Culture of Lebanon

By the turn of the 20th century, Beirut was vying with Cairo to be the major centre for Near Eastern and Middle Eastern thought, with many newspapers, magazines and literary societies. Additionally, Beirut became a thriving epicenter of Armenian culture with varied productionsMigliorino, p. 166 that was exported to the Armenian diaspora.

Daoud Corm (1852-1930), Habib Serour (1860-1938) and Khalil Saleeby (1870-1928) are considered the first successful professional studio artists in Lebanon, with careers extending to Europe. All were trained outside Lebanon, with Corm and Serour attending Roman academies and Saleeby British and American ones. They were known for portraiture of Lebanese high society and men of religion, as well as Christian sacred art in the case of Corm and Serour.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aub.edu.lb/art_galleries/Pages/KhalilSaleeby.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729013259/https://www.aub.edu.lb/art_galleries/Pages/KhalilSaleeby.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 29, 2020|title=Khalil Saleeby (1870-1928): A Founder of Modern Art in Lebanon|website=www.aub.edu.lb|access-date=2019-10-02}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.onefineart.com/artists/painters/habib-srour|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729050555/https://www.onefineart.com/artists/painters/habib-srour|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 29, 2020|title=One Fine Art {{!}} artists - painters / habib srour|website=www.onefineart.com|access-date=2019-10-02}}

Mustafa Farroukh (1901-1957) was one of Lebanon's most important painters between the 1920s and the 1950s. Formally trained in Rome and Paris, he exhibited in venues from Paris to New York to Beirut over his career.{{cite web |url=http://www.kaftoun.com/component/content/article/197-moustafa-farroukh/358-moustafa-farroukh |title=Moustafa Farroukh |publisher=Kaftoun.com |date=2 July 2010 |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307122305/http://www.kaftoun.com/component/content/article/197-moustafa-farroukh/358-moustafa-farroukh |archive-date=7 March 2012 }}

Farid Mansour (1929-2010) was a Lebanese multi-talented painter and sculptor . Being trained in Italy and England, Mansour mastered several [https://web.archive.org/web/20190513183456/https://www.faridmansour.com/selected-work painting] and sculpting techniques. His works were exhibited in London, Paris, New York as well as Lebanon and Syria.

File:Csontváry Kosztka, Tivadar - Pilgrimage to the Cedars of Lebanon - Google Art Project.jpg

Contemporary art started in Beirut immediately after the end of the civil war (1975-1991).

Many contemporary artists are currently active, such as Walid Raad, a contemporary media artist currently residing in New York.{{cite web |url=http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/artist/raad/biography/ |title=Media Art Net | Ra'ad, Walid: Biography |publisher=Medienkunstnetz.de |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430025450/http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/artist/raad/biography/ |archive-date=30 April 2012 }}

