Destination: Syria
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Best of the Festivals
One of the great things about festivals in Syria and Lebanon is the location; most of these festivals are held amid evocative ancient ruins.
Al-Bustan Festival, February, Lebanon
Spring Flower Festival, April, Syria
Palmyra Festival, April/May, Syria
Baalbek Festival, July & August, Lebanon
Beiteddine Festival, July & August, Lebanon
Byblos International Festival, August, Lebanon
Silk Road Festival, September, Syria
Bosra Festival, September (odd-numbered years), Syria
Mid East Film Festival Beirut, October, Lebanon
Damascus International Film Festival, November & December, Syria
Must See Movies
Pre-departure dreaming can be done from the comfort of your sofa. If you can’t find the following movies in your local video store, art-house cinema, or foreign movie channel, you can probably find them at www.arabfilm.com.
Syria
Under the Sky of Damascus (1931) Director: Ismail Anzur
Dreams of the City (1984) Director: Mohamed Malas
The Nights of the Jackal (1989) Director: Abdulatif Abdulhamid
The Night (1992) Director: Mohamed Malas
The Events of the Coming Year (1986) Director: Samir Zikra
Lebanon
Towards the Unknown (1957) Director: Georges Nasser
West Beirut (1998) Director: Ziad Duweyri
The Little Wars (1982) Director: Maroun Baghdadi
The Broken Wings (1962) Director: Yousef Malouf
In the Shadows of the City (2000) Director: Jean Chamoun
Top Reads
Perusing these titles are a short-cut to understanding the hopes, dreams and observations of life and love in Syria and Lebanon.
Syria
On Entering the Sea: The Erotic and Other Poetry (1996) by Nizar Qabbani
Just Like a River: from Syria (2003) by Muhammed Kamil Al-Khatib
Damascus Nights (1997) by Rafik Schami
Sabriya: Damascus Bitter Sweet (1997) by Ulfat Idilbi
Menstruation (2001) by Ammar Abdulhamid
Lebanon
Sitt Marie Rose: A Novel (1982) by Etel Adnan
The Stone of Laughter (1998) by Hoda Barakat
The Rock of Tanios (1994) by Amin Maalouf
Memory for Forgetfulness: August, Beirut 1982 (1982) by Mahmoud Darwish
Death in Beirut (1976) by Tawfiq Yusuf Awwad
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