Water doesn’t behave the same way twice. It absorbs sound, distorts it, carries it, and sometimes erases it altogether. That instability is where artist Tarek Atoui works. We’ve seen it in Bjork’s live concerts and now Atoui is bringing his installation to the Tate.

This October, Atoui will create the next annual Hyundai Commission for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, one of the most demanding spaces in contemporary art. Rather than filling it with volume or spectacle, Atoui is likely to do something quieter — letting sound move through materials. (Our feature and review on In The Dark bears some likeness to this upcoming event.)

Born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1980 and now living in Paris, Atoui has spent years building instruments that don’t sit comfortably in concert halls. Many of them involve water, glass, and ceramics — materials that react to sound instead of simply producing it. Water ripples, bowls hum, glass vibrates at the edge of breaking. Sound becomes something you encounter physically, not something delivered from a stage.

Much of Atoui’s work takes place in low light or near darkness. When the room dims, listening changes. You stop scanning for meaning and start paying attention to sensation: vibration in the floor, resonance in a vessel, a faint shift in air pressure. Sound moves slowly, negotiated through touch, breath, and mechanical movement.

Water, glass, and ceramics aren’t supporting actors here. They carry the whole piece.

Atoui’s instruments are often activated by visitors rather than performers. A hand turns a surface. Breath enters a pipe. A motor stirs liquid in a shallow bowl. Sound emerges unevenly, depending on how gently or insistently the materials are engaged. Nothing is fixed.

This approach is evident in works like Waters’ Witness, shown at Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria and later at Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan, where sound passed through water-filled vessels and ceramic forms. The experience was less about listening to a composition and more about becoming aware of how sound behaves in matter — how it pools, disperses, and leaves residue. Of course the easiest way to access this kind of natural “art” is just to sit by a lonely brook and listen to Mother Nature herself, without the pomposity.

The Turbine Hall itself is an acoustic body: vast, industrial, difficult to control. Rather than overpowering it, Atoui’s practice suggests a tuning of the space — allowing sound to circulate, settle, and respond to the architecture’s own history as a former power station.

At a time when sound is usually amplified, compressed, and consumed instantly, Atoui’s work insists on slowness. It asks visitors to stay with uncertainty, to notice small changes, to listen with their hands and feet as much as their ears.

There are no instructions. No single vantage point. Just materials doing what they do best when left room to act.

The post Listening to Water: Tarek Atoui’s Next Work for Tate Modern appeared first on Green Prophet.

Souk El Tayeb in Beirut has always been more than a farmers’ market. It is a small miracle in the heart of Lebanon—a community place where farmers, cooks, refugees, artisans, and city dwellers gather around the simple idea that food can heal a country.

Founded in Beirut during a time of deep political strains, Souk El Tayeb became a meeting place where sect, class, and region dissolve into the shared pleasure of tasting ripe tomatoes, kneaded manousheh, or warm kebbeh made by someone whose village you may have only heard about.

What makes Souk El Tayeb remarkable is not only its insistence on local, seasonal produce, but its belief that dignity and sustainability must go hand in hand. Farmers are paid fairly. Villages are uplifted. Traditional recipes are kept alive not as nostalgia but as knowledge systems: real food is carbon-light, waste-free, and is adapted to the land.

In a region where instability and terror threatens the smallest things, Souk El Tayeb remains defiantly hopeful, stitching Lebanon back together one shared meal at a time.(Related: The Pope was just visiting Lebanon uplifting the spirits even more).

And now Lebanon prepared for Eid el-Barbara, a celebration as rooted in the soil as in faith, it’s like a kind of Halloween, but gentler. As Souk El Tayeb writers described it: “It tells the story of Barbara (Saint Barbara), a pious Christian in Roman times, whose father, the pagan ruler of Baalbek, wanted to kill her for her forbidden Christian beliefs. It’s celebrated December 5 in the Middle East, and December 17 in Europe.

“To escape him, she disguised herself (hello costumes!) and ran through bare fields that miraculously grew into tall wheat to hide her as she fled.”

To remember the miracle of the wheat, families cook amhiyeh and atayef, and children plant soaked wheat, beans, or lentils on beds of cotton.

By Christmas, the sprouts become a soft green carpet for the nativity scene, the مغارة الميلاد.

This ritual also exists in Provence, where wheat is planted on Sainte-Barbe’s Day. Lebanon, France, and a shared tradition of sprouting hope in the darkest month of the year.

Another tradition is eating qatayef, a stuffed cookie, which is also eaten at Ramadan.

Eid il-Burbara or Saint Barbara’s Day, and also called the Feast of Saint Barbara, is a holiday annually celebrated on 17 December or 4 December amongst Middle Eastern Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Turkey. It is also celebrated as Barbaroba amongst Christians in Georgia.

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Pope Leo XIV left Rome for a tour of Turkey and Lebanon and prayed Tuesday at the ruins of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, a site that has become a stark symbol of Lebanon’s dysfunction, impunity, and unresolved trauma. His visit marks the final day of his trip to the country.

Relatives of some of the 218 people killed in the blast stood silently as Leo arrived, holding photos of their loved ones. They gathered beside the skeletal remains of the last surviving grain silo and the charred piles of cars ignited by the explosion. Pope Leo stood in silent prayer amid the wreckage.

