The Magic of My Tripoli...

It's been a while since I've written anything worthy of my city. Over the past few months, I've kept my head low and my expectations lower with all the shenanigans and trouble that's been cooking up in the city. I didn't recognize it anymore, and if I called it by name, you'd only hear it a whisper: Tripoli…

Two weeks ago, the holy month of Ramadan graced us. With it, the gunfire quietened, the burning tires and blocked roads stopped burning and opened up, and a fresh breath of faith breezed through the city. In this light breeze, I heard a voice. It sounded familiar, from not so long ago. It was my city, Tripoli, calling again. It was barely a whisper, but I heard it, I listened. And I answered... 

This calling was from a group and event I oh so love, We Love Tripoli's "Ramadaniyat" Shoot As You Walk. Every shot of every corner, street, place, and person in this city, every new lens test, and photographic learning experience, I am forever grateful to this group, esp. to it's head, Taha Naji. Our latest meeting was last Sunday, after the Taraweeh Night Prayers. Taha had decided we gather at a new checkpoint, The Municipality of Tripoli (i/o Nawfal Palace). It was quite a crowd; some there to socialize, some to walk, and some to take pictures. When we started, as we do every time, I like to make my way to the front of the group. I think you get better pictures of the streets and spirits as they are from up front. And that's where it all begins...

We walked as we always do, and I always start off frustrated with the difficulty in taking good night photos. After several darkened and blurry snapshots, I finally find an acceptable camera setting and scout my eyes for "moments". I sometimes don't have words to describe what I see and feel. But when we entered the old souks, to the children, that's where my heart started beating for Tripoli again. From the drummer kids in the street, to the children playing with fireworks, to the mischievousness and carelessness on their little faces, that was their real life, raw. And for a moment, I was a part of it. See there's a quote about photography which speaks from my heart. It reads: 

"WE ARE PHOTOGRAPHERS. We are not here to show people what they can already see. We are here to give them experiences they would otherwise never have experienced. We are here to preserve moments that otherwise would have been forgotten. We are here to capture things which have no words to describe." 

And then, I saw him. I hadn't seen him since last Ramadan, at this exact same location in Moussa's Cafe. I wouldn't mistake his cute face anywhere, and God, how he'd grown... 

I don't think he remembered me, as the only words I've ever told him year after year were "can I take a picture of you?" And he'd flash me his cute grin and enjoy the spotlight I'd give him. I later learned that his name is Omar. Omar had grown up so much since I first met him in 2010. He'd also gotten his hands on a motorbike, which he seemed to be enjoying more than anything. And his beautiful smile never left his face...

Omar in 2013

Omar in 2010

We walked through the crowded cafe, bustling with hubble-bubbling locals, kids with toy guns, and of course, Omar circling around on his motorbike. I knew when we reached this point it was the end of our tour.  But it was in that moment that I found it, I found that though I love shooting people candid, I loved shooting children candid even more. The souk kids, all of them, they just stole my heart. And I just can't wait to see them again!

So if you're still reading this, then with all my heart, I invite you to join me on some of the most beautiful experiences anyone can go through in Tripoli, and that's "Shoot As You Walk". And for double the magic, join a "Ramadaniyat" event because I still haven't shown you how beautiful it is… :-)

Capturing Daily Life On The Night-Time Streets Of Tripoli

It always puts a huge smile on my face to see my hometown Tripoli being portrayed in a positive light in the media, and to be a part of it! Thank You We Love Tripoli and Thank You The Daily Star for this wonderful article! :-)

Capturing Daily Life On The Night-Time Streets Of Tripoli
(Brooke Anderson, The Daily Star)

TRIPOLI, Lebanon: The flashes of their cameras light up the dark streets of Tripoli as they wind their way through the narrow alleys of a neglected city waiting to be discovered.

“Where are you from?” ask the shopkeepers, amused that they have become the subjects of the photographs. The group is from Tripoli, its members there to learn about their hometown – and show the world that there is far more to it than the sporadic street violence for which it is typically known.

Tonight’s walk is through Bab al-Ramel, an old and impoverished part of the city that is off the tourist map, even for those rare visitors who do make it to Tripoli.

