aspects of the voice of the
singer of this kind of songs, and these were
the aspects of Fuads voice or what is called
Algabali voice which is inspired from the
word: mountain to refer to the environment of
the countryside.
The themes of this kind of poetry and songs
are inspired by the heritage of the countryside
and the life of the village and villagers. So
it was normal for the songs of Fuad to be
a mirror of this life and the emotions of
those people. All of his songs were full of a
mixture of sadness and happiness, love and
pain, waiting and dreams. His songs were an
expression of the emotions of the common
people, so the most featured aspects of these
songs were simplicity and clarity in addition to
the strong attendance of nature with its beauty
and harshness at the same time.
Ataba was not the only kind of song which
the late artist presented. He was also one
of the pioneers of the public song in Syria,
especially during the 1970ths and 1980ths.
He sang a large number of songs which
were written by some featured public poets
as Easa Ayoub and Hoseen Hamza. He,
with other featured Syrian singers, could
establish a special school in the history of
the Syrian song, and a rich resource for the
contemporary public singers to inspire from
and develop this deep rooted artistic heritage
in Syria and other Arab countries like:
Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.
culture
14 magazine
Fuad Ghazi
Arabs and Syrians in the USA
A Call for More than a Cultural Role
A
rabic cultural, civil and human rights organizations in the U.S. have been discussing the
repercussions of Helen Tomass case since the beginning of 2011.
Helen Tomas is a well known Arab-American author and a former member of the White
House Press Corps, who was forced to retire from her position at the White House and
stripped of many previous awards after she clearly expressed her opinion questioning the
existence of Israel and defending the Palestinians right of self-determination; she was
punished for exercising her freedom of speech which is a right for all US citizens based on
the frst amendment of the US constitution. Helen Tomas is becoming a symbol for the
growing Arab-American civil rights movement in the US.
When it comes to life and freedom, civil
rights are essential for protecting peoples rights,
traditions, customs and dignity. Arabs and
especially Syrians in the USA have contributed
to American heritage for more than 100 years.
What is their role and structure inside the
American society? What challenges are they
facing? What future contribution can they add
to the formation of US policy concerning Arab-
American citizens of the United States?
For a new immigrant it is a challenge to
establish a new life in a new society. It requires
the immigrant to live in harmony with the new
society; a harmony that protects the persons
traditions and beliefs on the one hand and
prevents clashes of contradicting ideas and
assures an adherence to the new countrys laws
on the other.
The United States is a country of
immigrants; American lifestyle is an interesting
mix of all nations habits and customs; a style
that praises individuality and personal freedom,
a matter that has its both advantages and
disadvantages. In a sense, the American people
have established a way of living, different from
that in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, or Africa.
When we talk about peoples infuence
on a nations history, heritage, inventions,
social and political levels, Syrians are a
wonderful example of how Arabs have lived
and contributed to life in the US without
forgetting their cultural identity.
The frst wave of Syrian immigrants arrived
in the US in 1880. The new immigrants settled
in New York, Boston and Detroit and later, in
places like Houston, Southern California and
Arizona. Arab and Syrian immigration to the
US suffered long hiatus after the US Congress
passed the Immigration Act of 1924 that
restricted their immigration. Forty years later
the Act was abolished and it is estimated that
thousands of Syrians arrived in the US between
1961 and 2000. This is considered the second
wave of Syrian immigration to the USA.
The frst Syrian immigrants to arrive in the
US left their countries during the Ottoman
rule. They came from small villages around
Mount Lebanon; by the 1920s they started
to refer to themselves as Lebanese. Syrians
and Arabs in general who came to the US
were either sponsored by relatives living
in the US, or were skilled professionals,
refugees or students who wanted to study at
US universities. According to the US 2000
Census, there are 142,897 Americans of Syrian
ancestry living in the US. New York City has
the biggest concentration of Syrian- Americans
in the United States.
In 1907, twelve Arab women from New York
City formed an organization called the Syrian
ladies Aid Society. It provided fnancial, medical
and moral aid to Syrian women and girls there.
A similar society was formed in Boston in
1917, though it was originally created to help
people from Greater Syria who had suffered
through WWI.
Syrian- Americans envisioned education
as an essential part of their life. According to
the same 2000 Census, Syrian and other Arab
Americans are more highly educated than the
average American. Nowadays, huge portion
of the Syrian population work as engineers,
scientist, and medical doctors.
It is profoundly important to note that many
signifcant Syrian- American fgures had and
still have a great role to play in both the US and
the worlds history. Mustapha Akkad (1930-
2005) was a Syrian-American flm director and
producer originally from Aleppo, Syria;
Betty Kaytes (1922-2005) was a well known
painter, who lived in New Jersey. She is
originally from Hama, Syria. She studied oil
painting, design, portraiture and landscape
and taught for 35 years at the Ridgewood Art
Institute. Betty Kaytes was considered to be one
of the foremost traditional painters of forals
and she won many prestigious prizes.
Steve Jobs (born 24 February 1955), the co-
founder and CEO of Apple, the largest Disney
shareholder, and a member of Disneys Board of
Directors is of Syrian descent, as are many who
have occupied important political roles in the
US government.
The Syrian- American club in Washington
D.C, which was founded in 1991, is an
example of recent efforts by Syrian-Americans
living in the Washington D.C area to establish
a foundation to preserve their identity.
In an interview with Dr. Gaith Kallas,
chairman of the Syrian American Club in
Washington D.C, Dr. Kallas stated that
the main purpose of the club is to reunite
Syrians, strengthen relations among Syrian
families, help new immigrants and create a
modern Arab cultural environment where
Syrians can still protect their identity on
the one hand and interact positively with
American society on the other.
According to Dr. Kallas, the Club has
realized the importance of the Syrian-
American youths of the second generation
in building a better Syrian-American
community inside the US. He said: we
sensed that the Syrian- American youths have
an enthusiastic spirit to learn more about
their language and Arab heritage, therefore,
the club is in the process of establishing a
youth branch.
Social and cultural events are tools,
through which the Syrian American Club
in DC is trying to deploy its objectives.
Recently the club hosted a concert for Malek
Jandali, a Syrian musician during his tour in
the US. In addition, when the Damascene
Farah Choir visited the US to represent Syria
at an international festival for Arabic culture
at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC,
the Syrian American club played a great role
in promoting the visit through spreading the
word about their presence among the Syrian
and the Arab community in the US and
offering them a warm welcome.
With all these spectacular contributions
by the Syrian-American people in the US
throughout history, what is to be expected
from them in the long run when it comes
to critical issues affecting their identities,
culture and their meaningful presence?
Based on the recent political, economic
and social events affecting the Arab world,
establishing cultural centers and promoting
social events that are exclusively for Arabs in
the US are not enough. However, reaching
the US Media, universities and educational
institutions is a step toward introducing
the US mainstream to a comprehensive
idea about Arabs and Syrians true identity,
history and positive role.
On of the few examples of Arab-
American organizations that are open to
the American society is the Arab American
Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC).
ADC is a civil right organization, the goal
of which is to combat defamation and
negative stereotyping of Arab-Americans in
the media and wherever else it is practiced. In
doing so, it acts as an organized framework
through which Arab-Americans can channel
their efforts toward unifed, collective and
effective advocacy; by promoting a more
balanced U.S. Middle East policy and serving
as a reliable source for the news media and
educators. This type of organizations should
be promoted and encouraged.
It is obvious that some Arab immigrants,
not only inside the US but in many parts
of the world have the travelers mentality.
This can be attributed to many historical,
political, humanitarian and economic
contexts that played a great role in creating
this state of mind.
According to an article by Khalid Al Horoub
published on Dar Al Hayat website, Mr.
Horoub argued that generally some Arab people
who are living abroad, tend to be reluctant in
admitting their decision about living in the
new country and not returning to their original
homeland; even after establishing a whole new
life, family and career in the new country, it
is hard for an Arab to face an inner question
about his real intent for a permanent life in the
new place. This denial is always associated with
a constant expectation of a future return.
Despite the positive presence of Syrians and
Arabs in the US throughout history till the
present time, this kind of mentality has led the
Arab communities in the US to a marginalized
role within the larger American society, a role
that is limited to social and cultural events.
To have the traveler mentality, you do not
feel any responsibilities toward the society
where you live; in addition, any alleged
responsibilities toward your original homeland
will be diminished over time.
Politics have a great role in creating public
opinion; however, civil, cultural and human
rights organizations also exercise great infuence
in shaping peoples points of view.
Therefore, the Syrian and Arab population,
especially the second generation, educated
and lived in the US has a vital role, a role
addressing other Americans; a role that
assures their participating in the different
aspects of political and social life, in a sense
that makes them effective and credible when
calling for Arab rights.
The Syrian American community in the
United States is the friendliest community
you will ever encounter. However, it is
not enough to be friendly, educated and
fnancially prosperous. What matters
is making use of your education and
fnancial abilities to be an active member
in American society and your society in the
homeland, Syria.
It is challenging, interesting and unique
to have the ability to belong to two
different places, especially when one of
them is our cherished Syria; what is more
important, however, is to have history
recall one day that this challenging and
unique experience contributed in building
a just and better future.
Steve Jobs (born 24
February 1955), the
co-founder and CEO of
Apple, the largest Dis-
ney shareholder, and a
member of Disneys
Board of Directors is
of Syrian descent
features
18 magazine
Identity is a term used in social sciences
to express a peoples understanding of their
individualism or group affliation, such as
national or cultural identity. Psychologists
use this term in order to describe a personal
identity, while anthropologists study identity in
terms of ethnicity and social movements.
In psychology, the relation between the
individualized perception of identity, known
as ego identity, and the collection of social
roles that a person might play, known as social
identity, leads to a gradual emergence of an
ego identity together with the integration with
a society and culture, will lead to a stronger
sense of identity in general. This process will
enable the people to develop and negotiate
with the society, meaning of their identity.
Moreover, such a relation between the personal
and the social perceptions of identity, combined
with other common elements in peoples
daily lives, will create an understanding of a
national identity, which is defned as a sense
of belonging to a country or to a nation.
Several factors contribute to shaping the
national identity: language, history, national
consciousness, blood ties, music, culture,
cuisine and many other emotional and realistic
factors that bind people to each other.
Traditions are crucial element of nations
characteristics and an important component
in creating a unifed identity of that nation.
According to some researchers, traditions can
be classifed into two paradigms. The frst
one is pure tradition, rooted in the past and
preserved in time; the second one is invented
tradition, which can serve political or other
purposes, like unifcation.
Therefore, national identity can provide a
link between the past and the future, serving
as a tie between the collective memory of the
national foundation and the future aspiration
that motivates the building process of the
nation, its development and survival.
Identity is a very important factor in
the peoples self-identifcation and their
interaction with the surrounding world.
Thus, adolescence, as a preparation step for
adulthood, plays a great role in developing
identity. In order to shape their identity,
adolescents start to question and think about
values, roles, ideologies, religion, economic
and political status, with which they are
confronted every day. This explains why
identity is a personal concept is hard to be
effciently defned. Family and school are the
frst institutions that play a role in shaping
the persons national identity because they
are responsible for providing a rich source of
national ideals, attitudes, values and emotions.
In a country where there are different micro-
ethnic identities, the concept of citizenship
has a great effect on creating one national
identity. The concept of citizenship implies that
citizens are individuals, whose characteristics
revolve around certain cultures and histories.
Citizenship, however, is not an identity that
is separate from other individual identities
of the citizens, a matter that can be called
multicultural citizenship.
Therefore, new legal and political subjects
can be created and a unifed citizenship,
but it does not abolish the identity of the
constituent groups. At the same time, a
unifed national identity does not contradict
a harmonious plurality, where each part can
be at the same time part of the whole. Such a
plurality can have various understandings of
what a unifed citizenship means, but at the
end there is an agreement on the importance
of a sustainable dialogue, in which different
viewpoints can qualify each other, overlap,
synthesize and to be modifed in the light of
the necessity to coexist; they can hybridize,
permit new adjustments to be made, and
new conversations to take place. This
dialogue leads to a dynamic citizenship and a
productive national identity.
In this multiculturalism, it does not
make any sense to strengthen minorities
and ethnic identities, at the expense of the
national identity. On the contrary, those
diverse identities do not necessarily play
a decisive role; instead, within an active
national narrative, those identities can
express their belonging to a unified national
identity in healthy and constructive ways.
Individual, minority and ethnic identities
can have an emotional narrative, capable
to attract individuals. Therefore, a national
narrative should be just as attractive to the
same individuals.
Societies that have no unifed harmonized
national identities are fractured and torn
with conficts. However, even people who do
not share the same race, religion, customs
or values, might share parts of all these
elements in different percentages and degrees,
playing a great role in giving the concepts
of solidarity, responsibility and belonging a
broader and deeper meaning.
National identity is an intangible infuential
tool that attaches people to the place and time;
it is a feeling that connects people to the land.
It is not a choice but a destined relation driving
everyone to place that national identity above
all other identities.
features
20 magazine
Identity and National Belonging
C
aesarean sections are considered a
benefcial and easier solution for the
doctor, and are increasingly accepted by
pregnant women, who remain unaware of
the possible consequences.
Ignoring the possible negative
consequences, many pregnant
women have accepted caesarean
sections as the method of choice
for giving birth. This belief is
based on uncertainty, fear and
the desire to avoid the pain
associated with vaginal delivery.
On the other hand, many
doctors, under various pretexts,
are increasingly giving advice
or rather imposing such surgical
method on their patients in order
to ensure higher wages as well as
more comfortable timetables; in
contrast with vaginal delivery,
which does not follow a defnite
schedule, a caesarean delivery
is arranged at a specifc time
defned by the doctor.
A way to avoid pain
I asked doctor to carry out caesarean
section for my frst delivery as an escape
from labor pains which last for hours or
even days. It is said that caesarean delivery
is more secure, easier, and has less pain in
comparison with natural method of birth,
said Zeinb, who had her frst female baby
born through caesarean section. I trust
the doctor who advised and encouraged me
concerning caesarean section.
I am totally pleased at with my frst
delivery. Frankly, I do not know much about
birth methods, it is said that natural method
of birth is better than caesarean delivery.
However, we were advised by the doctor
supervising my wife to undergo a caesarean
section due to a bleeding issue which may
pose a risk to her, said Mr. Raed Mohi al-
Din, Zeinbs husband.
Following her successful delivery, Mrs.
Lina said I wished I could have undergone
surgical measure, because I had much fear of
severe pain associated with vaginal delivery.
Repeatedly, I requested a caesarean section
but the doctor refused that recommending
vaginal delivery as a better choice for the
health of both the fetus and mother. She
added, The natural method of birth remains
safer and healthier for a woman, it creates
intimate connection with her baby at the
very frst moments, as well as helping her to
live and breastfeed her baby normally and in
short time.