The August 4, 2020 blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in the history of the world — occurred when hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonated in a port warehouse. The explosion tore through Beirut, caused billions of dollars in damage, and devastated entire neighborhoods. The explosion generated a seismic event measuring 3.3 in magnitude, as reported by the United States Geological Survey. Its effects were felt in Lebanon and neighbouring regions, including Syria, Israel, and Cyprus, over 240 km (150 mi) away.

Five years later, families of the victims are still demanding justice. No officials have been convicted, and the judicial investigation has faced years of obstruction. Locals say that the Hezbollah, a terror state, within a state is to blame. Of course it’s hard for people to say that publicly or they will be assassinated in Lebanon.

Later, the pope celebrated Mass along the Beirut waterfront, calling for Lebanon to be a “home of justice and fraternity” and a “prophetic sign of peace” in the region.

In his homily, Leo acknowledged the many layers of crisis that have scarred Lebanon, referencing the port blast, economic collapse, and “the violence and conflicts that have reawakened ancient fears.”

He said it is natural for people to feel “paralyzed by powerlessness in the face of evil and oppressed by so many difficult situations.”

But the pope urged the Lebanese not to surrender to despair, insisting that hope and justice are essential parts of the country’s future.

“Let us cast off the armor of our ethnic and political divisions, open our religious confessions to mutual encounter and reawaken in our hearts the dream of a united Lebanon,” he said. “A Lebanon where peace and justice reign, where all recognize each other as brothers and sisters.”

“Lebanon, stand up,” he added. “Be a home of justice and fraternity! Be a prophetic sign of peace for the whole of the Levant!”

Lebanon was never meant to be a Catholic country, but it was designed as a multi-confessional state with political power shared between Christians and Muslims. Under the 1943 National Pact, the president must be a Maronite Christian, giving Christians a guaranteed leadership role. Decades of civil war, demographic shifts seeing Christians flee, and regional conflicts have since eroded that balance, leaving the system strained and often paralyzed.

The post The Pope visits Lebanon and the site of the deadly Beirut blast appeared first on Green Prophet.

Planning your winter holidays and want something a little more exotic for the family? Lebanon offers a rare alpine escape in the Middle East—high-altitude slopes within close reach of the coast, cedar forests and mountain villages. You can ski by day and swim by night. Resorts such as Mzaar Ski Resort Faraya, Cedars (Bsharri) Ski Resort, Zaarour Club, Laqlouq, Faqra and the nearby Cedars of God (Bsharri) forest region deliver a mix of skiing and nature. But the future of winter tourism here is being challenged by changing seasons and climate change.

Where to Ski in Lebanon:

Mzaar Ski Resort Faraya: Located in the Keserwan-Jbeil mountains and just over an hour from Beirut, Mzaar is Lebanon’s largest ski resort and a go-to for all ski levels. It offers dramatic views across the Bekaa Valley. For travelers, this is the most accessible destination and contains a wide range of slopes, accommodations and après-ski options.

Cedars (Bsharri) Ski Resort: In the Bsharri region, the Cedars resort lies near the famed “Cedars of God” grove and operates at higher altitude than many Lebanese resorts. Because of the elevation, it tends to offer better snow cover and is a strong choice for those seeking reliability and dramatic alpine scenery.

Zaarour Club: Zaarour is situated on Mount Sannine in the Matn district, about 35 km from Beirut. With north-facing slopes, activities beyond skiing, and a quiet setting, it’s ideal for families or visitors who want a gentler ski trip within close reach of the city.

Laqlouq lies at a lower base altitude (around 1,650-1,800 m) and while it offers charm and authenticity, its lower elevation means more sensitivity to warm weather and shrinking snow cover. If you visit, plan for a flexible schedule and keep an eye on snow conditions.

Faqra combines winter sports with historic Roman ruins and natural beauty. Though not always as large as Mzaar or the Cedars, it offers a distinctive ski-holiday option in Lebanon’s mountain belt.

Cedars of God (Bsharri) Region: While not strictly a ski resort itself, the Cedars of God forest near Bsharri forms a spectacular backdrop to the ski resort experience. The high-altitude forest of Lebanese cedar trees is emblematic of Lebanon’s mountain ecosystem. It adds ecological and cultural value to a ski visit in the region.

Why the Ski Seasons Are A-Changin’

Lebanon’s ski industry is under pressure from climate change. According to Reuters, snow cover is expected to shrink by up to 40 percent by 2040. A recent review notes that ski resorts in Lebanon face the challenge of insufficient snow, increasingly shorter seasons and rising expenses. For example, at Mzaar only about 70 percent of slopes were able to open in one season due to insufficient snowfall. Lower snowfall, delayed season openings, and rising temperatures all contribute to uncertainty for visitors and operators alike.

What this means for you as a skier: choose resorts with higher elevation (like the Cedars), monitor local snow and weather reports ahead of your trip, and set realistic expectations—the skiing season may begin later, end sooner, and conditions may not be the same every year.

Lebanese resorts and communities have begun to adapt. And despite the country lacking basic resources such as continuous power or a safe water supply, some of the measures include upgrading snow-making infrastructure, improving the efficiency of ski lifts, and diversifying into four-season mountain tourism.

Ski resorts in Lebanon are coping by turning the region into a full-season tourist destination, like Blue Mountain in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, which turns its ski lifts into bike lifts for downhill bike riding on extreme trails. The Canadian ski town also offers forest treks and climbing sports, along with man-made pools and family packages for the resorts that normally don’t generate income in the summer.

So if the snow is melted for your ski holiday in Lebanon, this is what you can do: enjoy hiking, mountain biking, wellness retreats—to compensate for shorter ski seasons. Participate in forest conservation and the protection of mountain ecosystems (such as the Cedars of God) to maintain snow-catch and water-storage functions.

Planning Your Ski Trip to Lebanon

Here are some tips to maximize your ski holiday in Lebanon:
• Go early or late in the season: mid-January to early March tends to offer the best conditions, though keep an eye on real-time snowfall. Book a flexible ticket for flights and hotel rooms if possible.
• Choose high-altitude resorts: resorts like the Cedars have more reliable snow because of elevation.
• Flexibility helps: check snow reports, know that slope availability may vary, and look for resorts that offer other activities if snow is thin.
• Book accommodations near the slopes: resorts like Mzaar and Zaarour are close to the coast and Beirut, making logistics easier.
• Respect the environment: Lebanon’s mountains are ecologically fragile—choose resorts and services that demonstrate sustainable practices.

If you’re looking for a ski escape that blends altitude, Mediterranean views and unique mountain culture, Lebanon is still an exciting choice and one you can talk about when you return home. Resorts like Mzaar Ski Resort Faraya, Cedars (Bsharri) Ski Resort, Zaarour Club, Laqlouq and Faqra offer a range of experiences from lively slopes to tranquil escapes. However, the window for consistent snow is narrowing, and the effects of climate change are real. Planning ahead, choosing your resort wisely and embracing the full mountain experience (not just snow) will give you your best chance of a memorable trip. Lebanon’s mountains aren’t just skiing locations—they’re landscapes in transition, and your visit can both enjoy and support their evolving future.

According to Planet Ski, “There are currently 68 countries in the world that offer equipped outdoor ski areas covered with snow. Even if snowfields are much more numerous there are about 2,000 ski resorts worldwide. Besides the major ski destinations in terms of skier visits, there are a number of other, smaller destinations, where skiing has been an industry for a long time, or is currently developing.”

The most obvious emerging destinations are Eastern Europe and China, according to the expert ski site. There are a number of other small players spread out across the globe and they are in: Cyprus, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Lesotho, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey and several more. Have a ski experience to share in a less-travelled area? Send us a report ski@greenprophet.com.

For more background on Lebanon’s ski industry and climate change, read
Put Away Your Snowboard: Lebanon’s Slopes Are Melting, which looks at how higher temperatures have already cut the skiing season in half.

If you’re comparing Lebanon with other regional options, see 5 Top Ski Holidays in the Middle East,
which includes Mzaar in Lebanon alongside other regional ski spots.

For a broader look at eco-conscious winter travel and skiiing, link to our past coverage on Where to go for a sustainable ski holiday?, which weighs up greener ski choices and resort practices.

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The United Arab Emirates is leading the Arab world by all measures of sustainability in terms of at least concept, if not practice. But their tolerance and ability to learn and pivot is the making of a great nation. Hoping to help Lebanon out of the rubble of a terrorist group takeover by the Hezbollah, the UAE says it’s reaffirming its longstanding commitment to international cooperation and sustainable development, so it sent members from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) on a high-level visit to Lebanon, aimed at strengthening economic ties and advancing strategic partnerships.

The UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with President Joseph Aoun in a working visit to the UAE in May, the two leaders discussed ways to expand cooperation in economic, investment, and government sectors.

As part of this effort, the ADFD was tasked to send a delegation to Lebanon to assess potential joint projects, while the UAE’s Knowledge Exchange Office was tasked with visiting Beirut to share best practices on government performance and institutional excellence. Beirut can once again rise up and become the pearl of the Middle East if it lets go of terror and hate.

The three-day visit brought together senior UAE officials and Lebanese leadership to explore collaborative solutions that support Lebanon’s economic recovery and future growth. The delegation met with Aou where discussions centered around enhancing bilateral cooperation and supporting Lebanon’s economic development efforts. 

ADFD also visited the Banque de l’Habitat (Housing Bank) in Beirut to explore cooperation on offering concessional loans to support housing solutions and enable citizens to access affordable housing. Both parties agreed to continue coordination, including upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi to discuss project implementation and follow-up on proposed initiatives.

“The Fund’s participation underscores the UAE’s commitment to supporting friendly nations, continuing its leading role in fostering international cooperation. ADFD’s partnership with Lebanon spans over five decades, during which we have helped implement strategic development projects across vital sectors such as infrastructure, education, energy, and healthcare, saud H.E. Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD. 

He added: “Our presence in Lebanon today reaffirms our deep commitment to supporting its government in tackling economic challenges and enhancing the quality of life for the Lebanese people. We aim to leverage our expertise and partnerships to help develop sustainable solutions that align with the country’s aspirations for recovery and reconstruction.”

During the Knowledge Exchange Forum, Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam praised ADFD’s instrumental role in supporting Lebanon’s development journey since the 1970s, describing the Fund as a trusted partner throughout various stages of national progress and an enabler of tangible improvements across key sectors.

Site visits to the Port of Beirut, Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, Beirut Governmental Hospital, and various public service institutions further underscored the delegation’s focus on identifying immediate priorities and potential areas of collaboration. Can Lebanon eradicate the Muslim Brotherhood and the Hezbollah ideology? Lebanon was founded as a Christian country, while Syria was intended for Islam. The future of the Middle East is at stake. Faith leaders from the Christian faith should be rising up to help the most important focal point for Middle East reform: Lebanon. 

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Blast fishing or dynamite fishing is believed to be the cause of more shark sightings off the coast of Lebanon. In this exclusive report on dynamite fishing we uncovered the extent of the problem in Tripoli –– how fishers are using illegal, handmade dynamite to blast fish out of nature reserves. The Mediterranean Sea is overfished. And blast fishing is having an impact on other sea life, including sharks and possibly whales and sea lions.

On social media people in Lebanon are worried about getting attacked by sharks, with resorts this past summer warning bathers about the danger at sea. Blast fishing or dynamite fishing is when fishermen drop handmade explosives into the water making it easier to kill tonnes of fish using one blast. The blast damages the fish gills and they float to the surface making for an easy but deadly haul. The method also kills fishermen when not detonated correctly.

Sharks are getting closer to the shore now and locals in Lebanon blame blast fishing: “This makes it easier for sharks to compete with fishermen for their fish,” one local in Lebanon said. “This changes the behavior of sharks.”

There has not been a fatal attack by shark in Lebanon, but predators can be a threat to humans if they get too close. Some large sea creatures like orca whales are fighting back against humans by deliberately sinking boats off the coast of Morocco. One orca attacked by a fishing boat is teaching other orcas how to fight back.

Tel Aviv is 250 miles from Beirut and just last year there was an unusual sighting of a sea lion which lingered for several days on a beach of Jaffa, the sister city to Tel Aviv. We visited her there as she languished in the sun. Although veterinarians say that she appeared to be unharmed perhaps she was a victim of Lebanon’s blast fishing? Sea lions are rarely seen in Israel, and live in clusters further north. Sea lions do compete with fishermen for fish.

Also in May, 2022 a dead sperm whale washed up on the shore of Tel Aviv. It was the third dead whale to wash up on Israel’s shore that year. Dr. Aviad Scheinin, the head of the marine biology department at Haifa University, told the Maariv news site that it was a young sperm whale and that its advanced state of decomposing made it difficult to immediately determine the cause of death. Scheinin noted that sperm whales are endangered in the Mediterranean Sea.

Blast fishing in Lebanon may be the cause for dead sperm whales, sea lions on shore and new shark sightings. Time to stop the barbaric practice. But with Lebanon hosting a terror group Hezbollah within its own state, it is obviously impotent when it comes to enforcing laws that protect citizens. Remember the 2020 bomb blast in Beirut due to negligence? We can’t expect Lebanese biologists to have any power in stopping blast fishing at sea so international organisations should be getting involved.

These researchers in Tanzania heard blasts from dynamite fishing more often that whale calls. They say that blast fishing kills all marine life. Seal bombs are also used in California. How can we stop the practice of blast fishing globally?

The post Blast fishing in Lebanon means more sharks, sea lions and dead whales in Israel? appeared first on Green Prophet.

While Lebanon is going through an historic financial crisis, fishermen are trying to survive by fishing with dynamite. A special Green Prophet report on a social and environmental disaster:

Sitting in the courtyard of his home in a port district of Tripoli, Sayed*, a fisherman in his sixties, enjoys a coffee prepared by his wife. The crutches that have helped him since a violent car accident are lying on the ground. In his damaged mouth, where only two teeth remain, is a cigarette, which he soon lights. With it, he demonstrates the effect of fire on ammonium nitrate. From a black bag, he extracts a handful of green powder which he placed on a plate. His family witnesses the sinister scene.

“This is what I make my dynamite with,” he says with a serious face. The old man pours the nitrate into a piece of plastic which he rolls up mechanically. His wife brings him some thread to tighten it. All he needs now is the detonator to finish the homemade preparation. Sayed is a former dynamite fisherman, an illegal practice. Even if he has not forgotten anything about its manufacturing, he claims he has withdrawn from the market.

Land of the cedar but also of the sea, Lebanon hosts 44 ports and a mostly artisanal fishing industry. Dynamite fishing has evolved throughout the tumults of history. During the civil war (1974 to 1990), sticks of dynamite were common currency. Today, it’s in Palestinian camps, such as in Nhar-al-Bared, 12 miles north of Tripoli, that you can find ready-to-use sticks. Other fishermen, like Sayed, prefer to make their own.

Also the recipes differ, they all use ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer sold in any agricultural store and the cause of the explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020. “Homemade” dynamite also requires a detonator, banned from public sale but easily available on the black market. For the rest, everyone has their own tips. Some add sugar, others charcoal. With the crises of recent years, the techniques have been further refined.

Artificial reefs made from car wrecks are created to make nurseries for fish. Others, for saving fuel, swim to sea pushing a floating tire loaded with dynamite and bombard the fishes. A 50 kg bag exploding at a depth of 60 meters has a radius of 50 meters and can harvest up to four tonnes of fish. After the explosion, the fishermen just need to wait until the dead fishes go back up to the surface.

“Fish are killed by the shock wave which causes hemorrhagic lesions of the gills,” analyzes Rami Khodr, technical director at the RBML Food Labs laboratory in Beirut. Particularly effective, dynamite fishing is well established in the poor regions of North Lebanon.

Surviving poverty

Sitting under a sheet metal shelter with fishing companions, Amir*, 34, is waiting. Due to unstable weather, he was unable to go out to sea. The man lives in Aabdeh, in the Akkar region. The Syrian border is only 10 miles away. The surroundings are poor and abandoned, the smell of fish and diesel escapes from this small fishing port. “The fish are getting smaller and smaller and there are fewer and fewer of them, he says sadly. We sometimes have to go further to find it, but it costs a lot of diesel.”

So, for him, it is not surprising that some are turning to illegal fishing.

A two-hour drive north of Beirut, Tripoli is no longer the flourishing Phoenician city of the old days. The town was already poor before the economic crisis, but since 2019, Tripolitans have joined Syrian and Palestinian refugees in poverty. As day breaks over this desperate city, the port is bustling with activity. The fishing boats have returned from their night of hunting. On the market stalls, dozens of marine species lie in trays of ice. It’s hard to guess which ones were captured with the explosives. “Dynamite? None of that here!”, claims one of the sellers, clearly shocked by the question.

Lebanon’s shipwreck

If the pandemic followed by the explosion at the port of Beirut had already weakened the country, the economic crisis that occurred in 2019 and is still ongoing has destroyed much of the hope of the Lebanese population. The country is experiencing inflation which accelerated at the start of the year to reach 270% year-on-year in April, 2023. This crisis has plunged more than 80% of the Lebanese population into precarious living conditions, with half of them living in extreme poverty. To try to get by, people work night and day.

Thus, fishermen no longer belong only to the sea. They are also taxi drivers, café owners, bus drivers. Many had to sell their boats. “It is sad because fishing is a family tradition, a heritage,” adds Amir. Bassem is another fisherman from the port of Aabdeh. Sitting on a plastic chair in the hot sun, he relates his father’s accident in which he lost seven fingers while handling dynamite: “He was at sea. It was raining and windy. He lit a cigarette and the dynamite exploded. Since then he stopped using it.”

According to the Safadi Foundation, a structure that develops sustainable projects in Lebanon, 5% of fishermen use dynamite fishing. “In Tripoli, this technique was in decline for several years before increasing again in 2019, points out Samer Fatfat, consultant at the Safadi foundation. On the beaches of Akkar, it has remained constant.”

A failing state

On 25 miles of coastline between Tripoli and Syria, the army was quickly overwhelmed. In Tripoli’s Al Mina port alone, more than 1,800 fishermen are registered. These wooden motorboats, less than seven meters long, enter and leave the port by means of a simple visual check by the army from the dyke. While the authorities clearly lack resources, not even having enough fuel to arrest illegal fishermen, they may also be in cahoots with the outlaws. In the port of Al Mina, illegal fishermen are known to everyone but the omerta, a southern Italian code of silence, hangs over anyone who dares to denounce them.

As for the president of the fishing union, crisscrossing the Corniche and the fish souks aboard his gleaming black Mercedes, he brushes the question aside: “It’s not our mission to arrest the fishermen and if they are arrested it is only for a few days in prison.”

Corruption, however, is costly to illegal fishermen. According to one of them, 40% of the revenue is intended for corruption and 60% is shared between him and his crew. However, a law governing the rules of fishing in Lebanon exists since 1929. Dynamite is strictly forbidden. But like a country that does not have a president since a year, the state is falling apart and the laws are not applied.

Some fishermen even bomb the Palm Islands Nature Reserve, in front of Tripoli, where all human activity is theoretically prohibited. Explosions not only damage the seabed but also contribute to the reduction of fish stocks without distinction between small and large fish. A toxicological analysis carried out by the RBML Food Labs laboratory, which tested three samples of fish from a market in Tripoli, demonstrated a significant quantity of ammonium inside the fish. But due to the massive use of this fertilizer in agriculture, it is difficult to know whether this pollution comes from dynamites or land runoff.

Every day, hundreds of bombs are dropped in Lebanese waters by fishermen, descendants of Phoenicians, renowned for their navigation skills. In these ravaged lands, the sea is a constant witness to tragedies. Each time a conflict has caused the closure of maritime space, fishermen have found a sea rich in fish. But the natural cycle is constantly overtaken by the death spiral. The president of the Al Mina union even dares a comparison: “It’s like Israel and Palestine, the sea is the enemy against whom the fishermen throw bombs to survive.”

*names changed

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Who asks Lebanon or the Middle East what they think about climate change? Is it possible that these water and energy-strapped regions who have the most to lose from a hot planet might have something critical to say? Those voices were heard at a Climate Justice Camp in August.

Participants from almost 100 countries across the Middle East and North Africa-Europe areas came together at the camp – one of the largest events of its kind to take place in the region – to attend and lead sessions on topics including loss and damage, climate adaptation, and fossil fuel phase-out. Eco Peace, Middle East, fashions large events of this nature every year or so. See our interview with Gidon Bromberg.

During the recent sessions in Beirut, in which Green Prophet was invited but could not attend, sessions, participants and organizations developed partnerships and collaborations to push for change in local and global contexts.

To bring the camp to a close, attendees gathered at sunset around a sculpture of a giant hand, which was collectively constructed using more than 400 pieces of embroidery, banners, symbolic textiles, and fabrics brought from their home countries.

Renowned Lebanese artist and designer Pierre Abboud worked with participants across the week to co-design the sculpture as a symbol of solidarity for climate justice. He said: “This sculpture is a creative act of solidarity crafted by hundreds of young people coming together from around the world. Each piece of material tells a personal story, and woven together they form a hand that symbolizes the unity we feel in this gathering for climate justice, in such a beautiful part of the world – my country, my soul, my Lebanon.”

