Tripoli”s social and cultural life and activities- 20th by Dr Fouad Traboulsi
Questions about Tripoli”s social and cultural life and activities throughout the 20th century written by Nathalie Rosa Bucher, and answered by Dr. Fouad Traboulsi.
1-What were the key social and cultural activities Tripolitans pursued in the 20th century
The most important social and cultural activities in the beginning of the 20th century, concentrated on the frequentation of coffeehouses, theaters, cinemas, and the attendance of educational councils like lessons of interpretation of the Holy Quran for the savant Mohamad El Husseini in Tal El Ouliya Café, that the orientalist Louis Massignon has attended and eulogized. There was as well attendance of some cultural lectures and conferences like those of the party “Al Nidaa’” for Mr. Kabouli Zok, conducted in “Jemmayzat” street where Messrs. Mounah El Solh, Taki El Din El Solh and Ramadan Lawand took part, these conferences generally emphasized on the Arab international issues. 2-Where there a lot of sports clubs or was it mostly related to theater or concerts? Football was almost the one and only sport exerted by the Tripolitans, the first sporting club in Tripoli for this sport was founded in 1930, under the name “Nadi El Riyada Wal Adab” that means “Club of Sport and Literature”, among the founders are: Messrs. Souhail Baghdadi, Rachid El Namli, Mounib El Malek, Fouad El Traboulsi (The Grandfather) and others, but the most prominent activity was attending concerts held in popular theaters and cafés where they enjoy listening to the stories of “Zeer Salem”, “Zahir Baybars”, “Bani Hilal” and “Antarah Ibn Shaddād al-Absī”. 3-Where would events take place? Men of Tripoli finished working in the afternoon of everyday, and headed over to the cafés where they stayed until the sunset. Some of them went home after this time, and others went to “Al Tal El Ouliya” Café to watch a “Kara Cuz” show, or to the “Dalati” Café to watch “Abu Ali Anbouba” show. Later on, cinemas started to appear, and gradually replaced “Kara Cuz” guy and the Storyteller. 4-Who would attend? 5-Were audiences defined by class/ income/ status or were events for example quite mixed? People from all social classes frequented cafés , theaters and cinemas, from the popular class (lower class) to the class of Effendies (upper class), it was at everybody’s disposal, regardless of their income. Shows in different cafés and theaters were available only for men, but never mixed with women. 6-Which events did women attend? Were there some they were not allowed to? In the beginning, women weren’t allowed to attend shows held in different cafés and theaters, but when the cinemas first appeared, they started to watch movies accompanied with their families, especially in a compartment called “Balcony”. 7-How did social and cultural activities differ from one area of Tripoli to another? Was there a center (around Tal) or did Mina and Bab Ettebeneh and Abu Samra have their own distinct events, clubs and venues? Most of the cultural and social activities in Tripoli were held in “Tal square” and its neighborhood. “Mina” was a recreation ground of entertainment for the Tripolitans, it was visited for promenading and swimming. “Bab Ettebeneh” was an excellent trade center where goods, grains and vegetables came from Syria and Akkar, that’s why it was called “Bab el Zahab” that means (Door of the Gold). Finally, “Abu Samra” was a summer residence for the people of Tripoli, where they spent the summer in wooden houses made of two floors similar to bungalows and called “Mantara”, where they can stay cool in the hot summer days. 8-Was there something about Tripoli’s social and cultural life that was unique to Syria/Lebanon at a given time? Tripoli was distinguished from other Syrian cities by its special accent, and by elegance and stylishness of its people, as well as the famous Tripolitan cuisine. Moreover, it was the shelter of the poor people, where they were able to eat sweets and delicious food in Tripoli, better than a wealthy man in Syria and the neighboring countries. 9-Did anyone chronicle the social and cultural life of Trablous? Newspapers, historians, radio, photographers? There is a lot of people who wrote or chronicled the social life of Tripoli, writing and photographing, from the journalists: Riad Dabliz, Talal El Mounajed, the writers: Adnan Khallouf, the historians: Dr. Maha Kayyal and the Ambassador Dr. Khaled Ziade and from the photographers: “Photo Kamal” and “Photo Aa’rabi Agha”. 10-When did the cinemas start playing a role in Tripoli’s cultural and social life and what was their impact on the city and its people ? Cinemas started to take their roles in the early thirties, and attracted the people of this city and its families, and stayed active until the eighties when the video cassette weakened their activity and efficiency and replaced them, where the Tripolitan can watch any movie at any time, and so the role of the cinema has ended, but these movies had their positive and negative influences as well, depending on every particular movie and its social and cultural value, as well as its conformity with the public local habits. 