Natural delivery remains a
better choice
On the other hand, some women prefer
vaginal deliveries. Why do I need to undergo
a surgery that will leave a scare? Why
do I reject the grace of God, of natural
birth. In my opinion, we should resort to
caesarean sections only when absolutely
necessary. I believe that vaginal delivery,
with all the accompanying pain, remains
better than Caesarean sections, said Mrs.
Rana Solomon, a mother of two children.
In addition to physical advantages,
other advantages of vaginal delivery for
the mother are manifested in reducing
birth costs, considering the current cost
of caesarean sections which costs up to 30
thousand Syrian Pounds and could be more,
particularly if carried out at a private
hospital, she pointed out.
Caesarean section on demand
Dr. Suzan Al Tabari, professor at
the Faculty of Medicine - University of
Damascus in the obstetrics university
hospital, explained the reasons behind
the increasing instances of caesarean
sections. Recently, we are witnessing a
rise in demand for caesarean sections.
Unfortunately, that is happening upon
womens requests while most doctors
welcome such operations considering their
proftability and ease. Consequently,
a woman, who has her frst baby born
through caesarean section, will undergo
caesarean surgeries for the most of her next
deliveries, considering that the possibility
of natural birth becomes less, which played
a role in doubling caesarean deliveries.
Absolute and relative indications
Dr. DTF, a supervisor at a health center
in Rif Dimashq Governorate, defned cases
where caesarean sections are a must, There
are absolute and relative indications for
caesarean sections. In this regard, I will
talk about cases where caesarean delivery
is absolute necessity such as small pelvis,
cervical cancer, transverse presentation, a
mismatch between the size of the fetus and
the pelvis, lack of progress in the fetuss
development, abnormal presentation,
hypertension in the mother, increased blood
pressure or blood sugar. He also clarifed
that, even if none of the aforementioned
reasons were present, the doctor may at
his own discretion resort to such surgical
methods, may concerns arise regarding
vaginal delivery.
features
22 magazine
Caesarean Sections Double in Syria
S
ocial expert: the negative
perception is attributed
with the general disrespect
for people working in
catering and servicing jobs,
besides the traditional
perspective on working
women in general.
A coffee shop waitress: I
earn my living by myself,
and this is what makes me
comfortable with my life.
They dont care about societys perspective
on their profession and the nature of their
work in restaurants and cafes; they defed the
typical idea that limits womens role to clerk
jobs or jobs that has no direct contact with
opposite sex.
Driven either by fnancial reasons or by the
love of work many young women started
to accept working as waitresses in some cafes
and restaurants in Damascus; not caring about
traditions or about what the society does have
to say about them.
I earn my living by myself
Whats On visited a cafe in Damascus;
whose owner preferred his caterers to be of the
Fair sex, and came back with these interesting
interviews.
Leen 24 years old one of the waitresses in
the cafe spoke about the reason for her choice
of this profession: from the very beginning
the reason for my choice was to break the
barrier of shyness and, also, my love for
dealing with people. Through my daily
contact with customers I managed to develop
my communication skills with others.
About the society and her familys
perspective Leen said: as for my atmosphere;
I have realized that the opposition and
the negative view are limited to the older
generation but new generations were not
surprised, on contrary; at sometimes they
were even encouraging me.
I am in love with someone who
encourages me to continue my job, I also
do not allow myself to take pocket money
from him or from any other member of my
family, I earn my living by myself and that
is what makes me comfortable in my life,
but of course all this will be different when I
get married, Id devote myself entirely to my
husband and my children.
Harassment depends on the caf
On the possibility of being subjected to
harassment or other kinds of discomforts Leen
adds: this issue varies depending on the level
of the cafe or restaurant, and I did not had any
trouble in the cafeteria where I currently work
because its customers are mostly intellectuals,
journalists, doctors, authors, dramatists and
other well respected types, while in places where
there are alcoholic beverages, the possibility of
being subjected to harassment does increase,
but ultimately it is up to the girl; she is the one
who sets the boundaries when it comes to her
relationship with customers.
Regarding the dress code or the work
costume and what is acceptable for her and
what is not, Leen says: I totally refuse
tempting dresses or short skirts, Im here to
work not to show my femininity or my body,
I also hope to be taken seriously just like any
man who works in this feld.
Media offended waitresses
For Dana (who has long experience at
working in restaurants), she had a futuristic
vision and she already have a plan laid regarding
the course of her work and its progress, Dana
want to develop herself and her skills so she
can work in the most luxurious hotels in the
city, and she knows that the key to achieve this
is by improving her English language through
continuous courses.
Dana, who started to work as a waitress
some 6 years ago and moved between Syria and
Lebanon) refuses to work in places that offer
alcoholic beverages because she is not willing
to give up some certain things to satisfy
customers.
Working in places that offer alcohols
is different from working in other places,
because in such places we are for sure exposed
to lots of harassment, and I cannot be ok with
the management excuse that the customers
are drunk and diffcult to deal with.
On the media and its portrayal of waitresses
in cafes and restaurants, Dana said: media has
abused us through some TV series or some
recently published articles, most of us have a
good reputation and high ethics that we stand
for no matter what happens, ultimately such
a work is not a taboo, it is a way of earning
a living just like any other job and the media
has to understand that, instead of enforcing
the negative idea that our close-minded
eastern society already have about us.
MONEY is not the only motive
The main reason behind choosing this kind
of work is because I enjoy it a lot, regardless
of the salary I get, I psychologically feel
comfortable for my presence here, I believe in
my abilities and Im sure that I will be able to
achieve a great success in this career.
As for her future plans, Dana said: I am
working in developing myself in several
felds, including dealing with customers and
my English language, because I am looking
forward to get a job in a 5 stars hotel, and
Im sure that I will achieve this dream
As for marriage and how is it going to affect
her career, Dana does have an interesting
opinion: The relationship between man
and woman as a couple is a complementary
relationship, and since I respect the man who
is going to be my husband, and he respects
me; I will inevitably persuade him to accept
my work through showing him my love and
devotion, and through convincing him that
we are one family, and we must cooperate
with each other to achieve our dreams.
as for the way she is treated by customers
and whether foreign customers treat her better
than the local ones, Dana says that it is not
all black and white: In general I do not see
a big difference between the treatment of
features
24 magazine
Breaking Taboos
local and foreign customers, maybe because
the cafe that I work in is mainly targeted
by the educated class. However, Im certain
that this class does not refect the attitude
of all segments of our society, because the
perception of our work -out of the caf- is
entirely different and we often notice the
negative look towards us.
Men are split
Men are obviously split when it comes to
their view of women working as waitresses or
caterers, some of them are supportive while
others are totally against the idea.
Hani Bouqai (28 old merchant)
emphasized that: As for me, I do not see any
reason that prevents females from working
in such felds as long as it is within the
limits, and as long as the main reason for
the work which is securing livelihood, life
is diffcult and it I not easy to fnd work
vacancies even for men.
Anas (a media department graduate)
declared that he is totally against the work
of women not only in restaurants but in
everywhere else: The most appropriate place
for a woman is her house with her family,
our mothers stayed at home and dedicated
their entire time to their children and
families. female is a word that has been long
associated with tenderness and Sympathy,
and in my opinion those virtues disappear
when women work and especially if the
work is a waitress in a restaurant or caf.
He continues: what we now see in
some bars and restaurants is only a blind
imitation of the West and I entirely place
responsibility on the restaurants owners who
exploit females to lure customers.
Rejection is attributed to our
religious and social heritage
As for the oriental societys view of these
girls in general, Osama Khalifa (a psychologist
and a social expert) had a clear analysis which
he was glad to share with us: oriental society
has cautious attitude against anything
new, especially if it contradicts with our
inherited customs and traditions. There is for
instance the rejection of womens entry into
the world of arts and acting. This negative
or conservative view towards women who
work in a mixed environment or in a work
that relies on physical effort goes back to a
long religious and social heritage, It dates
back to the Abbasid Period and the entry
of non-Arab communities to the Arab society
with their retarded traditions, this entry
led Muslims with time to limit the role of
women to their household chores, women
were prevented from mixing with others on
contrary with their situation at the beginning
of Islam where they used to fght with men or
attend for the wounded.
features
26 magazine
Breaking Taboos
Location: Khan Asaad Pacha Gallery
Date: 10\ 7\2011
Event: Graduation Ceremony of the
AIU Arab International University
Under the auspices of Dr. Riad Ismat,
Minister of Culture and in cooperation
with The Directorate-General of Antiquities
and Museums, AIU Arab International
University organized a graduate
exhibition for students from the Faculty
of Architecture at Khan Asaad Pacha
Gallery. The exhibition was wonderful and
attendance spent a great time.
|29|
Location: Dedemam Hotel
Damascus
Date: 5\ 7\2011
Event: Celebrating the National Day
of the Republic of Venezuela
The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic
of Venezuela in Damascus held a reception
at the Dedeman Hotel in Damascus.
The reception was attended by a number
of Arab and Foreign ambassadors and
diplomats, businessmen and figures of
Syrian society.
28 magazine
society society
|30| |31|
Location: Art House Hotel
Date: 10\7\2011
Event: Cocktail Party to Support
the Syrian Pound
General Union of Syrian Women, the
National Assembly to develop the role of
women and charity organizations organized
a Cocktail Party at Art house Hotel to
support the Syrian pound by buying
Investment Certificates from the Popular
Credit Bank of Syria and distribute the
certificates to martyrs families.
society
30 magazine
Cocktail Party to Support the Syrian Pound
|32| |33|
Location: Al Kinidi Cinema
Dummar
Date: 13\7\2011
Event: Ta3m El Laimon
Film Premiere
In the Presence of the Minister of
Culture and Information Minister the film
premiere ta3m el laimon was launched
at Al Kinidi Cinema-Dummar, Produced
by the General Organization for Cinema
and directed by Nidal Segari , the show was
attended by a large number of artists and
figures of Syrian society.
society
32 magazine
Ta3m El Laimon Film Premiere
Te tender heart of Syria
A
leppo means the iron and copper according to the
Amorite language, its weather is little hot during
the day light and cool at nights.
Aleppo is the second biggest city in Syria. It is located
in northern Syria on a hard calcareous basaltic rocks,
the rocks that helped the artists and engineers to create
and develop the long history of this magnifcent city,
they built citadels, markets, buildings, strips, and
schools, all made out of the basaltic rocks.
It is located 360 km north of Damascus at
the crossroads of several trade routes; Aleppo
was very prosperous from the 3rd millennium
BC, a prosperity it preserved throughout its
evolution and its settlement. The old city was
surrounded by a defensive enclosure, fanked
by towers and fortifed gates from the Islamic
era in the meddle. Aleppo is famous for its
mosques, Madrasas (the Fardos Madrassa is
one of the outstanding religious buildings)
and churches. It is still a very active Arab
commercial city. Aleppo has a jumble of
houses in the subtlest pastel colors with slender
minarets and, dominating it all, the great mass
of the citadel. The southern ramparts, partly
cleared of houses, lead to the impressive of all
the fortifed gates, Bab Qinnesrin.
At the year 1987 the UNESCO has registered
Aleppo as a national historical city due to the
huge number of ruins and citadels. Aleppo,
according to the UNESCO, is located at the
crossroads of several trade routes since the 2nd
millennium B.C., Aleppo was ruled successively
by the Hittites, Assyrians, Acadians, Greeks,
Romans, Umayyads, Ayubids, Mameluks and
Ottomans who left their stamp on the city;
The citadel, the 12th-century Great Mosque
and various 16th and 17th-centuries Madrasas,
residences, khans and public baths, all form part
of the citys cohesive, unique urban fabric.
In 1992, the Project for rehabilitation of
old Aleppo was set up under the Municipality
of Aleppo in cooperation with international
agencies. In 1999, the Directorate of the Old City
was established under the Municipality of Aleppo
to guide the rehabilitation of the old city with
three departments covering studies and planning;
permits and monitoring, and implementation
and maintenance. A comprehensive plan for the
evolution of the city is being prepared by the old
city Directorate offce. The citys development is
being considered under the <Programmers for
Sustainable Urban Development in Syria (UDP),
a joint undertaking project between international
agencies, the Syrian Ministries of Local
Administration and Environment, and several other
Syrian partner institutions. The program promotes
capacities for sustainable urban management and
development at the national and municipal level,
and includes further support to the rehabilitation of
the Old City.
Aleppo the tender heart of Syria
The archeological sites of Aleppo in short are:
Cyrus of Hori the Prophet.
Aleppo Citadel, which has been built by
Alexander the Great and it is considered as
one of the largest castles in the world.
Great Umayyad Mosque.
Star castle.
Al-Didria cave.
Abbey Simon castle.
Temple of Ain Dara.
The doors of Aleppo: Bab Guensrin, Bab AL-
neirab, Bab Antioch, the Baba al-Nasr (Door
of victory), and the Bab Al-makam, and others.
(Bab means Door, as in Bab toma in Damascus)
Aleppo has two towers: the clock tower, and the
clock of Bab Al Faraj.
Khans of Aleppo: Khan of the customs, Wazir
Khan, Venetians Khan, Harir (silk) Khan, Judge
Khan and Soap Khan, Khayr Biek Khan, Al-
Qassabeyn Khan, and others.
Ancient bridges on the Afrin River
Aragonese Bimaristan ,and AL Nouri bimaristan
The most amazing site among the abandon cities
in the world is The Dead City of Serjilla, it is just
too cool. Its a series of abandoned stone buildings
that once comprised an obviously bustling urban
center. These days, you can see everything from
in-tact buildings to crumbling ones. There are no
paintings that I could see, but there were some
carvings, intact arches, and two-level houses.
Where to go in Aleppo?
Aleppo contains more than 12000 meters of
ancient markets, they count about 39 Souqes
(markets) all of them are still crowded and offer
the magnifcent traditional goods and products.
It has the features of the modern cities and the
look of the ancient one. The prices are low and
you can fnd anything you ask starting from
needles ending with cars all made in Syria. So if
you attend to visit ancient places and historical
sites you can visit Aleppo, to see the following:
1
The Jami al Kabir entrance
(Umayyad or Great Mosque) is
opposite an old Koranic school, the al
Halawyah Madrassa, installed in the former
Byzantine cathedral erected at the command
of the Empress Helena. The Great Mosque was
founded in the early Islamic period, but there
is little to see that dates from that time. The
Mameluke minaret dates from 1090 and is,
with its fne proportions and Kufc inscriptions,
a good example of the great period of Islamic
architecture in Syria. The north facade is one
side of the square.