“The purpose of these journeys is to change Tripoli’s image,” says Yemen Merhebi, who participates regularly in the group’s walks.

“The only time Tripoli is mentioned in the news is when tension between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh escalates. Shoot As You Walk’s main aim is to shed some light on the city’s historical heritage, even when shooting the poorest areas.”

For the past three years, the group We Love Tripoli, which started with a Facebook page in 2007 and is now a registered non-governmental organization, has organized regular photo-shooting excursions through the city called Shoot as You Walk, an ironic play on words for a place known for street violence. The mission of We Love Tripoli is to change that negative image and engage the local community by taking pictures of daily life, then posting them online.

According to statistics taken at cultural tourist sites in Lebanon, only 2 percent of those who visit the country go to Tripoli, despite its historical significance, a result of the perception that it is a dangerous place.

But for these amateur photographers, touring the various neighborhoods is a good way to visit areas with which they are unfamiliar, and interact with people they wouldn’t otherwise come into contact with.

The men and women snap pictures of everything – friends sitting on the street, sated diners sipping coffee after iftar, men playing backgammon, children playing in the street, assorted street vendors, or inanimate objects such as an abandoned building, an old Volkswagen van and a scooter. A city not known for its nightlife comes alive at night through the lenses of the photographers.

“When I first started with the tours, my main focus was the old architecture and historical locations,” says Merhebi, who has gone on nearly 40 walks with the group.

“After going to the same places over and over again my aim shifted from the places to the faces – people in the souk or kids playing around, merchants and craftsmen. Some people ask us to take their pictures, but the best shots are the ones where people are not really looking or paying attention.”

Indeed, the candid shots of people going about their daily lives are the type that might be seen in National Geographic. The difference, of course, is that these are taken by locals who are amateur photographers.

As the number of walks increases, the barriers between the people begin to fall. As the group returns to the same neighborhoods, residents remember them, invite them in for coffee and share tales of the old city.

“We were surprised by the reactions of people in the old city,” says Mourad Ayyash. “Some people wanted to share with us their food and their stories, and ask us to take their pictures. And some people told us old stories about the old city that we didn’t know about.”

For Nath Halawani, being with a group of people who share the same passion allows him to get out of his “everyday photography shell,” giving him the courage to take close-ups of what he has come to see as the hidden treasures of his city: “The broken corner of an old balcony, an old veiled woman staring at us, the mustaches of an old Tripolitan, the rush of kids toward our group and the faces they make.” Flipping through his old albums, he has noticed that the photos he’s snapped while alone are rarely close-ups, while those taken with the group often are.

“When you’re with the Shoot as You Walk team, you’re not afraid someone will yell at you or curse you for taking their picture. People tend to get more relaxed when there are boys and girls all holding cameras,” Halawani says. “It gives you a push to go where you didn’t dare to go before.”

Later on, he adds: “Browsing through all the photos at the end of the stroll always gives me the feeling [that] I didn’t know my townspeople. It’s so strange to see them every day, [without] having ‘seen’ them before.”

Two years ago, some of the group’s photos were exhibited at Nawfal Palace in Tripoli. At any given point, those posted on the Facebook page are geared toward appealing to Tripolitans abroad. And all the while, the group continues its mission of reaching out to people beyond its members’ social community.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on August 11, 2012, on page 3.

Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 3 - 2012)

Finally, a Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 3) to remember! Last night was indeed one of WLT's the best adventures yet! We went to the busy streets and souks of old Tripoli which were bustling with night life. Honestly, I have more pictures than words to describe it (view full album here):

Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 2 - 2012)

So last night was the second of WLT’s Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 2) series. I couldn't attend the first one due to the shenanigans in the city last week, but this week, I was determined to make it against the odds…

As usual, we met up infront of Nawfal Palace at 10:00pm, and it was good to see familiar faces again, especially Taha N, who always puts the adventure in all our outings. He also gave us little lanterns that light red, in the Ramadan spirit, which I now have resting on a shelf in my room. And so it began…

Now I have to admit, I’m still a little flustered at how difficult night photography is turning out to be. I’d think after at least 10 night time outings, I’d have gotten the hang of it but still my camera seems to be outsmarting me! Despite the lack of good nightshots though, I still enjoy taking in the “Ramadan Street Spirit” throughout this holy month…