Kenzie Azmi, a campaigner at Greenpeace Middle East & North Africa said: “Gathering 450 young leaders this week from regions hardest hit by climate change, the Climate Justice Camp in Lebanon stands as a powerful show of solidarity. Together, Global South communities are taking a stand against climate change and demanding justice. We are immensely proud of the outcomes achieved and the unified spirit of the youth.

This unity highlights a stark reality: Middle East and Global South communities face unprecedented challenges across social, health, and economic fronts, often worsened by past injustices. Those hit the hardest often have the least responsibility for the crisis.

The call remains clear: rich historically polluting countries are duty-bound to take the lead in phasing out fossil fuels. They must also bear the financial burden of addressing losses and damages, while also funding a fast and fair global transition to renewable energy that puts the needs of frontline communities first. They should generate the required funds by imposing taxes on their fossil fuel industry, which has been both a primary driver and beneficiary of the climate crisis for decades.

Camp attendee Ayisha Siddiqa from Pakistan, a human rights and land defender and Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General said: “Regions in the Middle East, which get the least attention but are arguably some of the most looted and impacted regions on Earth, first paid for fossil fuels with their life and are now paying in drought, flood, and hunger. It does not take a political scientist to understand that environmental disasters of such scale lead to political and social upheaval. The foundations of a market-based economy collapse fast and what we are left with is human suffering. More than ever we need people power, we need to unify across borders and regions, across cultures and languages, to fix what we have broken. That starts with us caring for each other and the planet like it’s the most precious resource to exist.”

Fatima-Zahrae Tarib from Morocco, camp participant, youth climate advocate, and political science major, said:  “What we have at the Climate Justice Camp is the power of storytelling. The beauty of this space lies in the fact that it’s dedicated to young people, grassroots movements, Indigenous communities, and those living on the frontlines of the climate crisis to come together from inspiring communities around the world. We have been sharing our stories with one another every day, exchanging experiences and knowledge that can’t be found on the internet or in books. It can only be taught through people’s stories and lived realities – through people’s power.

“This helps us grow the movement. It helps us keep the motivation going to continue campaigning for climate justice. While we may feel disappointment or hopelessness about how the climate crisis is being dealt with; when you create a lasting community in a space like this, that’s how we can work together to get stuff done and keep the momentum going.”

The Climate Justice Camp in Lebanon is the second edition of this global grassroots event, building on the success of the inaugural September 2022 camp in Tunisia. More than 40 local and global organizations worked collaboratively this year to bring together young people from the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, South East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, between August 28 to September 2.

Want contacts to get involved? Reach out to those below.

• Hiam Mardini, Middle East and North Africa regional communications Manager, Greenpeace MENA Whatsapp: +961 71 533 232, hiam.mardini@greenpeace.org
• Sophie Schroder, Climate Justice Camp global communications, Greenpeace Aotearoa – Roots Program, Whatsapp: +64 21 086 47450, sophie.schroder@greenpeace.org
• Linda Åström, Climate Justice Camp global communications, GSCC, Whatsapp: +46 73-852 4285, linda.astrom@gsccnetwork.org

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The best marathon in the world? Ones where women are allowed to run? This is a hard question to answer and you will get answers as varied as the people you ask. There are the well known marathons, like the New York Marathon in November, the London Marathon in April and the Berlin Marathon in September. Chicago, Boston, Stockholm and Paris follow suit.

What about the best marathons in the Middle East? Now you are in for an adventure. 

Adventurous, sustainable travel that’s good for you, and a marathon rolled into one? That’s a marathon in the Middle East. A marathon to support women runners? Maybe you have an eye on the prize or want to run around holy sites, the land of the cedars, or through grueling but expansive deserts in the Sahara Desert?

Maybe you are a global nomad who’s looking for the next location for roaming and running for the next few months. Nothing like training in situ like a local. Nothing like running for cardio health. And nothing like the Mediterranean Diet for heart health. We are Green Prophet so we’ve got your Middle East marathon bases covered. For this purpose locations in North Africa, the Arab parts of it, are lumped into what we call The Middle East. 

From starts in capital cities to desolate deserts or a run to help save refugees, here is a list of the best runs, the month they run, with varying degrees of atmosphere, speed, beauty and even prize money. Want us to consider adding another to this list? Drop us a line to run@greenprophet.com or a message via Instagram. 

The 10 best marathons in the Middle East

Marathon des Sables, Ouarzazate, Morocco – April

The Marathon des Sables is iconic and profits go to charity. It’s the marathon that might change your life or your status as an athlete. This marathon is more adventure and eco-tourism than any marathon you’ve ever met. “Sables” means sand in French, a second language of Morocco – after Arabic – and it’s in sand you will run. Sand will fill every crack of your soul.

It’s considered the world’s toughest footrace which combines 5 and a half marathons in one, spanning about 200 miles (251km) over five to six days. Everything you will need to eat is carried on your back, except water, as you run through the tops of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, in the heat of the sun, making it a coveted event for top athletes. Proceeds to this event go to a charity that help support desert dwellers. Funds go to solar energy systems and schools. 

Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, Dubai, UAE – February

The Dubai Marathon is the largest mass sporting event in the Middle East, according to event organizers. It’s an annual road-based marathon hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 1998. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. In 2007, it was announced that the 2008 marathon would become the world’s richest long distance running event in history, with one million dollars offered as a prize for a world record and $250,000 for first place for both men and women. 