Two contemporary art exhibition centers, the Beirut Art Center and the Beirut Exhibition Center (does not exist anymore) in the BIEL area reflect the vibrant Lebanese contemporary art scene. These two centers are intended to host exhibitions and are a must in the world of international as well as local contemporary art. Many art galleries also add to the local art scene, exhibiting the works of artists such as Ayman Baalbaki,{{cite web |url=http://www.lucegallery.com/artists/Ayman-Baalbaki/biography/ |title=Ayman Baalbaki |publisher=lucegallery |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426095425/http://www.lucegallery.com/artists/Ayman-Baalbaki/biography |archive-date=26 April 2010 }} Akram Zaatari,{{cite web |url=http://www.beirutartcenter.org/exhibitions.php?exhibid=45&statusid=3 |title=Earth of Endless SecretsWriting for a Posterior TimeAkram Zaatari |publisher=Beirut Art Center |date=22 July 2009 |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024213304/http://beirutartcenter.org/exhibitions.php?exhibid=45&statusid=3 |archive-date=24 October 2011 }} Marwan Sahmarani,{{cite web |url=http://www.artnet.com/artists/marwan-sahmarani/biography-links |title=Marwan Sahmarani Biography and Links – Marwan Sahmarani on artnet |publisher=Artnet.com |access-date=5 May 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113022022/http://www.artnet.com/artists/marwan-sahmarani/biography-links |archive-date=13 January 2012 }} Nadim Asfar,{{cite web |url=http://www.galerietanit.com/bios/asfar/asfar.htm |title=Nadim Asfar |publisher=Galerie Tanit |date=10 May 2008 |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428043248/http://www.galerietanit.com/bios/asfar/asfar.htm |archive-date=28 April 2012 }} Lamia Joreige,{{cite web |url=http://curatorsintl.org/events/lamia_joreige |title=Independent Curators International – Lamia Joreige |publisher=Curatorsintl.org |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217022821/http://curatorsintl.org/events/lamia_joreige |archive-date=17 December 2011 }} Jean Marc Nahas,{{cite web |url=http://www.jeanmarcnahas.com/biography.html |title=Jean-Marc Nahas |publisher=Jean-Marc Nahas |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118111320/http://www.jeanmarcnahas.com/biography.html |archive-date=18 January 2012 }}{{cite web |url=http://artofthemideast.com/artists/lebanese/jean-marc-nahas/ |title=Jean-Marc Nahas |publisher=Art of the Mid East |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409100759/http://artofthemideast.com/artists/lebanese/jean-marc-nahas/ |archive-date=9 April 2012 }} Ricardo Mbarkho,{{cite web|url=http://www.ricardombarkho.com/html/en/bio_en.htm#up|title=Ricardo Mbarkho|website=www.ricardombarkho.com|access-date=8 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028073534/http://ricardombarkho.com/html/en/bio_en.htm#up|archive-date=28 October 2017}} Mansour El-Habre,{{cite web |url=http://artmedgallery.com/artist_details.php?id=22 |title=Mansour el Habre |publisher=ArtMed Gallery |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307005454/http://artmedgallery.com/artist_details.php?id=22 |archive-date=7 March 2012 }} [http://www.toutikian.com Anita Toutikian] and many others. These galleries are run by gallerists such as Saleh Barakat,{{cite web |url=http://www.yale.edu/worldfellows/fellows/barakat.html |title=Yale World Fellows Program | The World Fellows |publisher=Yale.edu |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824060423/http://www.yale.edu/worldfellows/fellows/barakat.html |archive-date=24 August 2012 }} Fadi Mogabgab,{{cite web |url=http://executive-magazine.com/getarticle.php?article=12129 |title=Art – Creativity's capital |publisher=Executive-magazine.com |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126160600/http://executive-magazine.com/getarticle.php?article=12129 |archive-date=26 January 2012 }} Nadine Begdache (Galerie Janine Rubeiz),{{cite web |url=http://www.galeriejaninerubeiz.com/pages/galerie.php?lang=en |title=galerie JANINE RUBEIZ |publisher=galerie JANINE RUBEIZ |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205033545/http://www.galeriejaninerubeiz.com/pages/galerie.php?lang=en |archive-date=5 February 2012 }} Odile Mazloum (Galerie Alwane).{{cite web |url=http://www.saifivillage.com/shops/alwane |title=Galerie Alwane |publisher=SAIFI VILLAGE |access-date=1 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060426/http://www.saifivillage.com/shops/alwane |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}

Located in Foch Street in the Solidere area, FFA Private Bank is home to many temporary exhibitions of contemporary local artists as well as to a permanent display of paintings by Lebanese artists (Sahmarani, Baalbaki, Hanibal Srouji ... ) or foreign artists such as Fabienne Arietti's "Nasdaq".{{cite web |url=http://www.ffaprivatebank.com/NewsDetails.aspx?ID=528&MID=351&PID=322 |title=Media Relations |publisher=FBI Private Bank |date=7 December 2011 |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708042800/http://www.ffaprivatebank.com/NewsDetails.aspx?ID=528&MID=351&PID=322 |archive-date=8 July 2010 }} A Jean Dubuffet's huge sculpture can also be seen when visiting the atrium of Bank Audi Plaza, located in a beautiful contemporary building designed by Kevin Dash. By Strolling through the streets of the city one can find some interesting works such as sculptures of Michel Basbous in the Bank of Lebanon street.

Ashkal Alwan, the Lebanese association for plastic arts and a platform for the creation and exchange of artistic practices. It was founded by Christine Tohmé, Marwan Rechmaoui, Rania Tabbara, Mustapha Yamout and Leila Mroueh. Initially, Ashkal Alwan promoted and introduced the work of artists who have been engaged in critical art practices within the context of post-war Lebanon. The Home Works Forum is a multidisciplinary platform that takes place in Beirut, Lebanon about every other year. it has evolved into one of the most vibrant platforms for research and exchange on cultural practices in the region and beyond.