One of the highlights, at least for me, was walking by my gran and gramp’s (may their souls RIP) old house (the haunted house, as some members of the group called it). I didn’t tell anyone it was their house but standing in front of it made me feel safe, and I couldn’t help but smile and remember how gran would stand at that window, and wave out to me. I don’t think anyone lives in that building anymore but their spirits all remain and wave at me as I pass…

Come to think of it, I hadn’t passed by their house since last year’s Ramadaniat shoot-as-you-walk, here. My brother was with me at the time, and we both stopped and said a prayer for them. I did that too this time, I miss you both so much…

We continued to Bab-El-Ramel, which also gave me a couple of better photo ops (probably because there was more lighting in that area!) and so I leave you with my favorite shots of the night: 

Ramadan Kareem 2012

It’s that time of year again, when we fast, count our blessings, and pray a little more each day. I always appreciate Ramadan because it brings me back to my roots, back to religion, back to God…

I especially love spending Ramadan in Tripoli, because there is no other place on earth where I feel the spirit of the season as much as I do in this town, among my family and friends. Though it’s a little tougher this year, with the massive heat wave and all, the faith I have is ever enduring. Hamdella! 

Throughout this blessed month, apart from the personal goals I’ve set for myself, there are two local initiatives that are keeping me inspired, and I’d like to share them with you:

Like last Ramadan, We LoveTripoli is going to be organizing weekly Shoot As You Walk events, starting next Saturday 28th of July 2012. It’s a wonderful opportunity to take my camera out again and revision night photography and Ramadan in the old souks. It’s also the gathering and the spirit of togetherness that I’m looking forward to as well!

And also like last Ramadan, I’ve become hooked to watching the Ramadan Web Series, Be7ke, which “is a series-based free-talk initiative that seeks to present the voices, concerns, ideas, and stories of a number of speakers. It is an independent project meant to inspire the youth who find themselves struggling against a tidal wave of stereotypes and misrepresentations… Three-minute episodes are released online every day throughout the month of Ramadan, featuring speakers who aspire to inspire…” To access these episodes, tune in to http://www.youtube.com/Be7ke

Ramadan Kareem to all, May God bless this month for us all… :-)

Shoot As You Walk 29

Today, I woke up to fireflies. Owl Cities’ “Fireflies”, which is one of the most soothing alarm tones to wake up to. As today, was “Shoot As You Walk 29”. Taha N had messaged me the path last night and like last time, it was to “Dahr El Megher”. But, unlike last time, we took a different route this time…

Ymn asked me if I knew why it was called “Dahr El Megher”. I obviously didn’t, and as she informed me, it was because of the cave shaped blocks that made up the area. “Megher” was supposedly the plural of the word “Mghara”, which means cave. Neat*, huh?

The inhabitants were quite friendly, as most didn't mind having their photos taken, though, I did encounter this one shaggy old man who yelled at me for pointing my camera in his direction. He scared the daylights out of me when he shouted, but I immediately apologized and told him that I didn't take his picture (though I actually did, but am too frightened to post it online! :-P)

Despite that one fellow though, I've always loved taking photos of people, especially of children. Here are three of my favorite shots of the day, via instagram:

You can view the rest here. It was a lovely morning indeed, and I’m looking forward to our 30th journey, which should be right around the corner! :-)

*Note-To-Self: Next trip there, I should try concentrating my photography on the cave concept!

Shoot As You Walk 28

The winds of change haven’t left us yet. This March has been the coldest month we’ve had this year, with snow and rain and blistering cold! Despite the weather, “Shoot As You Walk” is back with it’s 1st adventure of 2012!

