Category Archives: Blog

The body is like Mary and each of us has a Jesus inside.
Who is not in labor, holy labor? Every creature is.
See the value of true art when the earth or a soul
is in the mood to create beauty…

— Rumi

When I was walking by this carpet store in Damascus, these guys insisted that I take their picture. But–as you can see in the photo–Elmo totally photobombed it.  That Elmo–he really gets around–and travels way more around the world than I do…

One night in winter, when I was strolling through the streets of Damascus, I bumped into–who else–but Santa Claus. It wasn’t much of a surprise though, because it was Christmas time, and St. Nicholas has always had a long and close association with the Middle East. After all, he was originally from this region. Most people don’t realize that St. Nicholas was more of a Mediterranean man than a North Pole hermit.

St. Nicholas, the 4th century bishop known for giving gifts to the poor, lived out his saintly days in the sunshine of Myra in what is now modern-day Turkey–not in the frigid cold of the Arctic. So whenever I lead tours to Turkey, I always take my fellow travelers to Myra to see the Church of St. Nicholas, as well as a crumbling Roman amphitheater and tombs cut into the rocky hills. Myra has many statues (left) and frescoes dedicated to the famous saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus. But our sunny “Santa” excursion doesn’t end there, since we also sail on over to St. Nicholas Island–one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

St. Nicholas Island is also called “Gemiler Island” or “Gemiler Adası”–meaning the “Island of Boats.” Its crescent cove is one of my favorite coves in the world–and you can easily see why. After docking our gulet on the island’s pristine shore, we usually hike up the island’s hill to get a view of the cove and sailboats below. On the steep walk up, most of the travelers use walking sticks to climb through crumbling churches from the 4th-6th century. It is said that the original tomb of St. Nicholas also rests on this island–but we have yet to find it.

The legend of this 4th century bishop, the patron saint of children and sailors, spread far and wide from Turkey. The “Santa Claus” version of his life seems to have developed from Scandinavian tales about his celebrated acts of generosity. In fact, he was so beloved in medieval Iceland that an epic poem, the Nikolassaga Biskupa, was composed in his honor. It wasn’t until the 19th century that “Santa” was embraced and promoted by companies as a way to capitalize on his image for the holidays.

All over the Middle East, I’ve enjoyed spotting “Santa” in places like Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. It’s important to place this beloved saint in his original Mediterranean and Middle Eastern context–instead of just on the side of a can of Coke…

In “Sharing the Sufis of Syria”, I mention a medieval Sufi tekke, or dervish lodge, which nestled in the middle of Damascus. Having spent time in tekkes in Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Central Asia, there’s no way I could choose a favorite–but when I came across this Ottoman dervish dwelling in Damascus, I was taken immediately with its exquisite arches–the turquoise mosaics above the doors–and, most of all, the chocolate and white checkered pattern on its facade. Part of the charm of this historic whirling dervish abode, I suppose, is that it’s at the foot of several tall apartment buildings–as you can see in the photo above…

This is a gathering of Lovers.
In this gathering,
there is no high, no low,
no smart, no ignorant,
no special assembly,
no grand discourse,
no proper schooling required.
There is no master, no disciple.
This gathering is more like a drunken party,
full of tricksters, fools, mad men and mad women.
This is a gathering of Lovers.

— Rumi

I’m crazy for puppets–and I have John Emigh (my theatre mentor at Brown) to thank for that. He’s the one who first introduced me to puppets from all over the world–from places like Indonesia, Japan, the Czech Republic, and Turkey. Studying “non-western” performance around the globe opened my eyes to the theatrical styles, cultural expressions, religious rituals, and political dramas of places as diverse as Brazil, India, New Guinea, Korea, Mali, Burkino Faso–and beyond. My passion for “non-western” performance was in large part what got my feet on the road–and I’ve been traveling ever since.

It wasn’t too long before I found a way to perform with puppets myself–by playing Javanese gamelan music for shadow puppet (wayang) performances with some of Indonesia’s top puppeteers (dhalangs). Last year, in our performance at Asia Society, the puppeteer even incorporated an Obama puppet into the show (which you can see left and below).

I really can’t get enough of puppets. So you can imagine my delight when I walked into the Azm Palace in Damascus–mentioned in my piece “Sharing the Sufis of Syria”–and saw not only statues of whirling dervishes and reed flute musicians–but also raw hide shadow puppets too. To see these shadow puppets on display in Damascus was a wonderful reminder of this region’s long and complicated puppet history. Shadow puppet performances were especially popular in the Middle East in Ottoman times–in places like Turkey, Egypt, and Syria. Today, it’s still possible to watch a master shadow puppeteer at work, and Syrian shadow puppets are even being used in Lebanon to help Syrian refugee children adjust to their new schools.

From the Muppets to shadow puppets–from Syria to Indonesia and beyond–puppets rule. Long live the puppets!

