The Levant means ‘where the sun rises’: the eastern Mediterranean Levant is a geographical word, free from associations with race or religion. It is defined not by frontiers but by the sea.
Author: Philip Mansel
Was Salonica a Levantine City?
The conference reflected on the Levantine identity, as captured throughout history, art, architecture, music and cuisine, as well as the history of cosmopolitanism and commerce that enabled this vibrant culture to thrive. Panelists who share Levantine heritage examined its influence on their careers and lives as well as gave testimony to the uniqueness of the Levantine identity.
The program was followed by an evening concert performance with the original composition, Levantine Symphony N°1, by Ibrahim Maalouf.
The New Levant Initiative was honored to present distinguished trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf in the world premiere of his impassioned composition, Levantine Symphony N°1.
NLI is proud to support projects and institutions that bring about initiatives, tools, and experiences to further educate the public about Levantine arts, culture, and history.
The RAND Corporation recently released their report on the substantial benefits of economically integrating the Levant through a comprehensive free trade agreement. Their independent research assesses these promising potential outcomes from more partnerships between Levantine governments. Along with the report, RAND has also created an interactive online calculator for policymakers to examine these benefits using different scenarios and partner countries.
February 27, 2022 Amr Emam / ALM
The woman standing in the middle of the chorus of men and women knew the impact her songs would have on the dozens of people sitting and watching in deep interest in front of her. She kept raising the tone of her voice gradually until it enveloped the whole place and filled it with awe. The […]
February 24, 2022 Karen Dabrowska / New Arab
After exploring four ancient heritage sites, Ur, Babylon, Nippur and Nimrud, five Iraqi artists have produced videos, photographs and works on burnt canvas and oil which are on display at London University’s Brunei Gallery. The exhibition Coexistent Ruins: Exploring Iraq’s Mesopotamian past through contemporary art is part of a collaborative visual research project led by Hanaa […]
February 14, 2022 Maggie Ghali / The National
Eighteen months on from the 2020 Beirut Port blast, which left thousands of buildings in ruin, The Lebanese National Library reopened its doors, following restoration of the Ottoman building complex it resides in. Marked by an inauguration ceremony last week that was attended by Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada, a commemoration plaque […]
January 29, 2022 Dan Novak / VOA
War kept Naseer Shamma away from his homeland of Iraq for years. Now, the famous musician hopes to rebuild his country with performances and projects to support culture and education. Shamma performed last week at the Iraqi National Theater. The crowd was on their feet cheering as Shamma played classic Iraqi and modern songs. He […]
November 19, 2021 Joseph Giovannini / VF
In the fall of 2009, city buses rumbled through Rome plastered with close-ups of a windblown Zaha Hadid, promoting the opening of her National Museum of XXI Century Arts. MAXXI, as it is called, was leveraging the architect’s celebrity to advertise her more-baroque-than-Bernini new museum off the ancient Via Flaminia. So when the Iraqi-born Hadid stepped […]
November 16, 2021 Indlieb Farazi Saber / MEE
Arms outstretched, gliding through a deep-plum sky; running from monsters known and unknown; fights in which a punch never quite seems to land with any force; and finally, a sudden jolt, and you’re back in your bed and in a reality where the laws of physics matter again. Given the defining role they have played […]