2
St Georges Cathedral stands behind
a labyrinth of narrow streets on a tiny
square. The postern gate in the middle of
the ramparts (Bab Antakia) is the Antioch Gate.
Beyond there are many important monuments,
the little domed Byzantine church converted
into a mosque; a prison with dungeons dug
into the rock; a stretch of wall 4 meters thick,
the base of a Syrio-Hittite temple; the remains
of a great mosque built by Saladins son; a
covered building containing sculpture and
objects from various periods found on the site;
the tomb of Emir Zaher Ghazi (son of Saladin)
in an annex to a madrasa founded during the
Crusader period.
3
The 13th century royal palace,
with its fne stalactite and honeycomb
entrance porch, is inlaid with white
marble. The throne room, dating from the
Mameluke period (15th-16th centuries) has
been tastefully restored: Syrian artists and
craftsmen have recreated the luxurious setting
of the court, the ceiling with its decorated
beams and caissons, lighting, windows,
polychrome columns; all are a tribute to
their skill. There are around 200 minarets,
some squat like defensive towers, others
slender as needles. On the other side stands
a fne octagonal, part of the 15th century al
Atroush mosque.
Aleppo is the city of the merchants, food,
and heavenly sounds. So if you want to visit
Aleppo the modern city; you should consider
the traditional restaurants that offer traditional
food and singers with Al-mawlaweah bands you
will have great luxury time be careful you will
eat too much and you might think you gain
weight but dont worry this experience deserve
such gain.
Finally; the last thing I should mention about
Aleppo is the great hospitality of its people and
the pleasant accent they use. People of Aleppo
use very diffcult Syrian accent, worm and
intimate one it makes you smile even if they
talk English or any other foreign language you
will notice their accent and can differ them
from others in the world.
GPS coordinates of Aleppo:
Decimal Minutes (GPS): N36
12.93725 E37 9.5565
Decimal (WGS84): 36.215621,
37.159275
Degrees Minutes Seconds: N 36 12
56.235, E 37 9 33.39.
It is a border area and the main gate
to Turkey the people of Aleppo is
a mixed of Turkish, Armenian,
Kurdish, and Arab all of them
are living together in a solid and
perfect unity.
heritage & travel
36 magazine
Aleppo the tender heart of Syria
Dead City
with a Living History
S
ergilla (or Serjilla) is located in Djebel Zawiy, the southern section of the range of limestone hills
along the right bank of the Orontes River in Syria. It lies next to al-Bara village on al-Zawia Mountain
in Idleb Province, about 330 km from Damascus.
Sergilla is one of ancient abandoned cities in
northern Syria known as the dead cities. Dead
Cities are byzantine settlements that were
left by its inhabitants probably for economic
reasons. They were living from the wine and
olive oil production and the competition
probably got to be too big. Nobody knows
exactly why they left, but this is the most
plausible reason. Sergilla is the most complete
Dead City. It has the remains of a church,
town hall, cafe, olive presses, and several
2-story villas.
In the early centuries AD the olive oil
produced in the northern and central sections
of the range was sold at Antioch, the largest and
richest city of the region, whereas that produced
in the southern section was most likely sold at
Apamea, at the time a fourishing city.
Sergilla spreads out on two hills and its
most interesting buildings are located in
the valley between them; there is no clear
evidence of the regular net of streets which
characterizes ancient Roman and Greek
towns. From the inscriptions found in the
main buildings it seems that the village
underwent an expansion in the Vth century,
a period during which fears of Sassanid
attacks or Bedouin raids must have been very
low, because the village was not protected by
walls or other fortifcations.
Other dead towns of the limestone hills
have become famous for their early Christian
monuments, whereas Sergilla retains some
public buildings which provide an interesting
insight into everyday life in the rural areas of
the Late Roman Empire.
Ancient towns had a central area (forum or
agor) which housed tribunals and markets and
where people gathered to exchange views and
learn the news of the day; at Sergilla there was
a single building which served this purpose; it
is called andron, a Greek term indicating the
section of a house that was reserved for men.
Many people visit this area and in general
Syria during the summer season and they
may associate the country with very hot
temperatures, but winters can be quite frigid
with snow on the hills and this explains the
presence of a building where people could
gather inside.
An inscription found in the baths indicates
that they were built in 473 at the expense of a
rich couple who wanted to make a gift to their
fellow-citizens; the main hall where people
undressed was decorated with a (lost) mosaic;
the baths did not have the structure of thermae,
but they did have a small room for hot baths.
A very elegant house with mouldings
similar to those found in the church of Qalb
Lozeh is located near the top of the northern
hill; it has a very modern appearance;
the presence of many doors and windows
indicates a design very different from the
traditional Greek and Roman houses which
were centred around an internal courtyard (a
pattern which will be adopted by the Arabs
in the following centuries).
In comparison with the public buildings
and some private houses, the main church of
Sergilla is a relatively modest building, probably
of the IVth century; it is much ruined, but its
apse is still easily identifable; it is located near a
complex of facilities for the production of olive
oil which is shown in the introductory page.
The elaborate Chi Rho (christogram) which
is used as background image for this page was
photographed at the Museum of Maaret an-
Nouman which houses fnds of the region near
Sergilla; it shows also the Alpha and Omega,
another reference to Christ.
The term dead town is particularly true for
Sergilla where many minor buildings are almost
intact and are still roofed, an aspect which can
be rarely observed in other villages.
Dead City
with a Living History
heritage & travel
38 magazine
Sergilla
Te City of Treasures
T
his article celebrates the glorious and beautiful city of Bosra, this ancient city is included in
UNESCOs World Heritage List for more than one reason, most notably is the fact that it is a site of
extreme rarity unique aesthetic style and high religious value to several religions.
The History
Bosra is an extremely ancient city mentioned
in the lists of Tutmose III and Akhenaten in the
fourteenth century B.C. The frst Nabatean city
in the second century B.C., it bore the name
Buhora, but during the Hellenistic period, it
was known by the name of Bustra.
Later the Romans took an active interest
in the city, and at the time of the Emperor
Trajan it was made the capital of the Province
of Arabia (in 106 B.C.) and was called
Neatrajana Bustra. The city saw its greatest
period of prosperity and expansion then,
became a crossroads on the caravan routes and
the offcial seat and residence of the Imperial
Legate. After the decline of the Roman Empire,
Bosra played a signifcant role in the history
of early Christianity. It was also Iinked to the
rise of Islam, when a Nestorian monk called
Bahira, who lived in the city, met the young
Muhammad when his caravan stopped at
Bosra, and predicted his prophetic vocation
and the faith he was going to initiate. During
the Ottoman era, Bosra played a major role as
an important halt for pilgrims on the way to
Mecca, this role lasted until the 17th century.
The Sight
Situated in the vast Hawran plain; some
145 kilometers to the south of Damascus. The
monumental remains of temples, theatres,
triumphal arches, aqueducts, reservoirs,
churches, mosques, and a 13th -century citadel
stretch over the modern site.
The famous-for-a-reason Roman theater
of Bosra was built in the 2nd century AD
and could seat up to 15,000 people. The
acoustics were carefully designed so that
even those in the cheap seats could hear the
actors. The stage was 45 meters wide and
8 meters deep. In its heyday, the theater
was faced with marble and draped in silk
hangings, and during performances a fne
mist of perfumed water was sprayed over
the patrons to keep them comfortable in
the desert heart. A large area in front of the
stage may have been used for circuses or
gladiatorial shows.
A fortress was built around the theater
during the Omayyad and Abbasid periods,
which accounts for its excellent state of
preservation. Unlike many other Roman
theaters, which were built into a hillside,
Bosras theater is freestanding.
Other Roman sites at Bosra include the
palatial Roman baths, monumental gates and
some fne Corinthian columns.
The 13th century wall still envelopes the
theater today. When the Arabs conquered Bosra
they immediately blocked all the doors and
opening of the ancient theater with thick walls,
transforming it into a citadel. But the new
threats posed by the Crusaders rendered these
early defences inadequate; so in the mid-11th
century three towers were built, jutting out
from the Roman building; nine other bigger
ones followed, between 1202 and 1251.
A fortress was built around the theater
during the Omayyad and Abbasid periods,
which accounts for its excellent state of
preservation. Unlike many other Roman
theaters, which were built into a hillside,
Bosras theater is freestanding.
heritage & travel
40 magazine
BOSRA The City of Treasures
Walking the City
From the theater a narrow road with ancient
pavement runs alongside the southern baths
before coming to the decumanus, near a triple
arch known as Bab al Kandil (the Gate of
the Lantern). It was built in the 3rd century
in honour of the Third Cyrenaica Legion,
stationed here at Bosra. A double-storied
archway marks the western entrance to the city,
Bab al Hawa, the Gate of the Wind.
Turning right along the decumanus, one
encounters a group of slender columns. The
frst four, set at an angle to the street, are
believed to the remains of a Nymphaeun. On
the other side of the street, two columns 25
meters apart, one of which is joined to the
neighbouring wall by a rich entablature, are
said to have been part of a kalybea, a religious
building unique to this region.
The eastern exit to the town was marked
by an archway which, unlike the Gate of the
Wind (to the west), is said to date from the
frst century, the Nabatean period. This is
the only known Nabatean gateway outside of
Petra in Jordan.
Outside of the Nabatean gate on the left
are the ruins of the Sts. Sergius, Bacchus and
Leontus Cathedral, built in 512. It was the
frst domed building to be built on a square
ground plan. The cathedral is said to have
been part of Emperor Justianians inspiration
for the Hagia Sophia.
About 30 meters to the north of the
cathedral is a 3rd or 4th century basilica
whose walls are intact up to roof level.
This is the site of the famous encounter
between Bahira and Mohammad. Bahira
was a Nestorian Christian monk who is said
to have met the Prophet Muhammad when
he was 12 years of age. He noticed the seal
of prophecy and foretold that the Prophet
would have a great future.
The Mosque of Omar in the centre of
the town began as a pagan temple. It is
the only mosque surviving from the early
Islamic period to preserve its original
facades, and all its columns remain in
place. Many bear inscriptions in Greek,
Latin or Nabatean. Its fine square minaret
dates from the 12th century.
The al Khidr mosque is one of Bosras oldest
Islamic structures. Built out of black basalt in
1134 on the site of an earlier mosque, its 12-
meter-high minaret was built over a meter away
from the mosque. Arabic inscriptions can be
seen in the plaster above the mihrab.
The al Mabrak Mosque, which recalls a visit
by the Prophet Mohammed to Bosra, is in the
northeast outskirts of the city. Thousands of
graves, with great steal of black basalt on them,
keep watch at the foot of its walls. There is an
enormous cistern which, at 120 meters by 150
meters is one of the largest the Romans ever built.
The Manjak Hammam, dating back to
1372, is a prototype of Mamluk architecture.
Founded by Manjak Al Youssouf (Governor
of the Damascus province), this was the last
Islamic structure to be built in Bosra. It shows
how important this town was up until late in
the Middle Ages.
International Bosra Festival
This year will see Bosras famed annual
festival reach its 24th anniversary, the festival -
which is supposed to take place next June will
include folk-dances and shows from several
troupe from all over the world, in addition to
concerts of several famous Arab singers and
musicians. All shows will be performed in the
historic Roman theatre.
heritage & travel
42 magazine
BOSRA The City of Treasures
W
hether you are seeking a new
fascinating scent for 2011 or just
looking to broaden your horizons and
learn a little about perfume for women
- you have come to the right place.
The following are the best 2011
fragrances for women according to
a criteria that factors in: price &
effectiveness, duration time, personal
opinion, reputation of manufacturer &
uniqueness of scent.
Even though you think that
men have a less sensitive
nose, dont over-do it. Dont
spray too much fragrance
in order to be noticeable; it
will have a diverse effect.
When buying in a store,
use the card in order to feel
the scent. Dont spray it on
your hand because it will
mix with whatever products
you previously used. It will
change (and usually hinder)
the scent, even if you put it
long ago.
After fnding a perfume you
liked, spray it very gently on
you on spots that are likely
to not have any products or
sweat on them. Afterwards,
step outside and take a fresh
breath of air. This will allow
you to judge the fragrance in
another environment.
When you go out and
choose which perfume to
wear please bear in mind
which occasion you are
attending to. The workplace
fragrance is not the
restaurant one. The hitting
the bar at Sat night
perfume is not the same
as you would wear when
meeting your boyfriends
parents. If you dont
have any differentiation
between these events and
the correlated perfumes,
then you should check your
wardrobe again.
lifestyle
44 magazine
Top Women Perfumes for this Season
Most unusual perfume of the year 2011
Lolita Lempicka is one perfume that you can feel
through its luxurious packing. Through the way the
golden leaves gently lay upon it, to a fnely detailed
bottle that almost seems like artwork, it is easy to
grasp the amount of work that has been put into this
unique product.
Based on a unique Anise note, it is almost unbearably
sweet on the frst spray but very soon an overly sweet
scent is replaced with a catchy & attractive scent.
Licorice and velvet wrap down this incredible product
and make the combo more of silky sour-sweet.
Womens sexiest fragrance 2011
The year is 2011 and this fragrance still dominates the
market. It started off in the 40s and its still a powerful,
relevant and fresh. This is a 1940s perfume that still makes
every woman that wears it feel sexy. Quite a feat, we would
say.
The #1 reason for purchase in a survey was response from
men. Apparently some men responded so well to the sexy
perfume that it blew the womens minds.
This perfume scent is composed of jasmine and roses,
neroli and narcissus, iris, carnation, lily, patchouli, labdanum,
oakmoss, ambergris, sandalwood, vetiver, and leather. A foral
scent with an edge that makes it both great as a casual perfume
and as an evening one, a rare and deadly combo.
Most feminine 2011
Alfred Sung for women is a superb perfume that was chosen by
y2hperfumereviews.net as the fragrance of the month, and that is
for several very good reasons.
It has a delicate, comfortable scent that wraps you around it. It
contains fowers, green foras, musk and woody notes - one great
combination. Some of these notes are a little masculine but we
assure you that this is one of the most feminine scents that we ever
laid our noses on. Its not a new perfume but rather a tradition
already for 25 years.
The overall winner
The classic perfume proves once again that some scents remain
relevant and dominant throughout the years. This is a perfume
for a strong, confdent, woman that believes in herself. Even
the bottle refects it, representing perfectly the role of modern
women in our current times. More than a remarkable package
this perfume has a superb scent which is just about the perfect
balance.
The most notable notes of this modern masterpiece are
grapefruit, ginger, and passionfower that compose a feminine
non-aggressive scent which is fruity but not overly sweet. This is a
real classy fragrance likewise the package
Cheap and surprising
Simple, cheap and smells so nicely. Even Luca Turin has given it 5 stars - a rare
grade from a world-famous perfume expert.
