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‘Athens Loves Beirut’... An Artistic Bridge for Aid

‘Athens Loves Beirut’... An Artistic Bridge for Aid
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‘Athens Loves Beirut’... An Artistic Bridge for Aid

‘Athens Loves Beirut’... An Artistic Bridge for Aid

Athens and Beirut have a lot in common. A stone’s throw away from one another, both cities are blessed by the Mediterranean’s climate and its blue waters. They have similar forms of hospitality, food, culture, speaking mannerisms, and artistic proclivities…

With the Beirut bombing on August 4, which raised concern worldwide with its terrifying repercussions, Greeks of Lebanese origin and Lebanese of Greek origin took action, extending a helping hand to those affected. George Abu Shabaka launched the Athens Loves Beirut initiative after he felt the empathy shown by the Greek capital for Beirut and its people.

This initiative aims to convey the support of many Greek designers and artists for the Lebanese capital and its people.

With the website http: - www.decoventure.com-shop , a virtual space has been created to exhibit artistic designs for handbags, fashion, jewelry, drawing paintings, and ceramics by famous Greek artists.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Abu Shabaka explained how this initiative emerged. “I settled in Greece about six years ago, and I have established good relations with many Greek artists, especially since I work in the field of interior design. I also have many Greeks friends, whom I have known from years before. When the Beirut explosion happened, I felt guilty for being away from my beloved city”.

He continues, “my house is in an area close to the explosion and was seriously affected by the disaster, I was told.

"I wished I were there and could extend a helping hand to my neighbors and friends. After seeing all this sympathy and concern of my Greek friends in solidarity with the people of Beirut, I decided to launch this initiative. They all encouraged me, especially since they were looking for a way to help those affected. I contacted the Greek public relations firm (YALGO), and the journey began.

The company took it upon itself to make the necessary contacts with Greek artists other than those I knew. Like the well-known Greek bag designer Corello, contemporary sculptor Stasis Alekseopoulos, fashion designer Liana Kampa and jewelry designer Leto, about 20 Greek artists gathered under the banner of Athena Loves Beirut.

On the reactions, Abu Shabaka says: “I have received many calls from well-known artists and others who want to join. But I preferred to start it with this number of artists, with the hope of expanding it in the future."

The items up for sale, the proceeds of which will go to those affected by the explosion, are unique. George Abu Shabaka explained: “Some of them chose design themes that are directly related to Beirut. One designed a complete dress with accessories embroidered with the word "Beirut". And another one carved a golden heart made of marble and resin. Another used silk fabric and placed it within the frame of a painting to take an artistic scene out of the ordinary, and a different designer carved a design necklace of a heart with the word Beirut in it. Each of them expressed his love for our city in his own way.

Each piece comes with a written love letter from the designer to Beirut.

To date, the initiative has managed to raise a significant sum of money (about 20 thousand euros). Customers who bought the artworks through the website were from Singapore, Greece, Lebanon, and other countries. The money was transferred to two charitable institutions directly, OffreJoie and Lebanese Food Bank.

Abu Shabaka explains: “We chose these two organizations with the hope of expanding the choices available in the future and include other credible charities.”

Participation in this initiative is open until further notice. Abu Shabaka indicates that other similar steps are being prepared to support his people on the one hand and promote Greek and Lebanese cultural exchange, on the other hand.

In the context of the conversation, he said: “For the near future, we are preparing a non-virtual project through which we will support the Lebanese designers. We will create an actual bridge between them and their Greek colleagues by organizing reciprocal art exhibitions between the two countries. We are also thinking of offering a gift to every Greek designer who participated in the initiative, a cedar seedling bearing his name to be planted in the Barouk Cedar Forest."

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Damascus’ Mazzeh 86 Neighborhood, Witness of The Two-Assad Era

Members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent stand near the wreckage of a car after what the Syrian state television said was a "guided missile attack" on the car in the Mazzeh area of Damascus, Syria October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi
Members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent stand near the wreckage of a car after what the Syrian state television said was a "guided missile attack" on the car in the Mazzeh area of Damascus, Syria October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi
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Damascus’ Mazzeh 86 Neighborhood, Witness of The Two-Assad Era

Members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent stand near the wreckage of a car after what the Syrian state television said was a "guided missile attack" on the car in the Mazzeh area of Damascus, Syria October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi
Members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent stand near the wreckage of a car after what the Syrian state television said was a "guided missile attack" on the car in the Mazzeh area of Damascus, Syria October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi

In the Mazzeh 86 neighborhood, west of the Syrian capital Damascus, the names of many shops, grocery stores, and public squares still serve as a reminder of the era of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his late father, Hafez al-Assad.

