BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer Every night during our week’s stay in Lisbon we came to Alfama, the historic heart of the city, to enjoy Portugal’s traditional song, the fado, while we feasted on the country’s famous fish dishes. Tonight, as we enjoyed our tasty morsels, we were hypnotized by the voice of Maria Armanda, one … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer The first time I was introduced to the folklore of Morocco was by way of North American television. After showing country scenes of great breathtaking beauty and others of haunting architecture, the narrator came to the epitome of his travelogue, a festival held in Marrakesh, one of the most fascinating cities … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer I was amazed watching an expert mosaic craftsman at work, surrounded by thousands of tiny thin pieces of plastic and wood in a multitude of colours. With nimble hands, he fashioned them into patterns of geometrical inspiration for boxes, mirror and clock frames, chessboards and all types of furniture pieces. Like a … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer No different from Ulysses, who some authors have described as Djerba’s first tourist, a traveller will find the people of this Tunisian isle friendly and hospitable. From the first day of a visit, the delightful charms of Djerba (also spelled Jerba) will hold most travellers spellbound. Why this island, which travellers … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer “It’s that time again! You know what I hate most in going away on a trip? It’s buying gifts to take back for daughters who have everything!” I remarked to a friend during our last day on Spain’s Balearic Islands. She smiled, “In the Balearics, it’s the easiest place in the … Continued
Note: This is the first chapter to a book that I am in the process of writing about Syria and was written before destruction descended on the country from all over the world. When terrorism is curtailed, hopefully the whole piece will be valid. The real Syria will return. BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer Today, the … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing writer What has made Marrakesh, the southern capital of Morocco, a true tourist mecca is Jamaa el Fna, one of the most famous and liveliest entertainment spots on earth. A world unto itself, this bustling square, which gives the city its character, is a chaotic outdoor circus which can hold up to … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing writer “Sultry are her eyes with kohl beautified, razor sharp swords, they pierce my throbbing heart.” So wrote an Arab bard reminiscing about the kohl-painted eyes of his beloved. The words of this poet well describe, not only the eyes of his lady-love, but the kohl-lined eyes of millions of women … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing writer The snow storm was in its fury as I played with my siblings thinking of Christmas a week away to come. It was in the early 1930s during my youth when I thought of all the goodies that Santa Claus would bring. In my world of fantasy, Santa Claus with his … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer It is a rare person who has not heard of the famous Biblical Queen of Sheba, known to the Arabs as Queen Balqis. An almost mythical person, she ruled in the Yemen over the mighty Sabaean trading kingdom and left her mark in literature, history and religion. Perhaps, to a lesser … Continued
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing Writer During the early 20th century an inscription on a stone pillar was discovered in the Taoist goddesses’ Temple of the Celestial Spouse in a town in China’s Fujian province. It told of the amazing epic voyages of a Chinese admiral named Zheng He, sometimes spelled Cheng Ho, made in the 15th … Continued
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