11-Have you heard of a cinema – beside cinema Hamra – that would screen controversial films that solicit strong public reactions? What I know is that some cinemas beside cinema Hamra, like cinema Rio, has displayed pornographic films, and was frequented by youth and young boys, but this has raised the protestation of the people as well as the imams (Muslim religious leaders). 12-What kind of people would go to the cinema? What there the screening times? Would people be loyal to one cinema or move around a lot? Would they dress up? What would it cost to get in – regular ticket and loge? Were there differences in terms of the technical standards of the cinemas? There were American, French and Arabic movies mostly, right? Would people choose films according to the advertisement, word of mouth or their favorite stars? What were the big stars in Trablous? Would people eat in the cinema? What was the vibe like? Cinemas were a destination for people from all social classes and levels, they were competing with each other in displaying action movies, romantic movies, classical and historical movies, and this has encouraged people to move between one cinema and another depending on the importance of the displayed movie and the fame of its actors. Cinemas starts to receive people daily at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and ticket prices differs depending the class of the cinema. First class cinemas like “Palace”, “Metropol”, “Colorado”, “Roxy” and “Capitol”, ticket price is one Lebanese Lira and 10 cents. Medium class cinemas like “Rex”, “Dina” and “Rio”, ticket price was 50 cents equivalent to half Lebanese lira. Third class cinemas like “Royal” and “Perroquet”, ticket price was 25 cents equivalent to quarter Lebanese lira. People used to watch mainly Arabic movies. American and French movies were subtitled in Arabic. The famous Arab actors at this time: Youssef Wehbe, Faten Hamama, Layla Mourad, Anwar Wajdi, Ismael Yaseen, Asmahan, Abdulhalim Hafez, Farid El Atrach and others. And among the famous foreign actors of this time: Esther Williams, Kim Novak, Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and others. And there were a break of ten minutes during every show where they sell nuts, chocolate, popcorn and drink, but in some other cinemas like “Metropol”, entering and selling such food was forbidden. 13-What were some of the events or persons who caused the biggest changes in Tripoli social and cultural life (The war, The advent of T.V., Emigration, etc)? One of the most important events that has hit the city is the entrance of the allies to Tripoli after the Sykes–Picot Agreement, and the merging of Tripoli with the four districts that constituted the new Lebanese formulation, and this without the agreement of the people of Tripoli, as well as their submissiveness to the mandate authority, then the appearance of the president Jamal Abdul Nasser, and the return of the Arab union dream. And the revolution of the people of Tripoli in year 1958 against the president Kamil Chamoun who was antagonistic to the Nasserism and the Arab union, and the outbreak of the civil war in the year 1975, and Tebbeneh massacre in year 1986, that resulted more than 500 victims and caused the clashes Tebbeneh – Jabal Mohsen, that their negative effects stayed until this day. And among the most important changes done to our local society: 1. The increase of the openness and communication as well as the exchange of cultures with the Arab and Western societies, associated with the revolution of informatics and technology. 2. Women took their role in the cultural, social and political life, and took part in all work employment and jobs as well as their association with men in the public occasions, concerts and reunions. 3. The appearance of certain armed movements, fed by some politicians, far away from our city culture, and its social texture, exposing false ideas, and a violent culture inconsistent with our morality and civilization, and the real true religion. 4. The multiplicity of the political leaderships, where the leadership before was confined to the “Karami’s”, and the split of the local society to two huge camps caused the radical conflicts between the political leaders, and the regional changes surrounding the area. 5. The manifestation of the activity of certain civil society bodies in the city after a long absence and their insistence on adhering to the culture of coexistence, accepting the difference and respect of other’s right, as well as conserving civil peace. That were the most important points I liked to highlight, and I would hope that the answers to your questions will satisfy you. Best regards, Dr. Fouad Traboulsi Tripoli - Lebanon- 8/30/2014
