In
Lebanon one is never far from history, with souvenirs
of the Phoenicians, Persians, Romans and Francs,
to name only a few, from the wave-swept shores to
the snowy mountain peaks.
At Bsharri in North Lebanon the monastery of Mar
Sarkis is built over an ancient tomb dominated by
a naturally formed obelisk at the highest point
of the Qannoubine valley. Christianity was long
ago implanted in this valley of Qadisha and in its
surrounding villages. From the monastery of Mar
Sarkis one has an unrivalled view. This is the public
meeting place for the young people of Bsharri, who
come here to pray, to play, to meditate and to relax,
heirs of the children of the region who have earned
fame, Saint Sharbel Makhlouf, the artist and poet
Gibran, Patriarch Dweihy, the Semaani brothers,
all of whom have left their imprint in this holy
place.
The eye can see rich vegetation, wooded slopes,
cliffs and carefully cultivated terraces, vines,
fruit trees, apple trees, cherry trees, date palms,
mulberry trees, fig trees and springs of abundant
living waters. The plantations are varied and agriculture
intensive, the gift of the Creator to Lebanon. Higher
up are cedars, pines and cypress with higher yet
the summit of Cornet es-Saouda. Mar Sarkis is halfway
between earth and heaven.
The illustrious poet Khalil Gibran even when still
young wished to be buried here. “The water flows
and comes down from the depths of the rock face
following every direction, a spot worthy of Paradise.”
The desires of Gibran were fulfilled, for it is
at Mar Sarkis that he lies in his hollow and it
was here in this ancient hermitage that his museum
was formed, there where the children of the village
come together.
The monastery clings to the cliff overhanging the
entrance to the town of Bsharri and the valley.
In this place where the museum was organized the
monastery has been restored and several chambers
have been added for the needs of the place. The
visitor can pass from one room to the other admiring
the works of the master, not only his paintings
but also the objects from his room dear to Gibran,
such as his chair and his manuscripts.
His figurative paintings, expressionist and symbolic,
many nudes, the expressive groups devoted to the
masculine and feminine forms, make me wonder whether
Gibran was impressed by anthroposophy and the school
of Rudolph Steiner. He is not far from him in his
painting and writing, with the emblems, just facing
the large thatched cottage where Gibran went to
draw and to study the movement of his living model.
One sees the works of Rudolph Steiner among the
editions of the Triades publishing house. Gibran’s
Christ figures, showing him as God, prophet, humanist
and so on, bear features not unlike those of Gibran
himself.
Mar Sarkis is a place for meditation and prayer
and many pilgrims and visitors come here on foot,
praying and singing. Before it became the resting-place
of Gibran, the monastery sheltered many hermits
and holy men whose remains now lie here awaiting
the resurrection. Bsharri, the home town of Gibran,
is proud of its brilliant son and spares no effort
for cultural and social events in the summer season.
Several committees have been set up bearing Gibran’s
name to commemorate him, for Gibran willed the author’s
rights of all his works, paintings and writings,
to his whole village. According to his will, Bsharri
is an inheritance to be cared for, and so the National
Gibran Committee saw the light of day.
The museum has been enlarged and brought up to date,
with more than sixteen rooms under the charge of
a most capable warden, Dr. Wahib Keyrouz. All Gibran’s
written work is to be found here, translated into
more than thirty languages. There are over fifty
thousand visitors every year, and there are projects
under way to improve the ways of access, communications
and the tourist activity.
William MATAR
- Gibran
Museum: >> View
Movie << (2010-01-15)
- Gibran
Museum 2: >> View
Movie << (2010-01-15)