This time, the path was a one less travelled, to Dahr El Megher, an area between Abou Ali River and The Citadel of Saint Gilles. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Nour Kabbara on Helwi Beirut - Tripoli Photography

Here it is, my TV interview on LBC's "Helwi Beirut" from last night:

Shoot As You Walk 24

Finally, its October, my favorite month of the year! Apart from it being my birth month, it also marks the beginnings of autumn (though I’m still counting on at least one last trip to the beach for a proper goodbye, maybe next week?) and better photo ops. Take today for example; I joined We Love Tripoli for their 24th Shoot As You Walk adventure alongside my photo take inspirer, Ymn! :-)

As usual, we met up in front of Nawfal Palace and headed off to the depths of old Tripoli. For some reason I can never memorize the names or places we go to and Ymn, even though better at names than I am, also began mixing up. So, she came up with this good idea of writing them all down on a piece of paper, and as soon as she’s posted the latest entry on her blog (of course related to today’s walk), I’ll share the link with you and maybe we can all get some of those names stuck in our heads (apart from Taha Naji, who is a walking, talking, Tripoli dictionary, God bless you boy! :-)

Hmm, I’d really like to think I got some good shots today, but I’ll let you be the judges (click pictures to enlarge):

Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 4)

I’m guessing this is this year’s finale of the “Shoot As You Walk” Ramadaniat series. And as I’ve been informed, the path is going to include Azmi & Kadisha streets...

Truth be told, I’m not that interested in going this time, mainly because of the overcrowded streets that become so as the end of Ramadan nears, making taking pictures a little more difficult than usual. But if you’re interested, tonight’s the night to shoot! Meet the We Love Tripoli gang in front of Nawfal Palace at 10:00PM and let me know how it goes! :-)

Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 3)

For the third week in a row, we go to go on another “Shoot As You Walk” adventure. Now I can’t say it was the best I’ve been on because the streets were too overcrowded with people, making it quite difficult to stop and take good photos. I don’t have a story, nor do I have good photos this time, but I’ll share with you this group photo that Taha took for us, followed by a couple of shots I was able to take that night (enjoy! :-)

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Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 2)

From last night, I have a story to tell. It’s not very often (in fact, it’s the first time) that I come back from a “Shoot As You Walk” adventure with more words than pictures. I’ll be honest, I’m not as satisfied with the pictures I took last night (damn you, night mode! :-P) as I was with the pictures I took last time. But in terms of the path we took, our encounters, and meaning, it was one of my favorite...

I took my brother along, who was surprisingly quite enthusiastic to join us in Shoot As You Walk Ramadaniyat 2 (and I’m really glad he did, as you’ll soon read). We even ended up being the first to arrive! But, to keep our wait entertaining, these nearby dudes (who apparently own a music shop) blasted us some Lebanese Rap Music which I could help but laugh so hard at! It’s a song called “Ashta W 3assal” which I heard for the first time last night. And as vulgar as the song is, it’s quite catchy (click on the name of the song to listen to it in YouTube).

Anyway, after about five or six replays of the song, the entire group had gathered and we took off. But soon enough, we found ourselves being led up a building staircase. Where on earth were we going?! No later than we had reached the first floor, there was an open door which led outside, to the parking lot of another building. “Nour!” exclaimed my brother, “do you know where we are?” The place looked familiar, it was white and relatively new, and then, I looked over towards the building behind the garage, and that’s when it hit me! My paternal grandparents’ (may they RIP) house! I felt a flush of old memories coming back to me and balcony I was looking at was the balcony I used to stand on and look out from, the balcony Gran used to stand on and wave to us from. We exited the garage and I found myself back on the familiar street. I crossed over and took a snapshot of the old entrance. It’s too dark to see, but just looking at that old wall reminded me of good times…

As we walked on to “Bab El Ramel” the streets were starting to get overcrowded with people. Remember the picture I took of the old street with Musa Café? Well, this is the heart of it, alive on Ramadan Nights:

After making our way through the crowd of cars and people, towards the end of the street, a little boy came up to us, asking if we wanted to buy ka3ek. I looked at him and couldn’t help but smile, it was the familiar little souk boy I had seen once and twice before! I asked if I could take a picture of him and he gladly agreed, striking his menacing bad boy pose next to my brother (who asked me to crop him out of the picture, but no can do bro!) :-P

I’ve never had such a meaningful “Shoot As You Walk” adventure. And even if I had taken zero photos, I still would have come back quite satisfied, because to me it’s not just “Shoot As You Walk”, it’s also “Admire As You Walk” :-)