This is evident in landmarks like the “Al-Hafez Restaurant,” one of the prominent features of this area. Squares such as “Al-Areen,” “Officers,” and “Bride of the Mountain” evoke memories of the buildings surrounding them, which once housed influential officials and high-ranking officers in intelligence and security agencies. These individuals instilled fear in Syrians for five decades until their historic escape on the night of the regime’s collapse last month.

In this neighborhood, the effects of Israeli bombing are clearly visible, as it was targeted multiple times. Meanwhile, its narrow streets and alleys were strewn with military uniforms abandoned by leaders who fled before military operations arrived and liberated the area from their grip on December 8 of last year.

Here, stark contradictions come to light during a tour by Asharq Al-Awsat in a district that, until recently, was largely loyal to the former president. Muaz, a 42-year-old resident of the area, recounts how most officers and security personnel shed their military uniforms and discarded them in the streets on the night of Assad’s escape.

He said: “Many of them brought down their weapons and military ranks in the streets and fled to their hometowns along the Syrian coast.”

Administratively part of Damascus, Mazzeh 86 consists of concrete blocks randomly built between the Mazzeh Western Villas area, the Mazzeh Highway, and the well-known Sheikh Saad commercial district. Its ownership originally belonged to the residents of the Mazzeh area in Damascus. The region was once agricultural land and rocky mountain terrain. The peaks extending toward Mount Qasioun were previously seized by the Ministry of Defense, which instructed security and army personnel to build homes there without requiring property ownership documents.

Suleiman, a 30-year-old shop owner, who sells white meat and chicken, hails from the city of Jableh in the coastal province of Latakia. His father moved to this neighborhood in the 1970s to work as an army assistant.

Suleiman says he hears the sound of gunfire every evening, while General Security patrols roam the streets “searching for remnants of the former regime and wanted individuals who refuse to surrender their weapons. We fear reprisals and just want to live in peace.”

He mentioned that prices before December 8 were exorbitant and beyond the purchasing power of Syrians, with the price of a kilogram of chicken exceeding 60,000 Syrian pounds and a carton of eggs reaching 75,000.

“A single egg was sold for 2,500 pounds, which is far beyond the purchasing power of any employee in the public or private sector,” due to low salaries and the deteriorating living conditions across the country,” Suleiman added.

On the sides of the roads, pictures of the fugitive president and his father, Hafez al-Assad, were torn down, while military vehicles were parked, awaiting instructions.

Maram, 46, who previously worked as a civilian employee in the Ministry of Defense, says she is waiting for the resolution of employment statuses for workers in army institutions. She stated: “So far, there are no instructions regarding our situation. The army forces and security personnel have been given the opportunity for settlement, but there is no talk about us.”

The neighborhood, in its current form, dates back to the 1980s when Rifaat al-Assad, the younger brother of former President Hafez al-Assad, was allowed to construct the “Defense Palace,” which was referred to as “Brigade 86.” Its location is the same area now known as Mazzeh Jabal 86.

The area is divided into two parts: Mazzeh Madrasa (School) and Mazzeh Khazan (Tank). The first takes its name from the first school built and opened in the area, while the second is named after the water tank that supplies the entire Mazzeh region.

Two sources from the Mazzeh Municipality and the Mukhtar’s office estimate the neighborhood’s current population at approximately 200,000, down from over 300,000 before Assad’s fall. Most residents originate from Syria’s coastal regions, followed by those from interior provinces like Homs and Hama. There was also a portion of Kurds who had moved from the Jazira region in northeastern Syria to live there, but most returned to their areas due to the security grip and after the “Crisis Cell” bombing that killed senior security officials in mid-2012.

Along the main street connecting Al-Huda Square to Al-Sahla Pharmacy, torn images of President Hafez al-Assad are visible for the first time in this area in five decades. On balconies and walls, traces of Bashar al-Assad’s posters remain, bearing witness to his 24-year era.