Category Archives: Art & Culture

What about Byblos in the Mount side of Lebanon? عن جبيل في لبنان

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If you have been to Lebanon, you sure have been to Byblos, and if you haven’t then here is a little bit about it. A beautiful destination, small very old and authentic Mediterranean city located north of Beirut. Byblos is eye gazing, so much to see all around, the old houses, stairs, the old market, the old trees, the sea, the skies, it is truly one of the places that is hard to find the right words to describe it. And then in the evening, it is sleepless. People from all over Lebanon head towards this authentic city to enjoy their evening outdoors.

Go there, find ancient temples, find the Byblos castle, find the Medieval city wall, find the Mamluk Mosque, find St John the Baptist church, and if you are there during the summer try to attend their annual summer festival.

Visiting Byblos
Visting Byblos
Visiting Byblos

About a mountainous town in Lebanon… Ehden | عن قرية جبلية في لبنان، اهدن

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I spent a beautiful day at this gorgeous breezy northern village in Lebanon, Ehden. It truly is beautiful, breathtaking, has so much to explore although it is also very tiny. Woke up to a beautiful mountain view, and the scent of food making, preparations for their traditional dish “Kibbeh Mashwieh / Lebanese Kibbeh / Grilled Kibbeh”.

We started our day by heading towards a church that is situated at the tip of the mountain “Saydat Al Hoson Church” on a sunday morning, enjoyed the sound of the prayers, and the beautiful view. As we drove back out, we passed by this beautiful massive antique building that today is a police station, and I couldn’t resist but ask for them to park the car, as I took the chance to walk around and enjoy the true treasures in the village. The windows are an absolute admiration, the stone houses are gorgeous, the colors of the doors are inspiring.

We then headed towards another relatives house as we had some ka’ak with dates/ajwa and tea, overlooked Ehden from the roof, overlooking the famous ancient Ketel Church Mar Jerjes. Then we decided to walk back home again to enjoy the very last bits of the village, as we arrived to the ready home-made Kibbeh Mishweh for a late lunch.

Places to see in Ehden: Midan, Ketel Church Mar Jerjes, Kobra stairs, Ssydet el Hoson church, Saraya, Sama Ehden Autostrad, Bowayda, Nabeh’ Jouit

Visting Ehden

A day on the road… in Lebanon | بين شوارع لبنان

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There is nothing more beautiful than exploring, traveling and road tripping.

So here I am in the lands of Lebanon, we first arrived to Beirut airport and from there, we started driving up towards Tripoli. Between the old architecture, blue sea and skies, we drove. We entered Tripoli that smelled like authenticity, old tall buildings scattered one next to the other, it looks very much like Barcelona. What is so beautiful about the Middle-eastern old architecture is the art that is incorporated with it.

The heat in Tripoli was incredible, it was too humid and too hot, we had home-made Lahmeh Bajeen and Cordon bleu for lunch, and continued our road trip more to the north towards a mountain village called Ehden. Breezy and cool, the weather transformation is magical, an hour drive away and the weather is the complete opposite. Luckily, we arrived at sunset, got mesmerized by the view, had halloumi cheese for dinner, and started the walk around the tiny little town that never sleeps during the summer.

Which side of Jerusalem do you know ? Part 1

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From my visit in the summer, around May 16 2015,

I titled this post as “Which side of Jerusalem do you know?” because Jerusalem has been split into 2 sides, unfortunately. If you ask why? Then I will answer you to ask the Israelis, ask the Jews in Jerusalem. Ask them: Why is Jerusalem split into half?

But then I will advice you, to ask the Palestinians right after. Ask the Palestinians why is Jerusalem divided into half? Ask them how do they feel about it? Ask them how much do they have freedom living in the city of Jerusalem? Ask them how safe is it to move around from the East side of Jerusalem into the West side of Jerusalem?

It sounds crazy. When I first learned about this whole city split into two, the Jews on one side and the Palestinians “Arabs” on the other, I went crazy. I said people are crazy, power is evil, money is complete devil. This can not be real. But, it is.

The east side of Jerusalem; is where the Palestinians live. It is where the old city is, where the Arabs live, the Arabs of Jerusalem, although those Arabs are Palestinians, but of course we have to follow what the state of Israel like to refer them to. You might think the Palestinians are living in complete freedom, peace, and serenity, but of course not. They must be threatened every day. The State of Israel wants all of Jerusalem. So imagine what sort of life the Palestinians are living. Feeling safe only in half side of the city, being watched by Israeli armed men, being chased by Jewish boys, and being chanted at “prayers of death” into their faces.