Top cash prizes still attract the world’s best runners. Participants from the past claimed that while the architecture is beautiful, and the weather is great for Europeans looking for a bit more heat in the winter, most of the race takes place through flat and boring scenery. 

But if you’ve come for the prize month or the ecological attractions before and after, and you are in the trance of running, who cares?

Bahrain International Marathon, Bahrain- February

The Bahrain Marathon is older than you’d think. It was This race was inaugurated in 1979 to coincide with a visit from Queen Elizabeth II, where 15 participants ran. In 1983 Mustafa Fulad became the first Bahraini to complete a full marathon but more and more locals participate in it every year as sports, and the joy of running, catches on in the Middle East.

Today this marathon is known for crossing both desert and mountains on Amwaj Island in Bahrain. Definitely not boring. As per Middle East style, the purse money is about $100,000 every year for top winners in male and female categories.

ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, Abu Dhabi, UAE – December

Enjoy running with marathon elites in the heart of Abu Dhabi, while taking in iconic landmarks, stunning scenery and cheering crowds as you stride in style to finish line success. Run past the Zayed Sports Center, and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. People come for the biggest prize money at this race, totalling about $300,000 USD dollars every year.

Sahara Marathon, Algeria – February

This intense course, a humanitarian and activist race at its core, starts in the Sahara, and you have to fly in to reach it at Al Ayoun, Algeria. Aid stations are set up throughout as you run in the world’s largest desert.  This marathon event has brought together thousands of runners for a few decades to the Saharawi refugee camps of Tindouf in Algeria. 

The Sahara Marathon is an international sport event to demonstrate solidarity with the Saharawi people with the aim of promoting sport among Saharawi young men and women and financing and developing humanitarian programs to help these people overcome conflict in the region.

Who are the Saharawi people?

The Sahrawi, or Saharawi people, are an ethnic group and nation native to the western part of the Sahara desert, which includes the Western Sahara, southern Morocco, much of Mauritania, and along the southwestern border of Algeria. They are of mixed Berber, Arab and Black African descent. Systematic human rights abuses, police brutality, violations of international law and fundamental rights, the Sahrawi people of Africa’s last colony, Western Sahara, have endured decades of repression at the hands of Moroccan occupying forces. Since replacing Spain as coloniser, Morocco has attempted to control a territory about the size of the UK, using military force to suppress free speech and pro-independence protests. 

Jerusalem Marathon, Jerusalem, Israel – March

Going for a Holy Run? The Jerusalem Marathon is an annual marathon running event held in Jerusalem during the month of March when the weather is pleasant and warm in this Israeli city, also known as The City of David. 

The course begins at Israel’s parliament, passes through Mount Scopus and the Old City, and finishes at Sacher Park. Prize money for winners is only a few thousand dollars, so this is a run you do for your soul. 

Jerusalem’s big brother marathon is the Tel Aviv Marathon, which happens in February attracts more runners and prizes (about $7,000 USD for winners, $40,000 for record breakers) and this year about 40,000 runners made it to the event. Our advice? Stay for a month and come for both marathons.

Update 2024: It’s not announced if the Jerusalem Marathon will go ahead this year but the Tel Aviv Marathon will be in March. 

Antalya Marathon, Anatolia, Turkey – March

The Antalya Marathon, officially International Öger Antalya Marathon, and for a short time known as Runtalya, is an international athletic event that takes place in Antalya, Turkey since 2006. It is one of the best marathons of the Middle East. Run along the sea, a most refreshing course that winds along one of the prettiest parts of the Mediterranean Sea. After the flat course race, rip off your shoes and head to the beach. A most sporting holiday with up to 10,000 others.

Antalya is a Turkish resort city with a yacht-filled Old Harbor and beaches with plenty of boutique hotels. It’s a gateway to Turkey’s southern Mediterranean region, known as the Turquoise Coast for its blue waters. And it’s a great destination for stargazing or launching a yacht to cruise along the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.

Remnants remain from Antalya’s time in the past as a major Roman port. These include Hadrian’s Gate, built to honor the Roman emperor’s visit in 130 A.D and 2nd-century Hidirlik Tower, with stunning views of the harbor.

The Dead Sea Ultra Marathon, Ein Bokek, Israel – February

The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth and one of the world’s wonders. Also known for Spencer Tunick’s naked Dead Sea. Cleopatra’s beauty secret too. The highlight of the race, then, is a run towards the sea on the border embankment of the Dead Sea Works that surrounds the southern part of the Dead Sea. It happens only once a year, in marathon and ultra marathon distances, and just for this race, that security forces allow this scenic route to be open along the dikes, giving runners breathtaking views that have so far been observed by employees of the Dead Sea factories. The Dead Sea is dying. Run this race to draw awareness to the devastation caused to it from water overuse and the Dead Sea factories on other side of the sea.

The dike serves as the border area between the Israeli side of the Dead Sea and the Jordanian Dead Sea and they serve as a barrier without a fence between the two countries that maintain a peaceful relationship. So straddle both sides on this once of a lifetime run. 

“Amazing location,” says one runner who ran the Dead Sea, “I think you’d struggle to find a cooler place to run! Not crowded, fantastic photos and drone photos included, plentiful aid stations. But the main plus is definitely the awe inspiring location.”