Umam Documentation & Research runs an exhibition space (The Hangar) located at Haret Hreik, in Beirut's Southern suburb with extensive events.

In the field of digital art, the artist Ricardo Mbarkho investigates the transformation of cultural industries into creative industries.

In the field of photography, the Arab Image Foundation has a collection of +4000 photographs from Lebanon and the Middle East. The photographs can be viewed in a research center and various events and publications have been produced in Lebanon and worldwide to promote the foundation.

File:Gebrag Khalil Garden (4694182661).jpg and surroundings in Beirut Central District, Majidiye, Beirut]]

{{main|Architecture of Lebanon}}

Architecture in Lebanon includes the legacies of various occupying powers including the Romans, Phoenicians, Ottomans and French, as well as post independence developments.

When the Ottomans exiled Fakhreddine to Tuscany, Italy in 1613, he entered an alliance with the Medicis. Upon his return to Lebanon in 1618, he began modernizing Lebanon. He developed a silk industry, upgraded olive-oil production, and brought with him numerous Italian engineers who began the construction of mansions and civil building throughout the country.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gh8ZrZRKaRwC&q=Italianate+architecture+Fakhreddine&pg=PA294 |title=Syria & Lebanon — Google Books |access-date=2010-01-18|isbn=978-1-86450-333-3|author1=Carter, Terry| author2= Dunston, Lara|author3=Humphreys, Andrew|year=2004}} The cities of Beirut and Sidon were especially built in the Italianate style.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AylB2M5DjaoC&q=Italianate+architecture+Fakhreddine&pg=PA26 |title=Warlords and merchants: the Lebanese ... - Google Books |access-date=2010-01-18|isbn=978-0-86372-297-4|author1=Dib, Kamal|author2=Dīb, Kamāl|year=2004}}

The Italianate, specifically, Tuscan, influence on architecture in Lebanon dates back to the Renaissance when Fakhreddine, the first Lebanese ruler who truly unified Mount Lebanon with its Mediterranean coast executed an ambitious plan to develop his country.

The influence of these buildings, such as the ones in Deir el Qamar, influenced building in Lebanon for many centuries and continues to the present time. For example, streets like Rue Gouraud continues to have numerous, historic houses with Italianate influence.{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12079102&CFID=22575473&CFTOKEN=49147749 |title=Premium content |publisher=Economist.com |date=2008-09-11 |access-date=2010-01-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308022752/http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12079102&CFID=22575473&CFTOKEN=49147749 |archive-date=2009-03-08 }} Buildings like the Nicolas Sursock mansion on Rue Sursock, which is today a major museum, attest{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} to the continuous influence of Italianate architecture in Lebanon.

File:Kahlil Gibran 1913.jpg (April 1913)]]

{{see also|Arabic literature}}

Khalil Gibran (1883–1931), who was born in Bsharri, is particularly known for his book The Prophet (1923), which has been translated into more than twenty different languages.The Hindu (5 January 2003). {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100812094242/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/lr/2003/01/05/stories/2003010500320500.htm Called by life]}}. The Hindu. 5 January 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2007. Several contemporary Lebanese writers have also achieved international success; including Elias Khoury, Amin Maalouf, Hanan al-Shaykh, and Georges Schehadé.