Geometry enlightens the intellect and sets one’s mind right. All its proofs are very clear and orderly. It is hardly possible for errors to enter into geometric reasoning, because it is well arranged and orderly. Thus, the mind that constantly applies itself to geometry is unlikely to fall into error… — Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406)

At dusk, while sitting in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, I tried capturing the geometric designs on the mihrab and pillars, though the lights had just been dimmed. Someone more skilled in geometry than I might explain how fractal geometry has long been incorporated into mosque design–but I’m content to just admire the beauty of the intricate patterns, without really having an understanding of how they all work…

When I moved to Lebanon, I never imagined that I would find so much alternative medicine being practiced here. From acupuncture and yoga in refugee camps to homeopathy and flower essences for women’s health, the healing landscape of Lebanon offers a variety of treatments for a range of ailments. In fact, several friends of mine here practice a range of different healing modalities, such as Ayurvedic medicine, osteopathy, and Reiki. Friends of mine who deliver babies in homebirths (and waterbirths) use hypnobirthing and prenatal chanting as well.

As for me, I never really believed in alternative medicine, until I was forced by circumstances to try it for myself. Since then, I’ve been wandering the globe and visiting with different healers–from Kenya, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Lebanon Siberia, Jordan–and beyond. I’m taking advantage of all of the acupuncture I can get here, since it’s much more affordable than back home.

Today, alternative medicine is also being integrated into the treatments offered at Beirut’s major medical centers. For instance, the American University of Beirut’s medical center is opening the first holistic clinic in Lebanon dedicated to treating headaches and migraines. This is sure to be a significant and influential contribution to the medical and healing landscape of Beirut–and it will likely inspire more hospitals and clinics throughout the country to incorporate holistic healing as well.

From the creative therapies I’ve witnessed while volunteering at St. Jude’s in Beirut (CCCL/AUB) to the opening of this new holistic headache clinic at AUB–it’s thrilling to see holistic healing being integrated into the institutional practice of medicine here in Beirut…

Love is the dancing cry of the soul, calling the body to worship
Like a shining whirlpool, or a spinning mayfly.
So is love among the skies.

I leap across the mountaintops, madly singing the song of all songs.
I float through the ether, intoxicated and thrilled.
I think only of your love, your calling to me,
And I dance the thousand dances of love, all returning to you…

In my new Huffington Post piece, “Sharing the Sufis of Syria”, I explore through my travels and photographs the Sufi history of Syria–including the whirling dervishes of Rumi’s Sufi order. In the post below this one, you can read a bit more about the whirling dervish photos in the article which were taken by my friend in Aleppo.

Only dance, and your illusions will blow in the wind
Dance, and make joyous the love around you
Dance, and your veils which hide the Light
Shall swirl in a heap at your feet.

— Rumi

Not frivolously, around the alleys and bazaars, I whirl.
Lover’s temperament, I have — to have one glimpse of my Beloved, I whirl.
O, God! Have mercy on me! Distracted, I whirl.
I am guilty, I am sinful: in this wretched state, I whirl.
Desire’s wine I imbibe; around the Friend, I whirl.
Intoxicated speech, I utter, even while soberly, I whirl.
Sometimes I laugh, weep sometimes; sometimes I fall, sometimes I rise.
Messiah, in my heart, I bear; and I, the infirm, whirl...

— Rumi

For my new Huffington Post article, “Sharing the Sufis of Syria”, I wanted to include photos of the whirling dervishes of Aleppo–and I knew that my friend was the perfect person to ask.

The beautiful photographs of whirling dervishes in this post–and in my article–were taken in Syria and Turkey by Lebanese photographer Daniele Chikhani. I’ve been fortunate to spend time with Daniele here in Beirut–and to admire her dynamic photographs in person. Beyond admiring her inspired shots, I’ve also been personally touched by her bold generosity, sharp insight, and creative spirit.

It is easy to take pictures, but less easy to capture the soul. — Daniele Chikhani

Daniele is a kindred wandering soul, having traveled to Iran, India, Peru, Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Yemen, northern Saudi Arabia (Nefud Desert), and Turkey to take photographs of mosques, temples, ruins, and nature. A true citizen of the world, she is always on the hunt for beauty–far and wide–and she seems to find it in all forms wherever she goes.

Daniele’s photographs–taken with an eye in love with soulful faces and the fine details of mystical architecture (she worked as an architect for years)–have been shown in exhibitions in Lebanon, as well as internationally. In addition to being a gifted artist, Daniele is often sought out for the wisdom she’s gleamed along the road, while visiting dervishes both near and far. To see more of her photographs of whirling dervishes, along with other photos from her portfolio and travels, you can visit her website here.

One of my favorite features of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is the incorporation of Roman columns throughout the entire mosque complex–both inside of the mosque and out. The site was once home to a Roman temple to Jupiter–before it was transformed into a Christian basilica. Inside of the mosque is a shrine believed to hold the head of John the Baptist–which is why Pope John Paul II visited the shrine himself in in 2001 in the first papal visit to a mosque. Like many mosques, the Umayyad Mosque is a true palimpsest of pagan, Christian, and Muslim history, iconography, and belief. To get to see it in person–was a dream come true…

I took the photo above in the shrine of Ruqayyah bint Husayn in Damascus–one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Syria…

The sea is ready to rumble. All week, it’s been crashing against the rocks–and flooding the beach. For the past two days, our beach has been closed, and I’ve been missing the turtles. Tonight, as I walked on the path above the beach–past an old man playing the oud–spray from waves slapping against the rocks leapt over the barrier and spilled onto the Corniche. Now that the place where many of us go each day to swim with the turtles is off-limits, where will we go to escape from the tension? On every level, it feels like a storm is coming. What, I wonder, is the sea trying to say?