An old and established family, the Sursocks have been a cornerstone of Lebanese affairs for generations. Lady Sursock Cochrane was born the only daughter to Alfred Bey Sursock and his Italian wife Donna Maria Theresa Serra di Cassano, yet she is far less interested in talking about her own heritage…
Category
Culture
Gabriel Yared had me at “hello”. For a world-renowned multi-talented musical genius, Oscar-winner, international award winner, composer, captivating conductor and self-taught pianist, Lebanese-born Yared is modest, courteous, warm and an extremely likable individual. In short, this genuine human being is arguably one of this era’s most influential composers. Through his…
Rifaat Sheikh El Ard is unique amongst collectors of art from the Middle East. In an exhibition currently in show at the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris, he and the Furusiyya Art Foundation have covered new historical ground and established original areas of interest and study of the arts…
Normandy is famous for the D-Day landings, the Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel and horse breeding. Issam Michael Fares’ breathtaking property ties all three together in just one place. Nicolas Shammas takes a closer look. What do the Battle of Normandy, horse breeding and the Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel have in common? The…
Prince Bandar, one of the sons of the great King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, has undertaken a project of both huge ambition and vision in order to save the indigenous wildlife of the kingdom. Nicolas Shammas sat down with His Royal Highness to learn more. It is a late afternoon…
Speed may be life’s most powerful addiction, especially when you have nothing but wide desert road before you. Warren Singh-Bartlett spends time with the controversial Riyadh drifters who have turned an underground adrenaline-charged diversion into a growing urban sport. When it comes to cars, I am profoundly ignorant. I couldn’t…
Myrna Bustani is not a name that immediately rolls off the tongue when you think of a business leader and a patron of the arts. Much of that has to do with her reluctance to expose herself and her accomplishments to the public. Yet, her ongoing campaign to bring a…
Local artisanal work may bring to mind images of your typical uninspired creations. But in the midst of Beirut’s pulsating city, Carole Corm discovers a strong tradition of fashionable and costly cross-stitches that are all heart. Just tucked off Sidani Street in Beirut’s bustling and noisy Hamra district, Inaash still…