Several contemporary Lebanese writers {{Cite web|last=ago·|first=Chloe Ghaleb·People·4 months|date=2020-06-14|title=12 Most Influential Lebanese Writers|url=https://www.the961.com/most-influential-lebanese-writers/|access-date=2020-09-30|website=The961|language=en-US}} have also achieved international success; including Elias Khoury, Amin Maalouf, Hanan al-Shaykh, and Georges Schehadé. Raméz A. Baassiri, a contemporary writer of Lebanese origin, authored a book on Entrepreneurship titled "Interrupted Entrepreneurship: Embracing Change in the Family Business" on family business cycles. The book published with ForbesBooks, was voted the 88th best book of all time by Book Authority.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ypo.org/2018/11/seeing-the-opportunities-in-disruptive-interruptions/|title=Seeing the Opportunities in Disruptive Interruptions|date=20 November 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/family-business-expert-shares-secrets-173000045.html |title=Family Business Expert Shares Secrets to Multi-Generational Success |website=finance.yahoo.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925104832/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/family-business-expert-shares-secrets-173000045.html |archive-date=2018-09-25}} {{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2018/05/10/family-business-expert-shares-secrets-to-multi-generational-success/#17216715278e|website=forbes.com|title=Family Business Expert Shares Secrets to Multi-Generational Success|access-date=2019-11-20|archive-date=2020-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605124549/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2018/05/10/family-business-expert-shares-secrets-to-multi-generational-success/#17216715278e|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://forbesbooks.com/ramez-a-baassiri/|title=Our Authors | Raméz A. Baassiri|website=ForbesBooks|date=2 May 2018}}{{cite book|title=Interrupted Entrepreneurship(tm): Embracing Change in the Family Business|author=Baassiri, R.A.|date=2018|publisher=Forbes Books|isbn=9781946633361|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQfIswEACAAJ}}

{{see also|Arabic poetry}}There are many well known [https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/lebanon/articles/11-famous-lebanese-poets-and-writers-you-should-know/ Lebanese poets] that marked the history of poetry. For example, there is Gibran Khalil Gibran who wrote "Love" in 1920, "On Friendship" in 1923 and many more.{{Cite web|last=Poets|first=Academy of American|title=Poems by Kahlil Gibran|url=https://poets.org/poems/kahlil-gibran|access-date=2020-09-30|website=poets.org}}{{Empty section|date=November 2017}}

{{Main|Music of Lebanon}}

File:Fairuz playing the guitar.jpg playing guitar]]

Music is famous in Lebanese society.{{Cite book|last=Carter|first=Terry|author2=Dunston Lara|others=Thomas Amelia|title=Lonely Planet Syria & Lebanon|publisher=Lonely Planet|date=15 July 2008|edition=3|series=Lonely Planet|pages=254–255|chapter=Arts|isbn=978-1-74104-609-0|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_R-I_Gx5OgQC&pg=PA255|access-date=19 September 2009}} While traditional folk music remains popular in Lebanon, modern music reconciling traditional styles, pop, and fusion are rapidly advancing in popularity.{{Cite book|last=Sheehan|first=Sean|author2=Latif Zawiah|title=Lebanon|publisher=Marshall Cavendish Children's Books|date=30 August 2007|edition=2|series=Cultures of the World|page=105|chapter=Arts|isbn=978-0-7614-2081-1|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cA-RDzlwVVAC&pg=PA105|access-date=19 September 2009}} Radio stations feature a variety of genres and languages, including traditional, classical Arabic and ArmenianMcKenzie, Robert. Comparing Media from Around the World, Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2006, p. 372 {{ISBN|0-205-40242-9}}{{Cite book|last=Kamalipour|first=Yahya|author2=Rampal Kuldip|title=Media, sex, violence, and drugs in the global village|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.|date=15 November 2001|page=265|chapter=Between Globalization and Localization|isbn=978-0-7425-0061-7|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yL3l0GwdNcsC&pg=PA265|access-date=19 September 2009}} Prominent traditional musicians include Fairuz, an icon during the civil war, Sabah Melhem Barakat, Wadih El Safi, Majida El Roumi, and Najwa Karam who built an international audience for the genre. Marcel Khalife, a musician who blends classical Arab music with modern sounds, boasts immenseOne source says "cult following", other says "folk hero" popularity for his politically charged lyrics. Distinguished pop artists include Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wehbe, Fadl Shaker, Elissa, and Mika.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, Lebanon's music industry is growing and could attain leading status in the region.{{Cite book|last=World Intellectual Property Organization|title=Performance of copyright industries in selected Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia|publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization|year=2003|pages=148–152|chapter=Copyright Industries in Lebanon |isbn=978-92-805-1316-5|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BzygcVYOpa8C&pg=PA148|access-date=19 September 2009}} Lebanese performers are celebrated throughout the Arab World,{{Cite book|last=Karam|first=Michael|title=Wines of Lebanon|publisher=Saqi Books|date=27 October 2005|page=263|isbn=978-0-86356-598-4|url=http://nowlebanon.com/Sub.aspx?ID=173&MID=24&PID=23&FParentID=3&FFParentID=38|access-date=18 September 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514060822/http://nowlebanon.com/Sub.aspx?ID=173&MID=24&PID=23&FParentID=3&FFParentID=38|archive-date=14 May 2011}} and with the notable exception of Egypt enjoy increasing regional popularity. Rising demand for Arabic music outside Western Asia has provided Lebanese artists with a small but significant global audience. However, widespread piracy continues to inhibit the music industry's growth.

