Abed, who loves history, showing off an ancient vase in the Khan Sacy museum. — Photos: AMIRA RAJAB/dpa
Aged only 11, Abdel Rahman Farran guides tourists from all over the world through the Lebanese city of Saida, giving them a look into the history of the place where he was born.
The tourists are impressed by his passion as he describes the culture of the ancient coastal spot, just 30km south of the capital Beirut.
Sidon, or Saida, is perched on the Mediterranean and is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is said to have been named by the Phoenicians and probably means “fishery” or “fishing town”.
The Phoenicians are ancient Mediterranean peoples who lived along the coast of modern Syria, Lebanon and northern Israel from approximately 1550 to 300 BC.
It was considered the most important of the Phoenician cities and may be the oldest. Its inhabitants were and still are famous craftsmen.
”I am the youngest tour guide here,” says Abdel Rahman proudly as he strides through the old quarter and main market area of Saida.
The small Palestinian boy guides visitors to the area on weekends in order to help his family. He walks confidently through the narrow alleys of the old souk of Saida.
Greeting people as he goes, the young guide shows his clients that he has obviously won the respect and admiration of the locals in the area.
”Tourists come here and ask about this young boy as he knows the area very well and can explain its history in detail,” said Ahmed Badei, a vendor in the carpenters sector of this port city.
Abdel Rahman says he has been doing this job since he was seven years old. He only charges 500,000 Lebanese pounds (RM23) for the 15-minute tour.
”Abdel Rahman loves history and since he was a young child he used to ask his father to tell him stories about the history of Saida,” says his mother, Houda.
She says her son does his job with a great deal of passion. When he isn’t working, he is always looking to learn more about the history of the city.
”I know the story of every historical place in Saida,” he says.
He adds that in order to master the skills for his job, he first had to become a visitor himself, taking part in tours. After learning more about the city, he decided he was ready to start giving the tours on his own.
Many of his customers come from other Arab countries, with some from Germany, says Abed, which is how he introduces himself to tourists.
”I love history and I myself am always happy when I can learn something new about our culture,” he says.
Abed at the archaeological museum Khan Sacy.
Abed’s favourite thing to do is to show visitors the Khan Sacy Museum.
The archaeological museum in the old town shows objects that date back centuries. It is housed in an old stone building which Abed says dates back to the era of the Crusades.
”I want people to know all about Saida’s history, as most of them do not know anything of the history of this beautiful city,” he says.
Abdel Rahman dreams that one day he will become a professional tour guide, and a history teacher so he can teach students about the city that he loves.
There are many young Palestinian children like Abdel Rahman in Lebanon, whose families live in one of the 12 refugee camps scattered across the country. It is difficult for their parents to earn a living as Lebanon battles its worst financial crisis in centuries.
The youngsters try to use any skill they have to help their families make ends meet.
Since 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 95% of its value. During the economic crisis, poverty in Lebanon has drastically increased and now affects more than 74% of the population, according to a UN report.
The World Bank describes Lebanon’s economic crisis as among the most severe in the world since the mid-1800s. – dpa