And so what is in West of Jerusalem? Why do they still want the East side of Jerusalem? Isn’t the most beautiful authentic, houses in the west side? Didn’t the richest of Jerusalem live in the west? What happened to the West side of Jerusalem? It was taken by force like the rest of Palestine. Palestinians who lived in the West side before the 1948, lost their homes, their right of return, and their freedom to even visit where they were once born, where their ancestors lived. I will be sharing photos from the west side of Jerusalem in my next post.

But today, and here, I have shared photos from the border. You will notice the wall, and at the end of the album, you will notice a sign that is between Ramallah and Jerusalem, stating that if you enter the West Bank area, where the Palestinians live, then you are in danger. Sounds ridiculous, but hilarious to the Palestinians. Dangerous? Why? What are Palestinians? Last I checked, I am one. Why am I dangerous? Am not sure again. Politics create terror, they create racism, they create hate, they create violence, and then we follow them and call ourselves Israelis! Proud to be a racist? or Proud to be a creator of terror?

I have also shared a lot of the architecture in Jerusalem. Arabian. Authentic, Historic. Arabesque. Ottoman. Jerusalem is Arabic. You can never change culture. You can never change history. Jerusalem is Arabian. I shared photos of architecture and dates that date back to way before the 1948. Streets names that are all in Arabic. And the architecture, the architecture speaks it all. It speaks the truth, reality. How can the bricks lie to us? Until when will the Jewish immigrants live in lies? When the Palestinians are only asking you to live in Peace?

I then shared photos from the Wind Mill Street. It is a very wealthy Jewish quarter as well. Jewish Israelis living in Arabian houses. Authentic beautiful Arabian houses. If they say they have been living there from before the 1948, then they must be Jewish Palestinian, and if not, then those houses must belong to Palestinians who were evacuated by force somewhere else. Do they never wonder? Or question? Dream? Or think for a moment or two? I am sure they do, just for a moment and then they would wash that thought away. How can they live with the ugly truth. But I keep my slight thread of hope. I keep it and I share it with the Jews and the Palestinians I know, and I pray that one day, humanity will be back into all our hearts, and we find away to fight the terrorist state and bring peace to the people of the land.

My last day in Haifa… آخر يوم الي في حيفا

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May 12, 2015

My trip is about to end, I have a week left and I feel like I still haven’t seen anything. I decided to spend few more days in Haifa to really get my eyes enough of it. I must admit that Haifa is one of my very favorite cities in Palestine.

This side of the world feels like a dream. People refer to it differently now a days… Palestine, the occupied areas, the 1948 areas, Israel. Palestinians who live here are living the real occupation. It feels like living on a land that is literally raped. All the architecture and the houses are so Arabic, Oriental , Arabesque, it screams the Arabian culture, with Arabic calligraphy, and design that dates back to the 1800’s, yet you see Israeli flags decorated around the entrance, and Europeans coming out of the door. Europeans and Americans who refer to themselves as Jewish Israelis and when they see the Palestinians, they are only known as the Arabs.

I find it hilarious how inside the occupied areas you are either a Jew or an Arab. When all the Jews are from all over the world, and all the Arabs are Palestinian. I also find it hilarious how the Jews go by their religion for being Jewish, and the Arabs can be of any religion except Jewish. For all Jewish Arabs are no longer Arabs but are only refereed to as Jews. And what is wrong with being a Jewish Arab? or A Palestinian Jew? Too much of a privilege to the Jews or to the Arabs?

Since when is freedom jailed. Freedom to express who you truly are? Since when are all the Palestinians only Arabs? Since when is being Jewish a nationality? I last checked it was a religion. Since when have the Palestinians lost their identity and freedom to express that they are Palestinians? It is like telling a little boy, “don’t tell them your real name, or they will find out what we did to you, and then we will have to kick you out of your home again like we have kicked your parents”.

And how much do you know about the Palestinians? They are Arabs from the Middle East living in a land that has been chopped up into many little scattered Israeli settlements. Practicing any religion, with the churches and the mosques lined one next to the other, even the synagogue were once lined next to them before their own people decided to isolate them and conquer. The Palestinians, both Christian popes and Muslim sheikhs walk side by side as they go to pray. The Palestinians, who make hummus for breakfast and mjadara for lunch and shakshuka for dinner. They listen to the sound of Arabian oud, and they smoke shesha during their free time. They are known to have great farmers, love everything organic and self-made, from olive trees, to cactus, fig and roses. Small carriages of ka’ek and zaatar, turkish coffee and tea with mint and lots of sugar. They love to play chess and bargees, welcoming every stranger and guest as they pass them by, friendly is within their nature. Warmth and security is what they like to transmit from their energy. And this is all just a glimpse of the Palestinians.

But today, what have the Israelis done to our Palestine? And what are they continuing to do? And how long will the world allow them to? When will it end?

Visiting Haifa
I am Palestinian

How to make Middle-Easteen Meat Balls, Kofta in Tomato sauce | طريقة عمل كفتة بالبندور

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Kofta in Tomato | Kafta | كفتة بالبندورة.

Middle-Eastern Meat balls or what is known to the Arabs as the Tomato Kofta also known as Kafta Kebab with tomato sauce  كفتة بالبندورة, كفتة بلطماطم

Kebab is a very popular Middle Eastern dish, but did you ever hear of Kufta? Kufta stands for Meat balls in Arabic. A very general dish. It is served almost everywhere around the world only with the different types of flavoring depending on the food culture of the country. Beef with curry sauce, Beef with coconut sauce or Orange sauce, Meat Balls, Beef stew, Kebab, Souvlaki….

In the Middle East, Meat balls are popular, but we know them as Kufta or in other Arabian accents Kefta, Kafta, or Kofta. They are made very similar to how the Kebab are made, only cooked a little different and garnished with different flavors. You can have a Middle Eastern Kufta with tomato sauce, tahini sauce, or pomegranate molasses.

Today, I will be sharing with you the very original common “Kefta bil bandoura” which stands for Kofta in Tomato sauce. Some people like to add potatoes and red pepper, some people like to add eggplants and onions. But today, my talented mother and favorite chef in the world decided to only concentrate it with fresh tomatoes.

Enjoy the recipe, and have pita bread handy for this dish can be eaten by fork or with bread.

SUZIE|S KITCHEN

Makes enough for 6 people – 1hr 1/2 total time required

Read more for the full recipe… 

A little bit on Faith… معنى المؤمن من اسامي الله الحسنى

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Faith: To have faith means to be certain. And to have faith, is to be protected and feel at ease when you feel fear. And you gain Faith when you are a believer seeking for it. And Faith comes from the Divine, since believing is knowing the existence of something more powerful than our being. Faith is to feel protected even when threatened, it is to feel tranquil in your heart in whatever situation you are in. And feeling both fear and Faith are both feelings of instincts that are a source of connection with the Divine. It is a feeling for a reason, a reason to differentiate situations. “From the 99 names of God in Islam”

المؤمن: الإيمان فى اللغة هو التصديق ، ويقال آمنه من الأمان ضد الخوف ، والله يعطى الأمان لمن استجار به واستعان ، الله المؤمن الذى وحد نفسه بقوله ( شهد الله أنه لا اله إلا هو ) ، وهو الذى يؤمن أولياءه من عذابه ، ويؤمن عباده من ظلمه ، هو خالق الطمأنينة فى القلوب ، أن الله خالق أسباب الخوف وأسباب الأمان جميعا وكونه تعالى مخوفا لا يمنع كونه مؤمنا ، كما أن كونه مذلا لا يمنع كونه معزا ، فكذلك هو المؤمن المخوف ، إن إسم ( المؤمن ) قد جاء منسوبا الى الله تبارك وتعالى فى القرآن مرة واحدة فى سورة الحشر فى قوله تعالى ( هو الله الذى لا اله إلا هو الملك القدوس السلام المؤمن المهيمن العزيز الجبار المتكبر سبحان الله عما يشركون ) سورة الحش


An old house occupied by Israeli in Yafa Yafo Jaffa

What about the art of Parc Güell, Antoni Gaudi?

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Barcelona.