{{main|Media of Lebanon}}

Lebanon is not only a regional center of media production but also the most liberal and free in the Arab world.Migliorino, p. 122 According to Press freedom's Reporters Without Borders, "the media have more freedom in Lebanon than in any other Arab country".{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/791071.stm |title=Lebanon profile – Overview |work=BBC News |date=24 August 2011 |access-date=4 November 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102101223/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/791071.stm |archive-date=2 November 2011 }} Despite its small population and geographic size, Lebanon plays an influential role in the production of information in the Arab world and is "at the core of a regional media network with global implications".{{cite book|author1=Dale F. Eickelman|author2=Jon W. Anderson|title=New media in the Muslim world: the emerging public sphere|url=https://archive.org/details/newmediainmuslim00dale|url-access=registration|access-date=11 December 2011|date=1 July 2003|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-34252-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newmediainmuslim00dale/page/63 63]–65}}

After independence, Beirut emerged as the epicenter of publishing in the Arab world, characterized by free and liberal media and literary scenes.Migliorino, p. 123 Lebanon's press became a huge industry despite the country's small size and has remained a haven for Arabic publishing.{{cite book|author=Andrew Hammond|title=Pop culture Arab world!: media, arts, and lifestyle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m4eodEw7ZvsC&pg=PA94|access-date=11 December 2011|year=2005|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-449-3|pages=94–}} The establishment of modern printing presses and sophisticated book distribution channels made Beirut a regional publishing leader, and gave the Lebanese publishers a dominant role in Arab publishing.Anker, Jean. Libri: Volume 51 Lebanon hosts annually two important regional publishing events, the Beirut Book Fair and the Beirut Francophone Book Fair.{{cite web |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Culture/Books/2011/Oct-28/152419-francophone-book-fair-showcases-lebanese-and-foreign-authors.ashx#axzz1c2rFfawB |title=Culture :: Books :: Francophone book fair showcases Lebanese and foreign authors |publisher=The Daily Star |date=28 October 2011 |access-date=4 November 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103194107/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Culture/Books/2011/Oct-28/152419-francophone-book-fair-showcases-lebanese-and-foreign-authors.ashx#axzz1c2rFfawB |archive-date=3 November 2011 }}

Television in Lebanon was introduced in 1959, with the launch of two privately owned stations, CLT and Télé Orient that merged in 1967 into Télé Liban.{{cite book|author=Zahera Harb|title=Channels of Resistance in Lebanon: Liberation Propaganda, Hezbollah and the Media|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p7FOdul0mbkC&pg=PA97|access-date=11 December 2011|date=30 May 2010|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-84885-120-7|pages=97–}} Lebanon has ten national television channels, with most being affiliated or supported by certain political parties or alliances.

Lebanon was one of the first countries in the Arabic-speaking world to introduce internet. Beirut's newspapers were the first in the region to provide readers with web versions of their newspapers. By 1986, three newspapers from Lebanon were online, Al Anwar, Annahar, and Assafir, and by 2000, more than 200 websites provided news out of Lebanon.

{{Main|Cinema of Lebanon}}

Cinema of Lebanon, according to film critic and historian, Roy Armes, was the only other cinema in the Arabic-speaking region, beside Egypt's, that could amount to a national cinema.{{cite book|author=Roy Armes|title=Arab filmmakers of the Middle East: a dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHT8LjR_kC4C&pg=PA26|access-date=11 December 2011|date=23 August 2010|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-35518-8|pages=26–}} Cinema in Lebanon has been in existence since the 1920s, and the country has produced over 500 films,Harabi, Najib (University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland) [http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/251761/day3creative%20Industry%20WB_version%201.pdf Knowledge Intensive Industries: Four Case Studies of Creative Industries in Arab Countries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117000044/http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/251761/day3creative%20Industry%20WB_version%201.pdf |date=2013-01-17 }}, World Bank Project (May 2009) p. 16. some of which are:

