From Under Its Palm Trees

I designed this cover for the photo booth in KLPF 2019 exhibition. Th theme of this year’s contest was (My Hometown) and since Misrata -my hometown- is known for its palm trees, I decided to title my participation with (Under Its Palm Trees)

Misrata is a Mediterranean city that uses the advantage of being on the coast since long time. Here in this photo it shows the pattern when you stand in the middle of Al-Matous street downtown the city.

Saleh Al-Faguih is a well-known man in the city for his contributions to local carpet making. Like “Kilim”: (s a flat trapestry-woven carpet or rug traditionally produced in countries of the former Persian Empire, Iran, Turkey and countries of Central Asia). Uncle Saleh’s hands are great evidence of the years of efforts to preserve the identity of the city.

The view of this window shows what is more than merely a building called the Insurance Building as it was full of insurance companies downtown the city of Misrata. It is a great symbol to the people of Misrata that signifies the struggle and the fight against the invaders back in 2011 (during the Libyan Civil War) who had besieged the city for months before the building had been cleaned out of all the snipers who were threatening the lives of all the residents.


The hour tower in the An-Nassr “victory” square, downtown. You may appreciate the two holes in the hour (between 4 – 5 and 5 -6), these two holes are some of the many war marks of the Libyan civil war 2011. However, the hour tower is an iconic architectural work in the city.

The arches are on every head in most of Libya’s buildings and it has got multiple origins like Islamic Moroccan architecture and the Ottomani culture that left so many tradition on the city. This door belonged to a Jewish family who used to live in it hence the carved David’s star on its wood.

Every coastal area has an acknowledged percentage of sea fortunes in its lifestyle, and Misrata is no exception. Besides the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, it also provides jobs to the fishermen who’re respected in the city. As seafood is appreciated in the Libyan cuisine.


This is Dafniya region the western country side of the city which is famous with the Mediterranean trees that fence all the farms leaving unintentional beauty in between.

A typical evening view you see on the side roads of Tammina area, one of the country sides of Misrata, where farmers give their sheep the maximum freedom they can get.

This man works in a famous bicycles repairer shop by which so many grown up Misrati citizens are thankful for. This place is like a hospital for what brings fun to the kids and where nostalgia is brought back to life whenever a you pass by it.

Most of the areas around the city including some houses backyards are decorated with these short trees of pomegranate. So as the summer ends, it gives that sour-sweet nostalgic flavour of the season.


Horses are very much valued in Misrata. The old believes state that they bring goodness to their owners. And they’re part of the traditional horse race called “Liheed” where it gathers Libyan men and children to witness the horse riders dressed in their best traditional cloths with.

Palm trees and the dates are generally Libyan symbols that are stuck to the culture geographically and historically; climbing the palm trees with “Guffa” a hand-made bag of palm tree’s leaves to collect the ripe dates at the end of the summer is a typical Libyan scene.

 

Thubactis, Kevalay, the city of the sand dunes or that of the two beaches as it faces the Mediterranean Sea with around 120-degree blunt angle of land. The north African city has a full past of different civilisations have lived on, hence the different names. Misrata is a small city comes the third in population after Tripoli and Benghazi with (pop around 386,120), however, it comes the first in trading and industries, the city was used as a commercial station in old ages.

The old municipality building of the city of Misrata, Libya. It was built in the late 19th century. The iconic building is the current symbol for the city.

Thubactis was a city founded by the Phoenicians about 3,000 years ago, some 210 km east of the Libyan city of Tripoli. It was located near the present-day city of Misurata.

Kevalay is derived from Cephalae Promontorium and in some historic documents was called Σταδιασμός ήτοι περίπλους της μεγάλης θαλάσσης (The long distances of the big sea).
 The geographical description of Strabo AD as a large head covered with forests and form the Gulf of Sirte, major Ptolemy. geographically known as Trirone Acrone (the three heads) because it consists of three heads of land plunged into the sea and inhabited by a tribe called Misrata, which is the name now known by.

Misrata is a humble city that is inhabited by hardworking and ethnically mixed people, concentrated with Mediterranean breeze and espresso smell on its evenings. Young and old-spirited streets surrounded by rows of palm trees which is what Misrata is known for in the local poets/songs about the city has helped it to make its own Mediterranean atmosphere.

 

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2019 (KLPF)

The Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival (KLPF) is the hottest and biggest imaging event in Malaysia and possibly Southeast Asia. As travel and photography always go hand-in-hand, the KLPF also include activities in the travel section. Each year photographers and travellers converge at the KLPF to attend the seminars from industry leaders, interact with experts, build new relationships, experience new products and win attractive prizes. The first KLPF was held on 14 – November 1997 and has since become an annual event to look forward to.

On its 21st cycle, and in conjunction with Merdeka (Independence Day of Malaysia) month in August, the Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival spreads the message of love to the photographer’s own homelands wherever they are from. Therefor, I have participated with 12 photos of my hometown (Misrata, Libya) under the title “ From Under Its Palm Trees” (من تحت نخلها) and was privileged to have my photos accepted by the committee to be printed out and displayed in an independent booth in the exhibition that was held in Viva Expo Hall, Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From 23rd to 25th of August 2019.

The ceremony started off with a dance performance by Encore Melaka group then followed by a welcome address by Festival Director, Jessica Chan. The halls gates were open after that to the audience to witness a drum dance performance in front of the gates while they entered on the exciting music.

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Although the exhbition was in Malaysia but it was as diverse as the colours of a printer ready to push out a pride parade photo. The schedule was full of free seminars about photography and visual art to both kids and adults, photo competitions of models, and different types of booths and kiosks.

The title of my booth is inspired by my favourite song about the city (Misrata w Nekhalha Hadd Ezzain) مصراتة ونخلها حد الزين by singer Mohammad Omran AbuSha’alah, witten and composed by Mohammad Omran. The song title translates from Arabic to “Misrata and Its Palm Trees” as the city is known for this tree to be in almost every street and neighbourhood, symbolising the true fusion between Sahara desert and the Mediterranean sea.

My Booth

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Other Photos That Did Not Make It to The Exhibition

A fountain in the centre of a public park downtown the city, where it was designed like a traditional well called “Sania”.

Cristo church’s bell in Tummina (Crispi), Misrata, Libya. The church was built in the mid-30s of the last century by the Italians during their colonial residency of Libya.

A bullet mark through a street pole that happened to be in a street fighting in 2011.

This wooden box used to store missiles, but in this photo it carries different types of weapons.

Olive tree in Addafniya, Misrata, Libya -2017

A green flag on the floor of one of the rooms of a damaged building by the Libyan civil war – 2011. The flag belonged to the soldiers who were pro-Gaddafi’s regime.

A graffiti if the word “Misrata” in Arabic. An-Nassr square.

From An-Nassr square downtown the city of Misrata, Libya – 2017.

Cristo church’s bell in Tummina (Crispi), Misrata, Libya. The church was built in the mid-30s of the last century by the Italians during their colonial residency of Libya.

The kids left their bikes in front of an old church’s wall which is sprayed on “Martyr’s blood is good on us”, “The fate of traitors of the martyrs is slow death” and “God is the greatest” while the kids are playing Volleyball inside the old church.

A missile’s impact on a wall and its shrapnel’s around it has left the door without a lamp above it.

A gypsy horse in a public park, Kirzaz, Misrata – 2017.

 

 

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