Crisp, fresh, fowery and fruity. Not for everyone as this perfume is a little
unusual but surprisingly good. You would expect it to be perhaps a childish
scent or at most a cologne aimed at teenagers who spend their days on the phone
discussing the latest Justin Bieber but it most certainly isnt. This is a smell for
someone who is looking for a young scent indeed, but in no way childish.
It starts off with some sweet rose notes, then become crisp or sourly-sweet
grapefruit-citrus and ends up in with a winning tangerine . Not the usual
composition, but interesting, refreshing and well laid perfume in total.
A renewed top classic
Despite an exclusive price of 51 dollars, this eu da parfume will continue to
dominate the market. The sales have been sky rocking last year, despite of the
economic crisis, and this year it should continue selling like crazy. Its is genuinely
a pearl, one of a kind fragrance that has perhaps the most effect of all perfumes in
the market.
Orange, thyme and Iris compose this elegant fragrance that is suitable mostly
(but not only) for dates and business meetings. This is an extremely feminine
perfume that gets the job done in every sense of the word We think that it is
just too powerful to be a casual perfume but millions use it as a casual day-to-day
perfume, so its a matter of preference.
lifestyle
Top Women Perfumes for this Season
Words by: Tareq Neman
H
umans have many natural
enemies that follow him/
her wherever he/she goes, one of
those enemies is the painful
memories. When we say
painful memories we mean
the memories that we hate
ourselves when we live
them again. They cause
too much sorrow, too
much pain, so much
so that we feel the
need to get into
a time machine
and go back
in time and
to change
them.
If we want to know what is painful memories we should read some examples:
Someone raped a 5 years old when he was 13 years old- this is a bad memory-
but not a painful one, the painful memory is when this man remembers her
eyes looking at him or her sound asking him to stop, so much so that he could
kill himself to avoid such feelings. Physiologically speaking, memories are out
of chemical causes in the brain, so when we experience some good or bad thing
our brains will keep some pictures and some smells and sounds of this event,
this is an ordinary thing, but when we mix the feelings with the memories once
the brain will attach them together and evokes them together, this operation will
remain forever because every time we remember this painful memory we will
consider that we are punishing ourselves for doing such bad thing so the brain
will keep this memory to use it as a punishment so it can release some pressure
by remembering it and punishing itself, then it (brain) will relax.
So, painful memories are nothing but a
Self-whipping, and the brain will never forget
these memories because they relax it every time.
But such relaxation will damage the body and
will tie it forever, it will destroy the ability to
think, to be free and to develop new skills. Such
memories are the main reasons behind drug
abuse, torturing body and alcoholism. More
than 30 percent of the world population is
having such serious memories.
Since such memories have a chemical
mechanism we can avoid feeling or
remembering it.
We can use many tools to help us to get the
internal peace and to avoid such memories.
Such as using certain aromas or perfumes,
Mother Nature helps its children to be saved
and strong, so, using some certain aromas or
perfumes will help a lot.
Jasmine, Amber, Rose, Sandalwood, Onions,
Violet, apple, and Lemon essential oils use one
of those essential oils every day in the house
and at the offce you will help your brain to
forget the memories that you dont want to
recall. You should stay away from the following
aromas or perfumes Musk, garlic, pine, Arabian
jasmine, orchid, plum, daffodil, and peaches.
This for the atmosphere, about the colors
you should surround yourself with certain
colors and avoid some colors. So, surround
yourself with white, pink, sky-blue, Turquoise,
yellow, and light green
Avoid the following colors, Black, Red,
Dark Yellow, Violet, and Brown. This will
help you if you followed it step by step with
the following tools.
1
. Evaluate how much that past
action actually affects your
present life: One bad relationship doesnt
alter every man or woman alive. Perhaps letting
go of that memory will make you more open to
creating new, more positive experiences.
2
. Realize the randomness of life:
A few bad experiences can have you feeling
like you must be cursed. Realize, however, that
bad things do occasionally happen to good
people. Try to see those experiences as accidents
of chance, and nothing more. Try again! Ignore
your past mistakes. Chances are you will
succeed this time.
3
. Reverse your thinking: Painful
memories can make you fearful and a
symptom of fear is negative thinking. Try to
reverse that thinking (ex. I cant fnd a partner
- I will fnd a partner). Focus on the cant, and
you will expect negative things and leave no
room for anything good to happen. Think
about what you want, and you will inevitably
do things to make it happen. Thinking
positively is a surefre way to attract good
things. Just try it.
4
. Change the future, not the
past: Did you know that you can write
over the past by creating a better future?
One good day erases all the bad ones. When
you know low, you prepare yourself to
truly appreciate the highs of life. By taking
control of the future, you can debunk the
discouragements of the past.
5
. Talk things over: Chances are, you
have drastically overestimated the pain
of your past memories. Open your heart to a
trusted friend or trained psychotherapist, who
can help you put things into perspective.
For desperate hearts
6
. Remember the facts: Was
the person who left you chronically
unstable in relationships? Take a break from
blaming yourself and realize that other
factors that have nothing to do with you
shape each circumstance.
7
. Origin of the memories: Before
you can get rid of haunting memories,
you must come to terms with the origin of
those memories. You cannot let go of anything
that you try to suppress. Suppression is not a
solution; it is only a band-aid on the problem.
Talking to someone about these memories can
assist you in coming to terms with them. If that
is too much for you to do, buy a journal and
write it down. Writing can be very therapeutic.
Really, all you need is a way to get your feelings
about these experiences out.
8
. Let go: Letting go means that you
allow yourself to understand that any
experience you have had, good or bad, is not
your fault. You can get to the point where
you know that each experience youve had the
opportunity to witness is meant to be a lesson
to you. You were meant to learn something
from the situation so that you could advance
to where you need to be in this life. When
learning to let go, internalizing this frst point is
the most important.
9
. Forgive: If there is resentment,
forgiveness is a big part of letting go
and moving on.
Having bad memories is a good thing it
helps us to fx and reconsider our faults, but
painful memories are, also, too dangerous; we
should overcome and terminate them when
we have the chance.
Try not to follow untrustworthy people,
you should work on changing yourself and
remember that bills and medicines will help
you to forget by damaging not by building,
so why should we damage things if we can fx
and develop them.
lifestyle
Overcome the painful memories
Words by: Massa Kateb
N
owadays, a lot of Syrian ladies tend to wear makeup for work, daily life, night life and any other
occasion. It takes a lot of effort and requires a sense of style to get it all done. Baladna will take
you around the Damascene market in order to get it know a bit more than you already do.
Some other big international brands on
the Syrian market are: Sisley, Chanel and
Bourjois. And with big names come big
numbers, such as 5,000 SYP for a Sisley
foundation, 3,000 SYP for a Dior or a
Chanel, 2,500 SYP for a Clarence and 1,500
SYP for a pupa or a Bourjois. If you feel like
going all natural and having 100 percent
organic makeup, youll have to go for Calvin
Cline, with their only organic foundation in
the Syrian market that costs 2,700 SYP.
On the other hand, Turkish brands kicked
in the Syria market, especially after cutting
down taxes on Turkish imports and opening
the borders for products. Golden Rose and
Basic are both Turkish brands and are
competing in the Syrian market with Chinese
products, having almost the same price but a
better quality.
When having a budget problem, most
makeup artists agree that the basics, such as
foundation, powder, moisturizer and sun
block, should be of international brands.
They are the basic ground of your makeup
and they should be up for the job. A brand
name makeup is something that women
should spend money on, because their face
skin is the most important thing to care for,
Rasha Intabli, 22, said. You can buy cheap
clothes, cheap shoes but never buy
cheap makeup.
Some girls get
their makeup done
in a blink of an eye,
others could take
ages. It takes me
about an hour to
get my full makeup
on, between drawing the
right lines and wearing the
foundation, it can easily
take an hour Amarein,
17, said. Her sister Hala, 19,
spends ffteen minutes to get it
done by avoiding heavy layers.
Shireen, 31, on the other hand gets
her full makeup done for work in
only ten minutes. After ffteen
years of wearing makeup, my hands just do
the magic themselves.
Shopping in Damascus malls a woman could
spend up to 3,000 SYP for two products, while
shopping in al-Hamidieh souq a woman ends
up with a bag full of products (about 10-15
products) by spending an average of 2,000 SYP.
When it comes to products such as lip gloss or
eye shadow, Syrian brands, such as Poretuar,
Monella, Sulaf and Magdulin are competing in
the market. In 2008, Syria had exported 24,713
tons of essential oils, cosmetics and perfumery
products and imported 15,269 tons, according
to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Attracted by the low costs, ladies turn to
al-Hamidieh souq to get what they are looking
for. Shops there follow the wholesale policy
called quantity over quality. Wholesale
prices work just fne for me, said Abu
Ahmad, a shop owner in al-Hamidieh souq.
I sell with a low price but I make my proft
by selling big numbers. And thats how its
done, he added.
Mixed makeup reactions
Most women who wear makeup on a
daily basis had started wearing it in early age.
I started by stealing some of my friends
mascara, Layla, 24, said. I was just 14 back
then and now I have the experience to help
my friends to wear their own makeup. But
when asked why she wears makeup the answer
was stunning: When my fanc tells me that I
dont take good care of myself, I have to prove
him that hes wrong by wearing makeup. I am
a lady after all! The men, on the other hand,
had a completely different opinion: There are
many styles of makeup, such as work makeup
and night life makeup, but unfortunately, most
of Syrian ladies dont know the difference
Mazen Simon, 23, said. Natural beauty is what
we, men, want. Too much of makeup during
the day is not pretty at all. While Hamdan
Mahmoud, 30, had another say in the matter:
Some women look better with makeup on, he
adds, it brings out their beauty and self-caring,
it makes them noticeable to men.
Sun block is a must for your healthy makeup. To keep
your skin fresh and healthy you should wear it on and have a thirty
minute timeout to let your skin absorb the material.
Carry on with the moisturizer. Right before adding up
the foundation, get your eyes makeup done, therefore you wont
drop anything on your foundation. Then add up another
ten minutes break in order for the products not to form
a mask on your face.
By adding up the powder, you will fnally
fnish the basic ground of your makeup.
Now the fun begins! You have
the luxury of adding your desirable
product. From mascara to lipstick and many,
many others
STEPS OF WEARING A HEALTHY MAKEUP
Buying makeup in Damascus is not that
hard. There are three main areas for this kind of
shopping; malls, high streets and al-Hamidieh
souq. Expensive products can be found
anywhere you look, but most of the time you
have to be an expert to pop up a fake product.
Therefore, malls are where most Syrian women
march when buying a brand name. Some
international products that hit the Syrian
market are Manhattan and Max Factor. Both of
them are high quality international brands with
the cheapest prices on the market such as 400
SYP for a Manhattan foundation and 600 SYP
for a Max Factor mascara.
Hiba Toghli, 24, says: I
always have a budget to
follow for makeup shopping.
She adds: no matter how
broke I am, Manhattan
is Manhattan and a good
foundation is a must!
lifestyle
50 magazine
Shopping for Makeup in Damascus
Giorogio Armani is always known by his beautiful and well-
made creations. But this season was extraordinary on all levels,
starting with the idea of the show which was inspired from Japan,
to the amazing Kimono dresses, the perfect suits, the beautiful
printed fabrics, and the fascinating headdresses created from paper
and fowers by Philip Treacy.
The show is not only homage to Japan but it is a homage to the
Haute-Couture, and to the high-standard craftsmanship.
Chanel
Is it the magical touch of Mr. Lagerfeld or the spell
of Chanel house that keep us passionately waiting
every season for the Chanel shows?
Every season Lagerfeld surprises us with the stage
ideas and the atmosphere of the shows, and this season
was not an exception. He turned the Grand Palais
into a street scene inspired from Place Vendme at
night. Everything was magical, starting with the classic
Chanel suits, and ending up with the illuminated
shoes. The evening dresses were a dream to every
woman with the beautiful lace, the feminine ruffes,
and the sequin fabrics.
Lagerfeld knows exactly what all women want and
for that Chanel will always remain one of the most
coveting brands worldwide.
Te magical touch
of Mr. Lagerfeld
From Japan with love
Armani Prive
Words by: Hala Jarjoura
Fashion
52 magazine
Armani Prive & Chanel
Dior
The Haute-Couture show of Christian Dior winter
2012 was like a festival of colors, or more like a sad
festival with the absence of John Galliano for the frst
time in 15 years, after he got fred from the house of
Dior for being accused of racism.
Bill Gaytten, the man who has been named
the successor of Galliano at Dior tried to follow
his footsteps and to keep on the magical touch of
Galliano but he didnt succeed. personally, i think the
show was a chaos with lots of themes, lots of bright
colors and layered fabrics that sometimes can be
annoying for the eye.
The show was disappointing for all Dior fans and
off course for Galliano fans.
A sad festival of colors
Elie Saab
Watching Elie Saab show was more like foating in
a beautiful dream that you wish will never end.
The winter 2012 collection was all about soft
colors and delicate fabrics, from nude to romantic
black, and from cheer to embroidered dresses. With
every collection he took us back to the forgotten
romantic time that we missed and made us forget for
a while that we live in this noisy world.
Saab is proving time after time that hes the master
of elegance, and that his creations will always be a
dream to every woman.
Te beautiful dream
Fashion
Dior & Elie Saab
Stephane Rolland
The man, who brought back glamour to the Haute-Couture,
took us this season to a fantastic journey through his breathtaking
collection. For some moments, you think you are in some kind of
an art museum and not in a fashion show.
Rolland inspired his collection from a style of Chinese
calligraphy Caoshu that reminds us of the striking portrait of the
British illustrator David Downton, and from the legendary super
model Carmen DellOrefce; with her mysterious fgure, just like a
stroke of black ink topped with a white cloud.
Rolland always keeps the best for the last, where he realizes
his creative ideas in designing the gorgeous wedding
gowns. For this season, his wedding gown design
was a literally a masterpiece, it took a ten-
member team around three weeks to create it,
though it was made of 368 meters of satin.
You cant help but notice the perfect work
and the well-done fnishing, and of course the
original designs.
Stroke of creativity
Jean Paul Gaultier
Its amazing how Jean Paul Gaultier
can still surprises us every season with his
creativity and his amazing shows.
The collection was inspired from
Black Swan and Red Riding Hood, very
theatrical and dramatic with the beautiful
contrast of the soft and rough fabrics, with
the dark faded colors and bright colors,
with the femininity and the masculinity.
His signature was strongly present in
the show with the full midi skirts, the
corsets, the rock and roll spirit, and the
tailored jackets.
Black Swan
Fashion
Stephane Rolland & Jean Paul Gaultier
Theres a small, nearly perfect comic moment not far into Michael Holroyds
new book, A Book of Secrets: Illegitimate Daughters, Absent Fathers, when
this esteemed biographer, now in his 70s, describes being locked in a car on a
research trip with a woman who drives through Italy as if shes just robbed a
bank and is being chased by carabinieri.
Author: Michael Holroyd
Mr. Holroyd is best known for his biographies of
Strachey, George Bernard Shaw and the painter
Augustus John. He is an institution in Britain,
where he was knighted in 2007. He is married to
the novelist Margaret Drabble, now Dame Margaret
Drabble. In Britain the best writers collect titles the
way American ones collect Charlie Rose interviews.
A Book of Secrets is the fnal volume in a series
that includes Basil Street Blues (2000), a memoir,
and Mosaic (2004), a blend of biography and
autobiography. The author refers to these books as
the confessions of an elusive biographer.
If one can sometimes compare a biography to
a novel, A Book of Secrets reads like a series of
linked short stories. At its heart it weaves together
the lives of several not-especially-well-known women,
around whom more famous men (Lord Randolph
Churchill, Auguste Rodin, D. H. Lawrence and E.
M. Forster among them) sometimes revolved. These
women tended to exist on the fringes of the British
aristocracy, Mr. Holroyd writes, and were not
wholly protected from the hardship and tragedy that,
in other classes and a more familiar form, were to fuel
the feminist movement.
Among them is Eve Fairfax, a muse of Rodin, who
was abandoned by her fanc and never married. By
the end of her long life she was an impoverished,
homeless and eccentric supertramp (a genteel
tragedy, one writer called her), living off the
generosity of wealthy friends and carrying around
an outsize visitors book in which she collected
autographs and keepsakes.
Another central character is the poet and novelist
Vita Sackville-West, who was married to the
diplomat and writer Harold Nicolson. Mr. Holroyd
is most interested in Sackville-Wests feverish lesbian
relationship with Violet Trefusis, who was also married,
and who easily becomes this books most fery and
complicating character. Sackville-West referred to her,
accurately enough, as an unexploded bomb.
Trefusis was so intense that she appeared in many
other peoples books, including those by Cyril
Connolly, Nancy Mitford and Harold Acton, as
well as Sackville-Wests and Nicolsons. She was an
excellent writer herself. A biographer of Nicolson
likened her letters to those faming yellow bulldozers
which one meets tearing up road verges, hedgerows,
concrete walls, asphalt roads and any and every
obstacle that lies in their path.
Trefusis was also a novelist, and it is among Mr.
Holroyds missions in A Book of Secrets to revive
interest in her novels, which he deeply admires,
agreeing with the critic Lorna Sage that they should
be discussed alongside those of Edith Wharton,
Christina Stead and Jane Bowles. Violets own
novels are scattered over Europe like a leaderless
and dispersed army, he writes. They are written in
French or English as if she is vainly trying one key,
then another, to set herself free.
Place is a resonant character in A Book of Secrets.
Much of the action revolves around the palatial Villa
Cimbrone, located on a hill above the Italian village
of Ravello, where many of these women visited. Mr.
Holroyd refers to it, a bit melodramatically, as a place
of fantasy that seems to foat in the sky, a spot that
answers the need for make-believe in all our lives.
George Painter, a biographer of Proust, once
compared the experience of reading Violet Trefusiss
prose to being driven at 90 m.p.h. over an ice
feld, by a driver who knows how to skid for fun.
Mr. Holroyd isnt that kind of writer. Hes cautious,
buttoned down, collar turned up against the wind.
But his new book contains many fne moments
during which, holding on with white knuckles, you
might hear yourself cry, Brilliant!
Most people probably think the search for a
real Garden of Eden was abandoned centuries
ago. With so many modern scientifc advances,
the discovery of fossil evidence from early ages
and, of course, the advance of Darwins theory
of evolution, surely no one would be so mad
as to look for an actual Eden. Brook Wilensky-
Lanfords frst book, Paradise Lust, suggests
just the opposite.
It seems there have always been and
continue to be little armies of Eden chasers
who take this quest very seriously, carrying
their search to the most unlikely places.
Wilensky-Lanford carries the reader along on
some of these journeys, from the North Pole
to rural Ohio, evoking the lives and characters
of a collection of eccentrics that includes a
professional archaeologist and a preacher, as
well as a Chinese businessman and a British
irrigation engineer. What these disparate types
have in common is their insistence that they
have fnally and truly cracked the biblical code.
They all begin with the verses in Genesis.
A river fows out of Eden to water the garden,
and from there it divides and becomes four
branches namely the Pishon, the Gihon,
the Tigris and the Euphrates. But while its
easy to fnd the Tigris and the Euphrates,
which run from Turkey through Iraq into the
Persian Gulf, the locations of the Gihon and
the Pishon remain distinctly murky. A further
complication is the theory that todays Tigris
and Euphrates are not the same as the biblical
ones, a notion that allows, as Wilensky-Lanford
puts it, room for a more fanciful geography.
Fanciful might be putting it mildly.
William Fairfeld Warren, the frst president of
Boston University, published a book in the late
19th century in which he argued that Eden was
located at the North Pole or, at least, that it
had been there before the Flood.
An early-20th-century Eden chaser, the
Rev. Edmund Landon West, insisted that
an ancient mound in Ohio in the shape of
a 1,300-foot-long snake was the real spot,
ignoring the fact that the structure had been
created by Native Americans.
The stories she has collected in Paradise
Lust are certainly weird, and at times strangely
wonderful. Some searchers insisted that the
biblical rivers were actually canals. Others
placed Eden in Chinese Turkestan and were
convinced that Adam and Eve had 12 sons.
Although some kept to the biblical location of
the Tigris and Euphrates, others, like a staunch
Republican named Elvy Edison Callaway,
placed Eden as far away as Florida.
Wilensky-Lanford devotes an entire chapter
of Paradise Lust to The Urantia Book, an
alternative bible that was revealed to a group in
Chicago over the course of 30 years, beginning
in the mid-1920s. According to this document,
a group of aliens surveyed our planet some
600 million years ago and waited 549 million
years for human beings to evolve but then
had to bring in Adam and Eve in order to fght
against an evil human lord called Caligastia.
Eighty-three years before Adam and Eves
estimated arrival, 3,000 volunteers created the
Garden of Eden on an eastern shore of the
Mediterranean Sea near Crete. The Tree of
Life was a magical shrub that released cosmic
energy when eaten, sort of like an intergalactic
battery, as Wilensky-Lanford explains. In this
new version of the creation, Eve gave birth to
1,647 children of a superior violet-skinned
race and the Urantian Eden was patrolled by
sewage inspectors to control diseases. Then evil
arrived in the shape of Serpatatia, leader of a
tribe outside Eden, who convinced Eve that
she could spread her good genes more quickly
and effciently if she had sex with another man,
Cano, the father of Cain. In the end, Adam and
Eve left their Mediterranean Eden and built
a new one in Mesopotamia, where they were
reduced to tilling the soil with their own hands.
Despite its enjoyable parade of oddities,
Paradise Lust can, at times, seem almost
overloaded with strange stories. Lined up one
after another, they become a little repetitive:
one more peculiar Eden chaser, one more
bizarre theory. And the portraits of earlier
searchers, deft and funny, tend to make the
contemporary accounts of, say, Wilensky-
Lanfords visits to the Creation Museum in
Kentucky and to the Mormon site of Eden
in Independence, Mo. feel pedestrian.
Mostly, however, Paradise Lust is a pleasure.
Wilensky-Lanford tackles her subject with an
appealing mix of serious research and tongue-
in-cheek humor. Neither too academic nor too
whimsical, the storytelling in Paradise Lust is
often irresistible.
literature
September 2011 Issue No 76 59 58 magazine
Paradise Lust
The premise of Dr. Nassir Ghaemis book about leadership and mental
illness is simple. It need not be reiterated as frequently as Dr. Ghaemi
repeats it. But he begins A First-Rate Madness by writing, This book
argues that in at least one vitally important circumstance insanity
produces good results and sanity is a problem. To put it only a shade
differently: When our world is in tumult, mentally ill leaders function
best. Or: In the storm of crisis, complete sanity can steer us astray,
while some insanity brings us to port.
A First-Rate Madness hammers hard to make its one big point. Sometimes
Dr. Ghaemi uses textbook-style italics: The best crisis leaders are either
mentally ill or mentally abnormal; the worst crisis leaders are mentally healthy.
At other times he captures the textbook experience via pedantic tone. What
made Churchill see the truth where Chamberlain saw only illusion? he asks
rhetorically. A key difference was that Chamberlain was mentally healthy (which
well discuss more in Chapter 14), while Churchill was clearly not.
Dr. Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center
in Boston, also favors an overeager, textbook-type weakness for generalizations
that are glib but easy to remember. Gandhi was depressed, he writes at one such
moment. Indias populace was normal. That distinction may explain it all. And
he does his utmost to provoke controversy, as when he gives President John F.
Kennedy an unlikely bedfellow in Adolf Hitler.
In articulating the fip side of a premise that is essentially
fattering to the gloomy and even the unhinged, Dr. Ghaemi
demonstrates remarkable powers of condescension toward his
designated dullards. Dismissing the part of Tony Blairs memoir
that deals with 9/11, Dr. Ghaemi writes: To his credit, Blair
maintains a somewhat open mind. Writing about President
George W. Bush, his thinking is similarly patronizing and also
vague. Bushs rise was not easy, but it was not very hard either,
he notes.
Dr. Ghaemi does not intend this as an addition to the much-
debunked feld of psychohistory; rather, he sees it as something
more sophisticated. He covers a broad swath of important-
sounding material and uses a greatest-hits lineup of famous
leaders, affecting a therapists intimacy with them all. He
arranges them more or less chronologically, although an early
section on Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, who fulflled Dr.
Ghaemis criteria for interesting mental aberration by burning
Atlanta, somehow leads to a passage on Ted Turner, who started
CNN there.
Sourcing is a serious problem throughout A First-Rate
Madness. Sometimes he delves into psychiatric records. But
he also relies on Jane Fondas memoir for information about
Mr. Turners manic sexual excesses and on secondary sources,
like Chris Matthewss Kennedy and Nixon, for anecdotal
evidence. The endnotes to A First-Rate Madness can be
downright maddening.
In discussing Kennedys dangerous, potentially mind-altering
Addisons disease, Dr. Ghaemi refers to an old movie (presumably
Nicholas Rays Bigger Than Life) in which a patient, treated
with cortisone as Kennedy was, becomes psychotic and commits
murder. He reveals the name of the Kennedy biography from
which this anecdote comes but not the name of the movie.
A First-Rate Madness moves from big target to big target
at a fast, perfunctory clip. The section on Lincoln demonstrates
the books method: Look for family history of mental illness.
Look for suicide attempts or other evidence of despondency.
Look for manic episodes as well, and then explore the
implications of any medicines that the subject may have been
given. (For Lincoln treatment may have involved cold showers,
bleeding and mercury tablets.)
Then, depending on the degree of sanity on display,
either conclude that the man rose above tremendous
obstacles to become a great leader or was too ordinary to
be anything but flummoxed by his lifes challenges. All the
books subjects are men.
Some of these formulations are conveniently tidy: Dr. Ghaemi
is able to call Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. the
bookends of depressive activism. And sometimes they are based
on truly tenuous evidence; both the Gandhi and King families
were able to maintain enough privacy to thwart Dr. Ghaemis
research. Based on Gandhis depression and the self-destructive
behavior of his son, Harilal, Dr. Ghaemi can go no further than
this specious thought: It is quite possible that others in the
family have suffered the same illness.
As for Hitler and Kennedy, their pathologies actually are
made to seem similar by A First-Rate Madness. Both were
heavily medicated for illnesses that were kept from the public;
both were fueled by combinations of steroids, amphetamines
and barbiturates; both may have demonstrated great behavioral
changes as a result of those drugs. But Kennedy, in the books
estimation, rose to the challenges he faced. And Hitler well,
Dr. Ghaemi treads tenderly around him, because the memory of
those who perished is justifably cherished, as he puts it. Suffce
it to say that Dr. Ghaemi thinks he has come up with important
insights. He may, like some of our best-known leaders, be
unrealistic in his beliefs.
Her twin boy and girl are grown, and
Yvonne, a history teacher in small-town
Vermont, feels ready to begin shaking off her
grief and rediscover the woman she used to be,
and also to fnd something like the truth about
her own life: she has travelled to strip herself of
these lies, to shed this grief. The grief and the
lies were the same one begot the other. She
wants to stop feeling like a widow, to rediscover
a self more engaged with the world around her.
But Data is seedier than she remembers, and
nothing unfolds according to her nebulous
plans and untested assumptions.
An air of menace hovers in the prose from
the novels opening words, as Yvonne lands at
the airport and fears she has made a terrible
mistake: she found a vacation home online and
rented it for a week, sending money in advance.
The reader shares her fears that something will
go very wrong, but the plot doesnt develop as
she or we predicted. The villas owner is
honest, the house is clean and safe, but as she
explores Yvonne fnds discomfting evidence
of what one might call an active sex life: a
book called The Womans Guide to Anal Sex is
sitting on the bookshelf, a sex swing is not quite
packed away, while a photograph of a naked
woman is found shoved under the sofa. The
woman in the photo turns out not to be the
owners estranged wife, who shows up before
long with tales of domestic abuse and infdelity.
Yvonne is searching for something she
cant identify, and spends much of the novel
wandering aimlessly around the Turkish seaside.
She visits the ancient town of Knidos, where
she encounters Ahmet, a lonely 10-year-old
boy who speaks no English. She befriends
him, aware that she is trying to recapture her
relationship with her own children, and rapidly
comes to feel both protective and loyal, fearful
of betraying his trust.
This touching, unusual friendship is intercut
with memories of Yvonnes children when they
were young, especially her daughter, Aurelia, who
spent many of her formative years in and out of
rehab, placing a huge strain on Yvonnes marriage
that she is only beginning to acknowledge. Their
son, Matthew, was the perfect one, but Yvonne
gradually admits that she found his perfection
rebarbative, and in many ways feels closer to
Aurelia, the damaged child.
Yvonne makes some choices that one might
fnd unusual in an intelligent, observant
woman: her friendship with young Ahmet leads
to misunderstanding and hostility, as a waiter
at the beach makes clear, frst with venomous
glances and then with outright antagonism;
Ahmets grandmother is equally unwelcoming.
There are some predictable complaints from
locals about presumptuous Americans. zlem,
the landlords estranged wife, is, by contrast,
eager to befriend Yvonne in ways that may
strain credulity. Lest the reader think these
portents of trouble will go unfulflled, Vida
sends an owl, that omen of ill fate, into the
house to terrorize Yvonne. Tragedy does indeed
strike, but despite or rather because of all
Vidas careful foreshadowings, it feels contrived,
rather than inevitable.
The virtues of this novel lie not in its plotting,
which manages to be both slight and over-
engineered, but in Vidas prose, which is full of
sharply observed moments and poignant insights
about the impossibilities and possibilities of
human interaction. When Yvonne tells an American
couple she encounters the story of her husbands
accidental death, she remembers the gratuitous pain
heaped on by an oblivious world: as she left her
husbands memorial service, bewildered by grief, she
found a note on the windshield telling her to be less
selfsh when she parked her car in future.
Actions have consequences, to be sure, but
overstating this can become a sort of a false
syllogism: most mistakes end in neither tragedy
nor epiphany. They are at once more negligible
and more common not to say persistent than
that. In the end The Lovers is a promissory note
that isnt quite redeemed: not all of its implicit
assurances are kept, and some narrative threads
are left dangling, but its also a darkly elegant
book about broken promises and redemption that
recognizes our capacity for damage but allows for
the prospect of deliverance.
The Lovers seems a
deliberately misleading title
for Vendela Vidas slim,
refective third novel: a 53-
year-old American woman
named Yvonne, whose
husband was killed in a car
accident two years earlier,
returns to the seaside town
in Turkey where she and her
husband honeymooned almost
three decades before.
Author: Vendela Vida
literature
60 magazine
The Lovers
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Send an article of no more than 700 words on a subject of your
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Readers contribution for Whats ON
Rise of the Apes is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco,
the nlm is a realit,-Iased cantionar, tale. a science nction/science fact Ilend. where man:s own
eperiments with genetic engineering lead to the deelopment of intelligence in apes and the
onset of a war for snpremac,.
Created by: Khaldoun Qaddoura
Director: Rupert Wyatt - Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto.
aptain America: The Jirst Aenger will focns on
the earl, da,s of the Harel Jnierse when Stee
Jogers (hris Jans) olnnteers to participate
in an eperimental program that tnrns him into
the Snper Soldier Lnown as aptain America.
As aptain America. Jogers joins forces with LncL, Larnes
(SeIastian Stan) and Pegg, arter (Ha,le, Atwell) to wage war
on the eil HYDJA organization. led I, the illainons Jed SLnll
(Hngo Weaing.)
Director: Joe Johnston
Stars: hris Jans. Tomm, Lee )ones and Hngo Weaing.
ScooI,-Doo director Jaja Cosnell taLes
the helm for this 8D lie action/CJ
comed, Iased on the popnlar characters
created I, Lelgian cartoonist Pe,o (aLa
Pierre nlliford). Jn their race to escape
the maleolent wizard Cargamel. the little Ilne forest
dwellers nnd themseles snddenl, transported to
entral ParL. Now stncL in a world popnlated I,
towering giants. the Smnrfs mnst nnd a wa, to elnde
Cargamel. and nnd a wa, IacL to the illage the, call
home.
Director: Jaja Cosnell
Stars: HanL Azaria. Kat, Perr, and )onathan Winters.
64 magazine
The Rise of the Planet of the Apes flm & TV
The Old West.. where a lone cowIo, leads an nprising
against a terror from Ie,ond onr world. 188. Arizona
Territor,. A stranger with no memor, of his past
stnmIles into the hard desert town of AIsolntion.
The onl, hint to his histor, is a m,sterions shacLle
that encircles one wrist. What he discoers is that the people of
AIsolntion don:t welcome strangers. and noIod, maLes a moe
on its streets nnless ordered to do so I, the iron-nsted olonel
Dolarh,de (Jord). Jt:s a town that lies in fear. Lnt AIsolntion
is aIont to eperience fear it can scarcel, comprehend as the
desolate cit, is attacLed I, maranders from the sL,. Screaming
down with IreathtaLing elocit, and Ilinding lights to aIdnct
the helpless one I, one. these monsters challenge eer,thing
the residents hae eer Lnown. Now. the stranger the, rejected
is their onl, hope for salation. As this gnnslinger slowl, starts to
rememIer who he is and where he:s Ieen...
Director: )on Jarean
Stars: Daniel raig. Harrison Jord and Oliia Wilde
Sad-sacL diorce al Weaer nnds his second
wind in life after meeting a handsome ,onng ladies:
man who teaches him how to Iecome a master of
the modern dating scene. A deoted famil, man
who married his high school sweetheart. al had a
great honse and a staIle joI when his wife. Jmil,. left him to Ie
with another man. When Jmil, annonnces that she:s nling for
diorce. al nnds himself awLwardl, thrnst into the dating scene
and Iegins drinLing his nights awa, at the local pnI. )nst when it:s
starting to looL as if there:s no hope for al. connrmed Iachelor
)acoI Palmer decides to add some mnch-needed ecitement to
the snlLing. newl, single father:s life. Lefore long. al:s rongh edges
hae all Ieen smoothed ont: he:s mastered the nne art of dirting
and deelops a distinct sense of st,le that sets him apart from the
pacL. Lnt jnst as al starts to tnrn heads. his adolescent son. JoIIie.
deelops a Iig crnsh on his teenage IaI,sitter. )essica.
A woman Iecomes a professional
Liller in order to seeL reenge
against the rnthless gangster who
murdered her parents in this action
thriller from director Oliier Hegaton
and writer/prodncer Lnc Lesson. As a ,onng girl.
atale,a (Zoe Saldana) saw her parents Lilled
in cold Ilood. Now atale,a is all grown np.
and she:s determined to settle the score. Coing
to worL for her nncle. atale,a methodicall,
Iegins worLing her wa, np throngh the criminal
nnderworld. taLing ont eer, criminal in her
path on an oIsessie qnest to Inr, the man who
single-handedl, destro,ed her life.
Director: Clenn Jicarra. )ohn Jeqna
Stars: Stee arell. J,an Cosling and )nlianne Hoore
Director: Oliier Hegaton
Stars: Zoe Saldana. Hichael Vartan and allnm Llne
A qnest that Iegins as a personal endetta
for the nerce immerian warrior soon tnrns
into an epic Iattle against hnlLing rials.
horrinc monsters. and impossiIle odds. as
onan realizes he is the onl, hope of saing
the great nations of H,Ioria from an encroaching reign of
snpernatnral eil.
Director: Harcns Nispel
Stars: )ason Homoa. Jon Perlman and Jose HcCowan
Jn this nfth installment. Death is jnst as omnipresent
as eer. and is nnleashed after one man`s premonition
saes a gronp of coworLers from a terrif,ing snspension
Iridge collapse. Lnt this gronp of nnsnspecting sonls
was neer snpposed to snrie. and. in a terrif,ing race
against time. the ill-fated gronp franticall, tries to discoer a wa, to
escape Death`s sinister agenda.
Director: Steen Qnale
Stars: Nicholas D:Agosto. Jmma Lell and Arlen Jscarpeta
September 2011 Issue No 76 67 magazine
Cowboys & Aliens flm & TV
D
uring the last decade or so, and for some unknown reasons, the holy month of Ramadan became the
Annual season for Arab TV drama series, tens of new productions compete for the massive amounts
of money paid by the numerous Arabian satellite channels, who, in turn, compete for who can hook the
greatest number of viewers and therefore the largest share of advertisements.
As always, the 2 main players in the feld of
TV Series are the Syrian and Egyptian drama
productions, despite of the recent rise of
Gulf-area productions and the large fall in the
number of produced series due to the current
political turmoil in both countries.
Late in 1990s, Syrian drama started to
climb the ladder of success and within 10 years
it managed to take the lead from its long-
established Egyptian counterpart and become
the 1st choice for Arabian viewers all around
the Middle East. However, through the last
4 or 5 years and for several reasons, it was
cruelly attacked as satellite channels refrained
from buying more than one work. Some were
defending their own drama industry and others
were after defaming Syrian production. The
later, however, stood up to all the diffculties
and today it is declaring its triumph as all
Syrian drama productions for this year were
sold. This remains largely true even if many of
those works were sold to unusual customers
(Lebanese Channels for example)
This year, Syrian drama series offer a variety
of themes and approaches that are guaranteed
to satisfy every spectators expectations. Unique
scripts, excellent directing, high production
values, brilliant performance and team spirit
are, as always, the key factors on which this
years productions are relying on
Social Drama
Syrian drama focuses on Arab societies
problems; it critically portrays the different
economic, social and cultural situations
and analyzes the basis to give hints for
probable solutions. The main essential
element of lively handling of problems lays
in the fact that it never dictates a solution
but it aims at shedding the light over
realistic clues.
- Al-wilada men alkhasera or
Birth from the side written by the
poet and scenarist Samer Radwan directed by
Rasha Sherbatji.
- Al-Ghofran or Forgiveness, a
romantic drama series written by Najeeb Nseir
and directed by Hatem Ali.
- Taeb Al-Meshwar or Weariness
of the journey, written by Fadi Qoushaji
and directed by Seaf Al-Deen Subaye.
- Jalsat Nesaeiya or Womens
gatherings, a series that focuses on the
relations between man and woman in our
contemporary society. Written by Amal Hanna
and directed by Almuthanna Suboh.
The reason for the general Arab approval of
Syrian drama is the scrutinizing of universal
issues and being not limited to a particular
society or a specifc era.
The common themes for this years
productions are the usual company: corruption,
love, suffering, the relation between man and
woman, revenge, shame and, new to this year,
corruption in the educational system.
This year, a number of series under this
category deserves attention like:
flm & TV
68 magazine
Syrian Drama in Ramadan
Comedy
Part of Syrian success in this industry is the
blossoming comedies. Through the years Syrian
comedies struggled to not only draw a smile
but with in a 45 minuets show it gradually stir
up chuckles and giggles to fnally make people
laugh and cackle. It is a tremendous task in
modern life with such an extreme tension and
stress of daily routine.
The acumen originality of Syrian comedies is
away of clowning, it stayed far from belittling
audiences minds. It creates a situation and
keeps away of mincing and mocking. The key
point is to laugh at human circumstances and
unpredictable contradictory surroundings and
not the human being himself.
Ramadan 2011 presents: The diaries
of general manager, Spot
Light part 8, Mirrors and Al-
Kherbeh.
The damascene history with all
valuable traditions and mores is a wide
source of inspiration for script writers
who depict the society early in the
beginnings of the last century.
It seems that there is no need to
talk in details about this category of
works, because they are all about the
same ideas and problems. The only
differences among these works are
their names.
It seems that the directors of these
works accepted to be the prisoners of
the old Damascene houses and walls.
This is clearly evident in the works
of director Bassam al-Mulla since his
frst work Damascene days, which
appeared more than twenty years ago,
until his latest work The chief which
is being shown this year. They The
directors also accepted to deal with
the same traditional themes linked strongly to
this place and environment as we see in Al-
Dabbour and the men of dignity.
Talea al-Fidda may well be an
exceptional work this year because it focuses
on a special period of time in Syrian history.
The events of its story are taking place
during the period between the departure
of the Ottoman forces from Syria and
the coming of the forces of the French
occupation. The work illustrates the social
relations of the Damascene people who are
belonging to different social classes and
religions: Muslims, Christians and Jews. The
work refects faithfully the peaceful relations
among those people from different religions,
the frst time Syrian drama deals with this
subject. The series is written by the Syrian
actor Abbas al-Nouri and his wife Onoud
al-Khaled and directed by the Syrian director
Seaf Al-Deen Subaye.
D
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Historical favor is a must in Ramadan
despite the multitude of other types
of drama with its competing palatable
presence. This year, however, only one
work belongs to historical drama Dalila
and Alzaybaq- which is a reproduction of
an old series with the same title that had
been shown decades ago.
Palestine in Mind
Syrian commitment to Palestine issue
that lays sleepless in all Arabs hearts is
considered as a national duty. Presenting
Palestinian problems in Syrian drama
is a way to defend this issue. This year,
the honor of representing this category
belongs to the biography drama In the
attendance of the absence which presents
the biography of the famous Palestinian
late poet Mahmoud Darwish.