• West Beirut – by Ziad Doueiri, released in 1998, received the Prix François Chalais at the Directors' fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival (1998)
• Mabrouk Again – by Hany Tamba, released in 2000
• The Kite– by Randa Chahal, released in 2003, received many prestigious awards including the Silver Lion, Prix de la paix- Gillo Pontecorvo and Prix de la Lanterne Magique at the Venice Film Festival (2003)
• After Shave – by Hany Tamba, released in 2005, received the 2006 French César Award for best foreign short film
• Bosta – by Philippe Aractingi, released in 2005
• Under the Bombs – by Philippe Aractingi, released in 2006
• Caramel – starring and directed by Nadine Labaki, released in 2007
• Where Do We Go Now? – starring and directed by Nadine Labaki, released in 2011, received the Cadillac People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (2011)
• Capernaum – written by Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojaily and Michelle Keserwany, released in 2018, the film was selected as the Lebanese entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards.

{{Main|Theatre of Lebanon}}

Lebanese theatre has its origin in passion plays. The musical plays of Maroun Naccache from the mid-1800s are considered the birth of modern Arab theatre.{{cite book|author=Christopher Reed Stone|title=Popular culture and nationalism in Lebanon: the Fairouz and Rahbani nation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-EdxrNmDE1UC&pg=PA50|access-date=11 December 2011|year=2008|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-77273-0|pages=50–}} Some scholars like Abdulatif Shararah divided theatre in Lebanon into three phases: translations of European plays, Arab nationalism, and realism.Badawī, Muḥammad Muṣṭafá. Modern Arabic Literature

----{{See also|Syro-Lebanese in Egypt}}

The cultural and historical relations between Lebanon and Egypt are considered to be unique, because there is a considerable overlap between the Lebanese and Egyptian cultures, especially in the fields of literature, theater, cinema and journalism. All of them played an integral role towards each other especially in theater, cinema and journalism, that's what was confirmed by the Conference Egypt in the eyes of the Lebanese and which is Within the activities of the cultural program Egypt in the eyes of the World . Which is held at the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, and in the presence of the Lebanese Ambassador in Egypt, Madeleine Tabar and Ahmed Ghanem founder of cultural program Egypt in the eyes of the World and an elite of Lebanese artists.{{cite web|url=http://www.el-balad.com/761416|title=سفير لبنان بالقاهرة : حريصون على تدعيم أواصر التعاون مع مصر|website=el-balad.com|access-date=8 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405104551/http://www.el-balad.com/761416|archive-date=5 April 2016}}

Many Christians and most Muslims who live in the cities wear modern stylish clothes. In the countryside, women sometimes wear traditional colorful skirts and men wear a traditional sherwal (baggy trousers). Dress was historically Ottoman, but remains only as part of the folk culture. Today, almost all Lebanese wear modern clothing.

Famous names in the Lebanese fashion industry include Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Darin Hachem, Reem Acra, and Rabih Kayrouz

File:Beiteddine Palace InnerCourtyard.jpg, venue of the Beiteddine Festival]]

{{Main|Public holidays in Lebanon}}

Lebanon celebrates national holidays and both Christian and Muslim holidays.

Christian holidays are celebrated following both the Gregorian Calendar and Julian Calendar. Greek Orthodox, Catholics (Maronite and Melkite), and Protestant Christians follow the Gregorian Calendar and thus celebrate Christmas on 25 December. Armenian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on 6 January, as they follow the Julian Calendar.

Muslim holidays are followed based on the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslim holidays that are celebrated include Eid al-Fitr (the three-day feast at the end of the Ramadan month), Eid al-Adha (The Feast of the Sacrifice) which is celebrated during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and also celebrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to God, Mawlid (the Birthday of Muhammad), and Ashura. Lebanon's National Holidays include Workers Day, Independence day, and Martyrs Day.