Antoni Gaudi’s famous hilltop park is located in the Gracia neighborhood. This is a surreal cinematic view of Barcelona. A ride into a new world, an imaginary world only formed into reality. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiCarmel Hill is the name of the hill-top, filled with architectural elements and beautiful gardens, this is where Antoni Gaudi lived the last few years of his life. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiYou enter with expectations, but you exit with your mind blown. This parc is like a dream land, toy land only it was made to live in. If you thought anything is impossible, then go get inspired by the work on Antoni Gaudi. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiMake some time to sit and relax. Read a book, write a novel, meditate, or just people watch. This seating was made for your comfort. Overlooking an escape from the normal day-to-day life. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiI tried to take the bicycle up which turned to be a failed mission. so I parked my bike, and walked up to turn into a hike up, so make sure you dress in something comfortable to hike with. Worth every step. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe parc was built between 1900 and 1914 and was officially opened into a public park in 1926. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiDesigned for the people, with people, made of stone, bricks and mosaic. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiParc Guell is inspired by nature, everything natural and organic.  The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiA reality escape. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiYou enter and you never want to leave. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiIf this was made a 100 years ago, then imagine what one can create today. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiSo never let anything stop you. If someone came and explained all this today you might think the person is crazy, but once you see such work come into reality, it will inspire millions.

A door to an endless wowness and mind exaggeration. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudioverlooking barcelonaParc-GuelNever be afraid to fall in love. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiVisit Barcelona and click here to find more about its neighborhoods. 

Barcelona Architecture is a prime

Visit Sant Antoni

Streets of Barcelona

Visit El Raval

Visit El Born

Visit El Born

 

All about the magnificent Sagrada Familia

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Barcelona.

The famous Catholic Church of Barcelona. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiDesigned by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi 1852-926. Gaudi for the love of Barcelona Architecture SpainIncomplete until today, Sagrada Familia is attracting people from around the world to visit Barcelona only to see it. In love at first sight, this piece of art is worth the years of work put into it. Gaudi Barcelona Architecture SpainThe style of the church is from the Gothic and Art Nouveau forms. The designer Antoni Gaudi died when the church was only quarterly done. Gaudi Magic workThe project is supposed to be complete by the year 2026. I enjoyed staring at the details of this architect. A true piece of Art.

The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiEvery corner has a story untold. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiSo much passion and love was put into it and is visible. Barcelona Architecture SpainThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudi
The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiA world heritage site. 
The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiThe incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudiClose up photo of the details of the church La Segrada Familia in BarcelonaClose up photo of the details of the church La Segrada Familia in BarcelonaClose up photo of the details of the church La Segrada Familia in BarcelonaClose up photo of the details of the church La Segrada Familia in BarcelonaClose up photo of the details of the church La Segrada Familia in Barcelona

Can not get over it until today. Breathtaking. The incredible art of Gaudi architecture a day with gaudi

Why is Rumi the best poet in the US? And why am I a big fan of his?

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I stumbled upon an article few weeks ago, only to finally read it today. And one part of the article; I never want to forget, so I decided to write about it, save it and share it.

From the BBC Culture Article: Why is Rumi the best poet in the US ?

“His combination of mystical richness and bold adaptation of poetic forms is the key to his popularity today.” Rumi uses 4 main innovations in his direct address to readers, that defined my understandings and connection to his ancient writings…

  1. He uses the second person in his writing – Which to many of us, we feel personalized, as if he is talking to me, with me, directing me, so it is much easier to relate or imagine and therefore feel belonging.
  2. His urge to teach – He writes in the form of giving, sending, with ultimate love and compassion, take this knowledge from me, take it for free, I just want to teach you, help you, and take care of you.
  3. He uses everyday imagery – Which until today, after around 800 years we can still relate to. Whether he is referring to the ocean, skies, love, escape, nature, earth… we can relate to his images.
  4. His celebration and optimists attainment to union – Who isn’t attracted to optimists? Who isn’t searching for union? He writes with assertiveness, which therefore comforts us “the readers” to one day, reach our own findings.

And what I enjoyed the most about all this, is relating myself to it. I have the tendency to write in the form of a second person. I believe in giving, learning and teaching, I use my inspiration from my everyday life and as an optimist myself, I am in search of Unity. And through my Rumi Readings, I find my answers and motivation.

So here is to Rumi… You have taught me so much about my own spiritual beliefs, the richness of my very own culture, you have inspired me, inspired many others before me, and you will keep inspiring many more like me. I truly hope I can help spread some of your wisdom through my writings.

Beach Love