BDL Beirut International Marathon, Beirut, Lebanon – November

Hosted in Lebanon’s capital city, the Beirut Marathon offers both wheelchair and running races, hoping to inspire health and fitness in the Land of God’s Cedars. 

Beirut is considered the cool kid on the block in the Middle East. It’s a modern city, with modern free thinkers, like the kids nearby in Tel Aviv. Although the two can never meet as conflict with Hezbollah terror groups keeps the borders closed. 

Beirut has suffered some terrible setbacks from corruption, explosions and terrorism.  Running around this Mediterranean Sea city is a powerful way to bring life back to Beirut after devastating losses in the past couple of years. After the run there are plenty of hikes and eco-tourism options to follow around Lebanon. 

Istanbul Eurasia Marathon, Istanbul, Turkey – November

Crossing from Asia into Europe, this full marathon The Istanbul Eurasia Marathon race spans two continents and you cross a bridge to connect them. The Istanbul Marathon starts 300m behind the Bosphorus Bridge; the race course divides in Besiktas turnoff after passing the bridge, then goes down from Barbaros Boulevard to Besiktas, and follows the coastal road to reach Karakoy.

Founded in 1979 in an effort to host a marathon for visiting German tourists, it is one of the oldest races in the region and certainly a foundation for one of the best marathons in the Middle East. And no doubt, visiting Istanbul is an experience you will never forget. The prize money is pretty good, about $50,000 USD every year for the winners.

Lesser known marathons in the Middle East

Already tried these 10 best marathons of the Middle East? Don’t forget there are some other new and noteworthy marathons in the Middle East region: Cairo hosts a stunning race but you need to run 4 times in a loop, the Erbil marathon for peace in Iraqi-held Kurdistan in November.

Amman, Jordan hosts a marathon every year but I don’t love the city. It’s polluted and not walkable. If you want to visit Jordan, try the Petra Marathon in the south and which runs around antiquities; or the Dead Sea Marathon you access from the Israeli side, via Jerusalem. The run starts in Israel and then head over to Aqaba and Petra for tourism before going to Bir Sweir in Sinai, Egypt for a week. 

If you are near Jordan, you can also try the Riyadh Road Runners, a marathon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia meant for social and professional runners. Women are allowed to run in regular running gear but adapted hijabs make it possible to run covered. There will be a women’s only group running starting in 2022. So join the race and when you run, run in solidarity with the women too. And remember, at ultra-long distances women can outrun men.

Want us to consider adding another to this list of the Best Marathons in the Middle East? Have a sporting event for us to cover, an event which makes sustainable travel even better? Drop us a line  run@greenprophet.com or a message us via Instagram. 

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It’s not unusual for an intrepid foreign explorer to uncover hidden gems in Lebanon. Like Honduras artist Adrian Pepe who explores the design and craft in ancient textile making in Beirut. Now James Kerwin, an Englishman in Lebanon, shows us the scale and beauty of abandoned palaces, mansions, and houses in his photography series called Lebanon Falling. 

I’ve always experienced great joy slipping under a rusting gate in the Levante. Mansions and family homes stay standing, attesting to a more opulent time when conflict and Ikea were unknown to the region. When there was a train between Tel Aviv and Beirut and people’s homes were adorned with handmade crafts and designs from hand-poured cement tiles to hand-painted ceilings with ornate balconies and sheltered gardens.

Kerwin gives us a peek into this past as Lebanon’s traditional architecture lays abandoned and neglected calling out for a younger generation to repair the gaps. Unlike the Disney-like abandoned castles in Turkey, these homes are calling out for repair.

Kerwin says, “There is something about the Lebanese mansion. They are impossible to miss as the first thing which draws you in is the romantic exterior. Once I discovered a disused or abandoned house, it always filled me with excitement, as I never quite knew what was going to be inside. These homes were colorful, fascinating, and historic.”

He elaborates:

“The traditional house in the ottoman style could be hidden anywhere, and in many towns throughout Lebanon. this house typology first flourished in the 19th-century ottoman era and has a special relationship with nature — usually set in and around picturesque landscapes or towns.

“At first glance, such heritage buildings may look alike, but their individual personalities and unique traits can be discerned if one takes a closer look. 

Similar Ottoman era homes can be found in Israel in cities like Jaffa, Haifa and Lod. They were built in the early 19th century when Europeans were settling around the Middle East area. The Europeans settled in the eastern Mediterranean region for trade. This community was known as “Levantine,” which means “eastern Mediterranean” in French.

If you love abandoned buildings and you are in Lebanon some buildings worth checking out include an abandoned Holiday Inn. James Kerwin tells Green Prophet that entry is allowed with an army escort but that compared to the abandoned Ottoman palaces, there isn’t much to see. 

From Ottoman-era time in Lebanon 

While the Ottoman-era buildings leave a lot to the imagination it wasn’t an easy period for many people in Lebanon, especially if you didn’t conform or practiced the right religion.

Our friend, environmental artist, Pablo Solomon writes: 

“Seeing the Ottoman mansions in Lebanon was interesting. As you know my father’s family fled the Ottoman oppression and went to Mexico, only to have to flee the Revolutionaries and come to Texas.

“For my father and most of his family the first language was Arabic. On my mother’s side they had fled Germany in the 1850s due to religious oppression. They lived in close knit religious communities in Central Texas and only spoke German basically until the 1940s.

“One of the things my parents had in common was a love of freedom.”
::Jameskerwin

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