Music festivals, often hosted at historical sites, are a customary element of Lebanese culture.{{Cite book|last=Sheehan|first=Sean|author2=Latif |others=Zawiah|title=Lebanon|publisher=Marshall Cavendish Children's Books|date=30 August 2007|series=Cultures of the World|volume=13|page=123|chapter=Leisure|isbn=978-0-7614-2081-1|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cA-RDzlwVVAC&pg=PA123}} Among the most famous are Baalbeck International Festival, Byblos International Festival, Beiteddine International Festival, Broumana Festival, Batroun Festival, Dhour Chwer Festival and Tyr Festival.{{Cite book|last=Carter|first=Terry|author2=Dunston Lara|others= Humphreys Andrew|title=Syria & Lebanon|publisher=Lonely Planet|date=1 August 2004|edition=2|series=Guidebook Series|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781864503333/page/11 11]|chapter=Getting Started|isbn=978-1-86450-333-3|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781864503333|url-access=registration}} These festivals are promoted by Lebanon's Ministry of Tourism, Lebanon Hosts about 15 Concerts from International Performers Each Year Ranking Number one for Nightlife in the Middle east and 6th Worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb/news/Details.aspx?NewsId=10|title=Lebanon Summer & Winter Festivals|work=Lebanese Ministry of Tourism|access-date=19 October 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722145040/http://www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb/news/Details.aspx?NewsId=10|archive-date=22 July 2011}}

{{Main|Lebanese cuisine}}

File:Yoghurt and Hummus at Moroccan Soup Bar.jpg

Lebanese cuisine is similar to those of many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.

The Lebanese national dishes are the kibbe, a meat pie made from finely minced lamb and burghul (cracked wheat), and the tabbouleh, a salad made from parsley, tomatoes, and burghul. The national beverage is arak, a strong anise-flavored liquor made from fermented grape juice. It is usually drunk with water and ice, which turns the clear liquid milky-white, and usually accompanies food. Arak is a strong spirit similar to the Greek ouzo and the Turkish raki.{{cn|date=November 2023}}

M'Juhdara, a thick stew of onions, rice, and lentils, is sometimes eaten around Lent by people in the Lebanese diaspora.

{{main|Lebanese society}}

Lebanese society is similar to certain cultures of the Mediterranean as the country is uniquely diverse religiously .Davis, Craig S. The Middle East For Dummies It is often considered as a gateway to Western Asia, Levant and the Arab World.Lebanon Culture. [http://hangoverguide.com/lebanon/ hangoverguide.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402060253/http://www.hangoverguide.com/lebanon/ |date=2012-04-02 }}, 18 December 2006.

Notwithstanding the persistence of traditional attitudes regarding the role of women, Lebanese women enjoy equal civil rights and attend institutions of higher education in large numbers (for example, women constituted 41 percent of the student body at the American University of Beirut in 1983). Although women in Lebanon have their own organizations, most exist as subordinate branches of the political parties.

{{Main|Sport in Lebanon}}

• In association football, the governing body for Lebanon is the Federation Libanaise de Football (FLDF), which organises the men's, women's, and futsal national teams.
• In basketball, the governing body is the Lebanese Basketball Federation, which is a member of FIBA Asia. The Lebanon national basketball team has qualified three consecutives times to the FIBA World Championship in 2002, 2006, and 2010, and the team is ranked 24th in the world and the women's national team is ranked 61st in the world. Lebanese basketball clubs include Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut and Hekmeh-Sagesse, known as C.S. Sagesse or Sagesse for men and Antranik SC for women.
• The Lebanon national rugby league team qualified and played in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and 2017 Rugby League World Cup. In the latter, they beat [[France national rugby league team|

France]] in their pool match, qualifying for the knockout stages and securing automatic qualification for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

• Weightlifting - In the 1972 Summer Olympics, Mohamed Traboulsi won the weightlifting silver medal.
• Winter sports - Lebanon has six ski resorts
• In the summer, skilifts can be used to access hiking trails.
• The Beirut International Marathon is held every fall.
• Rugby union was introduced from France. The Lebanon national rugby union team represents Lebanon in international rugby union, and is governed by the Lebanon Rugby Union.

In 2009, the country hosted the Francophone Games, which took place in the capital, Beirut.

{{portal|Lebanon}}

• Arab culture
• Archaeology of Lebanon
• Museums in Lebanon
• Music of Lebanon

{{reflist|15em}}

• [http://www.beirutmarathon.org Beirut International Marathon]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070204000730/http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/lebanon/index.html Lebanon:a cultural profile]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20191030072729/https://www.onefineart.com/ Profile of artists, writers and art articles]

{{Lebanon topics}}

{{Culture of Asia}}

{{Asian topic|| art}}

Category:Art by country

Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon