Posted By: Sorbet
Acclaimed author Charif Majdalani teams up with the luxury publisher to capture the Lebanese capital in Beirut Habibi.
Few places leave an impression quite like Beirut. Perched right on the water, it’s layered, vivid, and full of culture – instantly familiar to anyone who has spent time in its orbit. Between artisanal morning coffees and teas, a world-renowned nightlife scene, and an eclectic creative world, the momentum never really stops. It has been the backdrop to Sorbet’s shoots, and it is where historic family palaces share blocks with tiny neighborhood bars in Gemmayze, and where local designers have built global couture houses from the ground up.
A breathtaking panoramic view of the city’s iconic rooftops and harbor | © Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
That energy is the focus of Assouline’s latest drop, Beirut Habibi. The luxury publishing house has spent years building out its Travel Series with glossy titles on Mykonos, Gstaad, Marrakech, and many more. Much like the rest of the collection, Beirut Habibi explores the city through its history, culture, and the unique layers that make it what it is. In Beirut’s case, that heritage has been shaped by decades spent rebuilding, reimagining, and keeping its culture alive through it all – with a spirit that remains unmistakably vibrant.
Saint Georges Yacht Club, 1983 | © Shutterstock
Beirut Habibi | Courtesy of Assouline
Assouline brought in Charif Majdalani, a heavyweight in contemporary Lebanese literature. A professor at Saint-Joseph University, president of the International Writers’ House in Beirut, and an author with nods for the Goncourt and Renaudot prizes, his text grounds the book in lived experience. He weaves through street-level details: lemon trees tucked down alleyways, the pulse of the souks, the offshore view at Raouché, and the lingering scars of the post-1990 civil war era.
The result is both an authentic visual diary and a love letter to Beirut. It is sharp, purely curated, and gives the Lebanese capital the credit it deserves.
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