flm & TV
70 magazine
Syrian Drama in Ramadan
ORGANISATIONS - DAmAScuS
Aga Khan Network 3343610\1
Agency for combating unemployment - Acu 6122607
Amal Al-Ghad 3741010
Boosting and Inspiring Dynamic Youth Achievement - BIDAYA 33502373
Euro Info correspondence centre - EIcc 6133865
German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD 371925
uN Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO 6121145/6
International committee of the Red cross - IcRc 3310476
International Organization For migration - IOm 6121370, 6121375
Syrian-European Business centre - SEBc 6133865
Syrian Family Planning Association - SFPA 3310396
Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association - SYEA www.syea.org
Strategy Highlighting and building Abilities for Business - SHABAB 6611689
united Nations 6129811
united Nations childrens Fund - uNIcEF 6122592/3/4
united Nations Development Programme - uNDP 6129811
united Nations Food Program Agency - uNFPA 6113773/8 mob 0944593854
united Nations High commissioner for Refugees - uNHcR 2139961/2/3
mob 093210 0273
united Nations Industrial Development Organization - uNIDO www.unido.org
united Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees - uNRWA
6133035/9
united Nations Volunteers - uNV 6129811 mob 0988805745
World Food Programme - WFP 612 0597/8
World Health Organization - WHO 3329315, 3315053 mob 0933400316
mINISTRIES - DAmAScuS
ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform 2227600, 2213613
ministry of communications and Technology 3320807
ministry of culture 3338600, 3338633
ministry of Defence 8813236, 3721287
ministry of Economy & Foreign Trade 2213513, 2213514
ministry of Education 4444702
ministry of Electricity & Energy 2228334, 2229654
ministry of Establishments & construction 2223596, 2246690
ministry of Expatriates 3134302
ministry of Finance 2220200
ministry of Foreign Affairs 3713255, 3713256
ministry of Health 3311020, 3311022
ministry of Higher Education 2129862, 2129861
ministry of Housing and construction 5431076, 2217572
ministry of Industry 2231834, 2231845
ministry of Interior 2220101, 2211001
ministry of Irrigation & Water Resources 2221401, 2221402
ministry of Justice 2214108, 2213738
ministry of Local Administration and Environment 2226005
ministry of Religious Affairs 4419080
ministry of Petroleum and mineral Resources 4455972, 4445610
ministry of Planning 2218854, 2218853
ministry of Social concerns & Labour 2225984, 2210355
ministry of Supply & Internal Trade 2219241, 2219044
ministry of Transport 3339111, 3336801
EmBASSIES - DAmAScuS
Embassy of Afghanistan 6112910
Embassy of Algeria 3331446, 3334548
Embassy of Argentina 3334167/8
Embassy of The Republic of Armenia 6133560
Embassy of Australia 6116692, 6132424
Embassy of Austria 6138010
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain 6132314
Embassy of Bangladesh 2212648
Embassy of Belorussia 6118097, 6118098
Embassy of Belgium 6122189
Embassy of Brazil 6124551/2/7/9
Embassy of Bulgaria 4454039, 3318485
Embassy of canada 6116692, 6116851
Embassy of chile 3311891, 3338443
Embassy of The Republic of china 3339594
General consulate of cuba 3339319, 3334609
Embassy of the Republic of cyprus 6130812/3, 6131823
Embassy of the czech Republic 3331383, 3339395
Royal Danish Embassy (+Greenlandic Embassy) 6190900
Embassy of Egypt 3332932, 3333561
Embassy of the Republic of Equador 33488820, 33488877
Embassy of the State of Eritrea 6112357
European commission Delegation 3327640
Embassy of Finland 6127570/1/2
Embassy of France 3390200
Embassy of Germany 3323800
Embassy of Greece 6115009, 6113035
Embassy of Hungary 6110787
consulate of Iceland 4467110, 4452090
Embassy of India 3347351/2
Embassy of Indonesia 6119630/1, 6117939
Embassy of The Republic of Iraq 3341290
Embassy of Iran 3710826, 6117675
Honorary consulate of Ireland 3342144
Embassy of Italy 3332621
Embassy of Japan 3338273, 3332553
Embassy of Jordan 6136260/1
Embassy of the Republic of North Korea 4424735, 4417614
Embassy of Kuwait 6117644/5
Embassy of Libya 3338851, 3333914
Embassy of Latvia 2451321, 2212462
Embassy of malaysia 6122811/2/3
Honorary consulate of Thiland 3316144 / 3316214
Honorary consulate of malta 3733601
Embassy of mauritania 3309317
Embassy of morocco 6110451
Embassy of Netherlands 3336871
Embassy of Norway 6122941
Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman 6110408, 6622506
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 6132694/5/6
consulate of Philippines 3335844
Embassy of Poland 3333010, 3336010
consulate of Portugal 3320253,3337716
Embassy of the State of Qatar 3320044
Embassy of Romania 3327570/1
Embassy of Russia 4423155/6
Embassy of Saudi Arabia 3334780, 3334915
Embassy of Serbia 3336222, 3333689
Embassy of Slovakia 6132114/5, 6133648
Embassy of Somalia 3335534
Embassy of South Africa 3222650, 2229200
Embassy of Spain 6132900/1/2
Embassy of Sudan 3304470, 3302470
Embassy of Sweden 3340070
Embassy of Switzerland 6111972, 6111975
Embassy of Tunisia 6132700/4
Embassy of Turkey 3331411
EmBASSIES - DAmAScuS
Embassy of Turkmenistan 2241834
Embassy of ukraine 6113016
Embassy of united Arab Emirates 3330308
Embassy of the united Kingdom 3391505
Embassy of the united States of America 33914444
Apostolic Enunciator of Holy See (Vatican city) 3332601, 3332446
Embassy of Venezuela 3335356, 3337490
Embassy of Yemen 7186682
cONSuLATES - ALEPPO
General consulate of Iraq 021-2641068/9
General consulate of Turkey 021- 26499670/80
General consulate of Armenia 021-2687240
General consulate of Russia 021-2232401, 2269377
consulate of France 021-2211829, 2219823
Honorary General consulate of Portugal 021-2235566
Honorary General consulate of ukraine 021-2660375
Honorary General consulate of Hungary 021-2122626
Honorary General consulate of Italy 021-2214601
Honorary consulate of Austria 021-2114072
Honorary consulate of Belarus 021-2110933
Honorary consulate of Belgium 021-3622667, 3622665
Honorary consulate of Benin 021-2277022/33
Honorary consulate of Brazil 021-4600004
Honorary consulate of Bulgaria 021-2660375
Honorary consulate of canada 021-2684160
Honorary consulate of chile 021-4642666
Honorary consulate of the czech Republic 021-4663500/20
Honorary consulate of Denmark 021-2281398
Honorary consulate of Finland 021-2123001/2/3
Honorary consulate of Germany 021-2639898/9
Honorary consulate of Greece 021-2633787
Honorary consulate of malta 021-2211888
Honorary consulate of morocco 021-2679051
Honorary consulate of Norway 021-2677438
Honorary consulate of Pakistan 021-2113461
Honorary consulate of the Philippines 021-5110220
Honorary consulate of Romania 021-2266601
Honorary consulate of Serbia 021-2255926
Honorary consulate of South Africa 021-2121333
Honorary consulate of Spain 021-2233095/6
Honorary consulate of Sweden 021-2689644
Honorary consulate of the Swiss confederation 021-3634634
Honorary consulate of Tunisia 021-2665002, 2669785
Honorary consulate of the united Kingdom 021-2280510/1
cONSuLATES - LATAKIA
Honorary consulate of the Republic of Turkey 041-473777, 041-475357
Honorary consulate of Belgium 041-477966, 477966
Honorary consulate of Finland 041-470171/2/3
Honorary consulate of Greece 041-467881
consulate of the Netherlands 041- 472531/4/5
Honorary consulate of Sweden 041- 470171/3
Honorary consulate of the Republic of Turkey in Lattaika 041-473777
cONSuLATES - TARTOuS
Honorary consulate of Greece 043-221104, 325000
Honorary consulate of the Republic of Turkey 043 -211114
mALLS - DAmAScuS
cham city centre 2117189
Damascus Boulevard 3235650
Damasquino mall www.damasquinomall.com
Ski-land mall 5475551, 5475566
Town centre mall 6217780, 6224444
mALLS - ALEPPO
Al-mounchieh city centre 021-2227030
New mall 021-2674010
SuPERmARKETS - DAmAScuS
A B S 6113080
Abu Staif & Sons 6119373
A.S 3730206
Bader 3336785, 3314470
Ghloul 6326410
Grand mart - city center mall 8881637
Rami Soubeh 6625160
Shereen 4458154, 3315220
Teeba 2764825
Zain El-Abdeen 3733231
Zaid mdawer 6212282
Zenobia 3730625
SuPERmARKETS - ALEPPO
Al-Diwan 021-2269055
Al-mazrahe 021-4601333
Al-Saha 021-2114823
Al-Skhra 021-2680985
marosh 021-4642101
Twenty Four (24) 021-4659401
SuPERmARKETS - HOmS
Abu Al-Awad 031-2622662
Al-Ashraf 031-2220674
Al-Rawda 031-2510423
Al-Shahbaa 031-2761592
Al-Syoufe 031-2122842
Al-Taleb 031-2113004
Al-Tasweek Wal Tawfeer 031-2222925
SuPERmARKETS - HAmA
Al-Henem 033-523249
Al-malab 033-316866
Al-Nour 033-314617
guide
72 magazine
guide
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - DAmAScuS
Art caf 2325757, mob 0988995566
Art cafe Ninar 4522257
maharaja Indian Restaurant mezzeh 2005
Abu Rummaneh 3355555
Damascus Gate 5475500 or 1/2/3/4, 0933202075
Al Farouk for food and sweets 2131322
Al-Karieh Restaurant 5475551/2
Al-Khawali 2225808
Haretna 5441148
Sushi 3354077
Beit Jabri 5443200
canoun Al-Tennin 6116967, 6114778
casablanca 5417598
Elissar 5424300, 5428577
Inhouse coffee 3336039
Kanaan Palace Resort 7138201/2/3/4
Kaser Al Wali Restaurant 4461389, 3322336
La casa 3331288
Leilas Restaurant & Terrace 5445900
Narciss 5416785, 5431205
Linas 2143798
Segafredo 2316070 - 2142420 - 6117363
Taj mahal 2453434
Tarboosh Al-Sham 6115158
Tche Tche cafe 2216339
Trovka Restaurant 0988995566
Zaman Al-Khair Restaurants 6440175/6
Zenobia 2220575-2450116
Quattro cafe-Restaurant 6133625
chopin cafe 5436502
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - ALEPPO
Bazar Alcharq 021-2249120
Beit Alkaisar 021-5230130
Beit Sissi 021-4651444
Beroea 021-9325
cantra 021-2122010
Dar Ward 021-3620620
Delta 021-2122411
Emeralds 021-2126987
Kan Zaman 021-3311299
Kaser Alwali 021-9911
Larose 021-2642241
Lily house 021-2222501
mejana 021-2027
metastrada 021-4663300
Taj Alklaa 021-9250, 021-4606033
Wanes 021-2116002
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - TARTOuS
Ayounak 043-326083
cave 043-220408
Khawaja Restaurant 043-313313, 213900
Yamak 043-328755
Viamidos mob 094667887
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - LATAKIA
Al-Andalus cafe 041-850027
Al-Kordaha Restaurant 041-843231
Allegro 041-458000
cesar 041-475403
Express cafe 041-456200
Italian corner Restaurant 041-447207
Last Station 041-468871
Olabi Patisserie mob 094657765
Old House 041-461013
Lacasta cafe & more 041-475744
Stop 5 041-477919
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - HOmS
Al-Andalous Garden cafe 031-416915
Beite cafe 031-234032
Blue Stone 031-2459999
city cafe 031-239755
mamma mia 031-2112400
Restaurant Al-Qalaa - The citadel 031-7340493
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - HAmA
Al-Atlal 033-222234
Broasted Fawaz 033-223884
Le Jardin 033-25335
Sultan Restaurant 033-235104
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - PALmYRA
Ishtar 034-5913073
Hotel Villa Palmyra restaurant 034-913600
Traditional Palmyra Restaurant 034-910878
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - RAQQA
Al-Rashid Restaurant 022-241919
Lazaward Hotel Restaurant 022-216120/2
RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - DEIR EZ -ZuR
DEc 051-220469
Lailati 051-229648
BARS & cLuBS - DAmAScuS
Backdoor club 4446255, mob 0988990066
champions Pub 4450676, mob 0988900096
Le Serai Pub 3737061
Blue Bar 3340240
Domino 5431120
Jar Al-Ward 5429185
Jet Set 2232300
Kasabjy 4416184
Le Serai Pub 3737061
marmar 5446425
massimo Pub www.massimo-pub.com
Oxygen 5444396
Le Piano Bar 5420542, 5430375
XO Bar 3391000
Z Bar 2217700
Dome 0991555444
BARS & cLuBS - ALEPPO
Baron Hotel Bar 021-2210880/1
Sissi House 021-2124362
BARS & cLuBS - LATAKIA
Lacasta cafe & more 041-475744
moodz Bar 041-330033
BARS & cLuBS - HOmS
Abu Nawas 031-2112400
Blue Stone 031-2459999
ATTRAcTIONS - DAmAScuS
Azem Ecole
Beit Al-Aqqad
Beit Nizam
chapel of Ananias
Dahdah Palace
Jamaa Al-Jadeed
Khan Asad Pasha
Khans of Souq medhat Pasha (Straight St.)
