Lebanon
Echoes of Past Lives
This month, Lebanon marks 50 years since the start of its civil war. In the country’s Druze mountains, belief in reincarnation means that memories of past lives intertwine with the enduring trauma.
Tripoli’s Troubled Waters
The Abu Ali River in Tripoli, Lebanon, once a vital part of the city, is now a polluted symbol of its deep-seated environmental, social and economic divisions.
How a Line on a Map Fanned the Flames of a Middle Eastern Conflict
For centuries, Ghajar was a poor, remote village in the Ottoman Empire. But after World War I, French colonial cartographers drew a line on a map that had long-term implications for the villagers. Today, they live in political limbo, their village claimed by Syria and divided between Lebanon and Israel.
Mourning Hassan Nasrallah
A Lebanese writer reflects on attending the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, exploring themes of grief, defiance and identity in the context of Lebanon's complex political landscape.
The Day After the War in Gaza
The Middle East faces a future of long-term political instability that will be grinding for everyone, particularly for Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians. Israelis, despite their triumphalism, face a future of constant military conflict and international opprobrium. But certain trends speak to a reimagined, functioning future.
Returning to Devastation in South Lebanon
Residents of villages along Lebanon’s southern border have returned to find their homes destroyed and Israeli soldiers still present. Although Hezbollah fighters have been pushed north, support for the group appears strong among some residents, with others decrying the destruction caused by its war with Israel.
Fouad Elkoury’s Photography Finds Poetry Amid Destruction
Finding liminal spaces in war, capturing a ray of light or an unexpected moment suspended in time, Fouad Elkoury’s unique style makes his photography timeless. He has retraced a historical journey in Egypt, documented his own loneliness during a trip to Turkey and found poetry amid chaos and destruction.