NOUR SALAME

It was a love of Lebanese culture and frustration with the lack of information about artists in the region that inspired Nour Salamé to launch Kaph Books in 2016. In the two years since, the publishing house has become one of the leading voices in fine art and photography in the Middle East. Here Nour suggests some activities for creatives visiting her beloved home city.

BOOKWORM

“My favourite independent bookstore in Beirut is the cosy, characterful and absolutely charming Papercup, which is tucked away in a quiet street in Mar Mikhael. They have a great selection of art, design, architecture and photography books. It’s a great spot to hang out, relax and meet Beirut’s art crowd. They also make a great chai latte.” papercupstore.com

CULTURAL CALLINGS

The dying wish of wealthy Lebanese aristocrat and art collector Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock was that his palatial villa be turned into a museum so the public could share his love of the arts. After his death in 1952 his wish came true and today the Nicolas Ibrahim

Sursock Museum is one of Beirut’s main cultural attractions, exhibiting local and international modern and contemporary art. Book ahead if you want to have lunch in the fantastic museum restaurant,

Resto, which serves traditional mezze with a twist. If the weather’s fine, reserve a table outside on the tree-lined courtyard and make sure you try the halva-inspired chewy sahlab ice cream topped with tahini floss and crunchy pistachios. There’s also a great museum shop selling a tempting selection of art books, locally made crafts and jewellery. “Go for the art, stay for the food,” says Nour. sursock.museum

CONCEPTUAL ART

Sfeir-semler Gallery is at the cutting edge of Lebanon’s contemporary art scene and stages thought-provoking conceptual and minimalist mixed-media exhibitions at its sprawling space in the industrial neighbourhood of Karantina. Its founder, Andrée Sfeir-semler, was born in Beirut and runs a sister space in Hamburg, Germany. “A standout exhibition for me was Lebanese artist Rabih Mroué’s A Leap Year, which was staged at the gallery last year,” says Nour. “Kaph Books published the related book, Diary of a Leap Year. It’s our best-selling title so far.” sfeir-semler.com

ONE OF A KIND

“Marfa is a small independent art space which opened just two years ago in the busy port district. They represent up-andcoming young artists from the region, all very conceptual and contemporary. The gallery really is a one of a kind in Beirut.” marfaprojects.com

HOME AND AWAY

Maison Tarazi is run by a family of master craftsmen specialising in woodwork, copper, mother-of-pearl and glass who have been creating exquisite handmade furniture for the Middle East’s A-list since 1862. Their showroom is a real Aladdin’s cave of lovingly made pieces influenced by Syrian, Lebanese, Ottoman, Moroccan and Indian styles. “This is artisan carpentry at its best,” says Nour. maisontarazi.com CULTURAL CALLINGS From top: Nour Salamé at Papercup; Maison Tarazi; Sfeir-semler Gallery