madrassa An-Nuri
maktab Anbar
mausoleum of Salah El-Din
minaret of Jesus (column)
Sayyida Ruqayya mosque
Sayyida Zeinab m ausoleum
Shrine of Hussein
Shrine of John the Baptist (Prophet Yehia to muslims)
St Pauls chapel
Takiyya As-Suleimaniyya
The citadel
The Tomb of Beybars
umayyad mosque
ATTRAcTIONS - ALEPPO
Ain Dara Site
Al-Jdeida Quarters churches & cathedrals
Al-madrassa Al-Halawiyya
Basilica of St Simeon (Qalat Samaan)
Bimaristan Arghan
church of Qalb Lozeh
cyrrhus (Nebi Huri)
Ebla (Tel mardikh)
Khans around the Great mosque
madrass As-Sultaniyya
mosque of Abraham
Serjilla
Shibani School
Souq Bab Antakya Khans
The Aleppo citadel
The Great mosque
ATTRAcTIONS - TARTuS
cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa-The citadel
Qalat marqab-The castle
ATTRAcTIONS - mAALOuLA
convent of St Thecla
ATTRAcTIONS - NABEK
monastery of mar musa
monastery of St Sergius
ATTRAcTIONS - LATAKIA
The Salah Eddin castle
ugarit
ATTRAcTIONS - HOmS
Azze Hrawe Residence
church of the Girdle of Our Lady
Qalaat Al-Hosn (Krak Des chevaliers)
Outskirts of Homs
St Georges monastery-Outskirts of Homs
ATTRAcTIONS - HAmA
Apamea
Azem Palace
Khans of the Souq of Hama
Qasr Ibn Warden - Palace
The Beehive Houses-Sarouj & Twalid Dabaghein
The castle of musyaf
The Grand mosque
The Norias
ATTRAcTIONS - PALmYRA
East Wall Palace-Qasr Al-Heir Al-Sharqi
Qalaat Jaabar - castle
Qalaat Najm - castle
Qalat Ibn Saman - castle
Temple of Bel
The Theatre
The Tower of Elahbel-Valley of the Tombs
ATTRAcTIONS - DER EZZOR
Dura Europs-Tal Al-Salhiyyeh
mari-Tel Hariri
ATTRAcTIONS - RAQQA
Qasr Al-Banaat
Rasafa-Al-mansoura
ATTRAcTIONS - SWEYDA
Saray-Qanawat
ATTRAcTIONS - EZRAA
The Basilica of St George
The church of St Elias
muSEumS - DAmAScuS
The Army museum
The Historical museum of Damascus
The museum of Arab medicines & Sciences-Nuri Health centre (Bimaristan)
The National museum
The National museum of Popular Arts and Tradition - Azem Palace
The Azem Palace
AIRLINES - DAmAScuS
Air France 2218990
Alitalia 2222262
British Airways 3310000
cyprus Airways 2225630
Egypt Air 2232158
Emirates 9934
Etihad 3344235
Gulf Air 2221209
Royal Jordanian Airline 2315577
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Lufthansa 2211165
mEA Airlines 2213147
Syrian Air 2450098
Turkish Airlines 2212263
AIRLINES - ALEPPO
Syrian Air 021-2241232, 2220501
Air France 021-2232238
KLm Airlines 021-2211074
Lufthansa 021-2223005
AIRLINES - LATTAKIA
Syrian Air 041-476863
AIRLINES - DEIR EZ-ZuR
Syrian Air 051-221801
HOTELS - DAmAScuS
Art House 6628112/5
Four Seasons 3391000
Talisman1 5415379
Dedeman 3322650
Sheraton Damascus 2229300
Old Vine 5450164
cham Palace 2232320
Ebla cham Palace 2241900 2241945
Beit Zaman Hotel 5435380
Dar al-Yasmin Hotel 5443380
Semiramis Hotel 2233555
Biet Rumman 5451092 - 5451094
Queen center Arjaan by Rotana 6664003
Alfares Alarabi 2225320 - 2248800
Omayyad hotel 2235500
Blue Tower Hotel 3340240
Damascus International Hotel 2311600/1/2
Fardoss Tower Hotel 232100
maaloula Hotel 7770250
Rawda Hotel 6416206-7 / 6416210
Safr Hotel Damascus 6470140
carlton Hotel 2122000
Palmvillage Hotel 3919004
Antique Khan Hotel 5419450
Beit Rose Hotel 5441241
Orient Palace hotel 2231351
Afamia Hotel 2228963
Al Hossen Residence 6471712 - 6471258 - 6420292
Al majed Hotel 2323300 - 2323301 / 2 / 3
city Hotel 2219375
Future Tower Hotel 2315465 2317511
Al-Haramein Hotel 2319489
Al-Rabie Hotel 2318374
Ghazal Hotel 2313736
HOTELS - ALEPPO
DEDEmAN 021-2661600
mansouriya Palace 021-3632000
Sheraton 021-21211111
Beit Wakil 021-2117083
coral Julia Dumna 021-3330660
Dar Zamaria 021-3636100
mirage 021-2288555
Park Hotel 021-9895
Riga 021-9294
Ramsis 021-2111102
Isis 021-2126345
Jdayda 021-9225 \ 3632000
LuXuRY - LATTAKIA
Afamia Rotana Resort Lattakia 041- 330033
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - DAmAScuS
Damascus International Airport (Flight queries 167-Reservations 187) 4530201/9
central Tourist offce 2323953, 2210122
Immigration and passport offce-Visa extensions 2219400
DHL 096345345
Amigo Net 5421694
Internet cafe Smile 2326239
Spotnet cafe 5433374
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - ALEPPO
Tourist Offce 021-2121228, 2230000
DHL 021-4440322
concord Internet cafe 021-2247272
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - TARTuS
Internet centre 043-315906
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - HOmS
messenger Internet cafe 031-2212336
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - HAmA
Tourist Offce 033-511
Happy Net cafe 033-216057
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - PALmYRA
Tourist Offce 034-5910574
OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - LATTAKIA
Tourist Information Offce 041-416926
center Net 041-465310
GALLERIES - DAmAScuS
Aal Bal 5445794
Art cafe Ninar 4522257
Art House 6628112
Atassi Gallery 3321720
Ayyam Gallery 6131088
Beit Al-Nur 5431287
Beit Al-Sham 3330038
Dar Al Baath 6622141
Dar al mada 2322276
Dar Ez-Zarqan for Arts 5431899
Fateh muddaress 2246710
Free Hand Gallery 3344219, 3347211
French cultural centre 2316192
Galerie Abdal 5445794
Gallery Sahar 4444846
Occasions Galleria 5436502
chantout Atelier 6617780
Ishtar 4465086
Khan Assad Pacha 2215961
Kozah 5410900
mustafa Ali 5421988
Naji Al Ali 4423762
Nassour Gallery 3710344
Ninar Art caf 5422557
Ruaa Art Gallery 5610901
Rafa Gallery 3310803
Tajalliyat Gallery 6112338
Al Rywak 3337933
Al-Sayyed 332 1450, 3334390
Al Shaab 2319606
ur-Nina Gallery 2243783
GALLERIES - ALEPPO
Al-Sharq Showroom 021-442861
Dar El-mhanna 021-2634098
Ebla Gallery 021-2268757
Kawaf Fine Arts Gallery 021-2230985, mob 0933260301
The Small museum 021-2232596
GALLERIES - LATAKIA
Arts Home 041-477827
cuLTuRAL cENTRES & INSTITuTES - DAmAScuS
Arabic cultural centres
Abu Rummaneh 3349376, Adawi 44202670
mezze 6610678 , Yarmouk 6320830
Jobar 46370040, Kafer Souseh 2139680
Danish Institue 2238038, NIASD 6120515
Beit Al-Nur 5431287, British council 3330631
Dar Al-Assad for Arts and culture 245 6165/44
Dar Al Funoon 2231679
Dummar cultural complex 3115142
French cultural centre 2316192
The Italian cultural centre 3319543
Goethe Institute 3719435
Russian culture centre 2317158, 2317351
Spanish culture centre 3714003
cD SHOPS - DAmAScuS
Al-Balabel 2216826
Al-Beiruti 3313475
Al-madar 3336722
Al-mahatta 54498761, 5410821
Al-Nihlawy 4441982
Al-Salka 2214461
Al-Sham 2457153
Kanawati for music 2323088
mirza music 4470294
mozart 2321445
cD SHOPS - ALEPPO
Asia 021-2112993
Floyed 021-2122596
King 021-2248440
Radio one 021-4464063
Rotana 021-2122702
cINEmAS - DAmAScuS
Al-Ahram 2212504
Al Ameer cinema 2228513
Biblous 2213355
Al-cham 4437008
cinema de cham 2232300, 2232310
Diana 2211847
Dunia 2211888
Al-Fardous 2213424, 2214472
Al Khaiyam cinema 4437008
Al Kindi 2218899
Rametta cinema 3214384
Shamas & Ataasi 2212388
Al-Sofaraa 2317008
ugarit cinema 2311539
Al-Zahraa 2222212
cINEmAS - ALEPPO
Aleppo cinema 021-313935/310704
Al-Ameer 021-2112826
Al-cham cinema 021-22405
Al Hamraa cinema 021-322333/211071
Al Khaiyam cinema 021-311067
Opera 021-2120300
Rametta 021-2112827
ugarit 021-2124755
Az-Zahraa 021-4444228
cINEmAS - HOmS
Al Amir 031-234131
cinema Homs 021-2486340
cINEmAS - LATAKIA
Damascus 041-234233
Al Ahram 041-237430
Al-Fardous 041-833135
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cINEmAS - TARTuS
Al Kindi cinema 043-224171
Al Sabaa cinema 043-221139
Al Abbasiyya cinema 043-220333
cINEmAS - DEIR EZ-ZuR
Al Kindi cinema 051-221593
DVD STORES - DAmAScuS
Data Line 9804
Al-Hoda 2317271
Al-Naeem centre 44670680
Arebya co. 3319270
cD centre 3338885
Eaksousy 2321989
Encyclopedia 2320276
Fanty 6666701
Firas 3111902
Golden Technique 5321742
Hisham 2213418
Hi-Tech 6352800
Jessy 5432090
Laser 2457801
Lezary centre 2456178
majal Art 3336810
masaya 6719873
Syrian Video centre 4460358
DVD STORES - ALEPPO
Al-Qasr centre 021-2255979
Rainbow 021-4442542
DVD STORES - HOmS
Ahmed Al-Zebi 031-2470147
Al-Ansar 031-2211279
Al-Hob 031-2127140
Al-Khoyoul 031-2618886
Al-majd 031-2135154
Al-mawas 031-2211477
Al-Tahhan centre 031-2468519
Al-Yanour 031-2471003
Ayman Zahra centre 031-2477336
DVD STORES - LATAKIA
miami 041-431450
DVD STORES - SWEIDA
Future 016-251106
DVD STORES - HAmA
Al-Hareef 033-238238
Safwan 033-224632
DVD STORES - DARA
Al-Khateeb centre 015-234752
LIBRARIES - DAmAScuS
Arabic Library for Arts & Tradition 2216373
Al-Assad National Library 3334294, 3311073
The Public Library 2310744
LIBRARIES - ALEPPO
Al-Dar university Library 021-2244230
Dar Al-mustaqbal 021-3211096
The National Library 021-2238205
LIBRARIES - HOmS
The culture House Library 031-2235710
The General Islamic Library 031-2313559
The Generality Library 031-2222180
The modern Arzabic Library 031-2232862
LIBRARIES - IDLEB
The Artistic Library 023-235446
BOOKSHOPS - DAmAScuS
Al-Amin 2212041
Al-Anwar 2231199, 2244554
Al-Fattal 2456786, 2222373, 2234525
Al-Hariry 3320378
Al-maghribi 2452993
Al-miski 2237957
Al-Noori 4419167
Al-Tahhan 2222992
Al-Walaa 2231258, 2242104
Al-Zahabi 3332581
BOOKSHOPS - ALEPPO
Abdul Rahman Bsout 021-3321441
Al-Anwar 021-4784163
Al-Arabi 021-2269239
Al-Fidaa 021-2214227
Al-Fourqan 021-2686492
Al-manara 021-2110494, 224 4385
An-Nawras 021-3113833
An-Nour 021-4610320
Al-umniya 021-2113577
BOOKSHOPS - HOmS
Abbas 031-2484996
Abu Ahmad 031-2462907
Al-Hagar 031-2516874
Al-Hamawi 031-2229655
Al-Hasen 031-2464181
Al-Hayat 031-2753447
Al-Nasem 031-2623620
Al-Nedal 031-2467522
Al-Nubalaa 031-2239587
Al-Nur 031-2474733
BOOKSHOPS - HAmA
Abi Al-Fida 033-223107
Al-Dean 033-237282
Hayek 033-225256
Ibn al-Hytham 033-224173
maghmoumeh 033-213690
maher Fakhri 033-217781, 217962
BOOKSHOPS - LATAKIA
Al-Imam Jaafar Al-Sadeq 041-439724
Al-Abbas 041-439166
Al-Huda 041-470890
Al-maha 041-826558
Amar bin Yaser 041-424879
Beirut 041-433298
Zahrat Al-midan 041-436671
BOOKSHOPS - IDLEB
AL-Amer 023-529195
An-Nour 023-239630
Al-Bahaa 023-719853
Al-Bierakdar 023-363017
BOOKSHOPS - SWEIDA
Al-marifa Bookshoop 016-230024
BOOKSHOPS - DEIR EZ-ZuR
As-Salmiyya 051-352323, 360905
BOOKSHOPS - DARA
Dar Al-Nada 015-230140
HAmmAmS & SPAS - DAmScuS
Hammam Al malek Alzaher 2225330
Balloran Spa - Four Seasons 3391000
Hammam Bakri 5426606
Hammam Ammona 2316414
Hammam Nureddin 2229513
BOOKSHOPS - ALEPPO
As-Sadat 021-3330519
Bab Al-Ahmar 021-3622640
Hammam Yalbougha An-Nasry 021-3623154
BOOKSHOPS - HOmS
Al-Othmani Baths Oriental 031-2234395
Kharraz 031-2232540
BOOKSHOPS - HAmA
Al-Sadeya 033-215250
GYmS - DAmAScuS
Al-Sham Fitness 5617723
Barada Gym 4450686
Beauty & Fitness centre for Ladies 6315570
Body Gym 2130651
Dynamic Gym 4429890
Gold Gym 4447000
Fitness House 4427476
Al Jalaa 6622147
mayyas Womens Gym 5127565
Life Gym 2321773
GYm - ALEPPO
Al-Hadad house 021-2289474
Al-Vilat 021-4465612
Al-Warak House 021-2228856
Blue GYm 021-2332260
GYm - HOmS
Gym House 031-2453500
HOSPITALS - DAmAScuS
Al Assadi 6132500, 6132501
Al Amal 4451334, 4451335
Al Hayat 4455322, 4445043
Al mwasat 2133000
Al Rawda Surgery 3338392, 3330589
Al Razi 6118445, 6111600
Al Tawfeek 2228250, 2216364
Dar Al-Shifaa 4414134, 4414120
The French Hospital 4440460, 4448556
Ibn Al Nafees 5123637, 5121211
Ibn Sina 5348834
The Italian Hospital 3326030, 3326031
The Red crescent centre 4421600, 4421601
Tishreen 5119450, 5119451
Yafa Surgical Hospital 6112792, 6114795
HOSPITALS - ALEPPO
Al Ahli 021-2682801, 2682802
Al Amal 021-2676074, 2675991
Al Amir 021-2665551, 2667056
Al Ashtar 021-2667393, 2676390
Al Attar 021-2224420
Ibn Rushd 021-4654977, 4654976
Al Kalimeh 021-2674602, 2674601
Al mwasat 021-2228738, 2238228
Al Razi 021-2676001, 2676002
The Red crescent centre 021-4646800
Al Salam 021-4657800, 4657700
Al Shihan 021-2661063, 2661062
Saloum 021-4644830
Al Shami 021-2211750
Sraj Eddin 021-2675652, 2675651
Al Kindi 021-4642800, 4642801
HOSPITALS - AL HASSAKA
Al-Amal Hospital 052-426698
Al-Hikma Hospital 052-315053
The National Hospital 052-750025
An-Numa Hospital 052-223107
Dr. Sulayman Al-Saleh Hospital 052-750295
Shaba Hospital 052-311171
HOSPITALS - HAmA
Al-Asad medical Hospital 033-440301
Al-Asfar Specialist Hospital 033-225331
Al-Bader Specialist Hospital 033-416281
HOSPITALS - HOmS
Al-Ahli Specialist Hospital 031-200474
Al-Hikmah Hospital 031-2127408
Al-Watani Hospital 031-2486475
Al-Watani Hospital 031-2486478
HOSPITALS - IDLEB
Al-Khateeb Surgical Hospital 023-548418
Al-maarra Surgical Hospital 023-524524
Areeha Hospital 023-717102
maternity House Hospital 023-633460
Saraqeb Specialist Hospital 023-850059
HOSPITALS - LATAKIA
Al-Suf Hospital 041-354825, 3177956
PHARmAcIES - DAmAScuS
Abdullah makhseen 4443928
Adnan Nomeir 5420244
Adnan Tinawi 4625040
Al-Falah 6114850
Al-Farabi 4421169
Al-Farawati 2217613
Al-Fardoos 4444926
Akram Khalifeh 5121058
Akram Khoulani 6214527
Fadi Dawood 5617051
HOSPITALS - ALEPPO
Al-Aasi 021-4787250
Al-Aata 021-5506684
Abdullah Arab 021-2666402
Abdul Ahad Shallah 021-3216496
Abdul Hannan 021-2687876
Abdul Jaleel 021-2247827
Al-Assaad 021-4448882
guide
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guide
Damascus International Airport 011-453 0201/9 Flight - 167 Reservation - 187
Police 112
Homicide 159
military Police 116
civil Defence 109
Fire Station 113
Traffc Police 115
Ambulance 110
Health Info centre 161
Operator 141
International call Operator 143
Phone clock 119
Tel-Information 147
Tel-Telegrams 146
Electricity Emergency 118
Water Supply complaints 114
Syrian Insurance company 186
uSEFuL
NumBERS
guide
80
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