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In the heart of the Lebanese mountains, the town of Bcharre is paying tribute to its native son, the writer Gibran Khalil Gibran, by celebrating the centennial of his most famous work, The Prophet. The museum dedicated to his memory is housed in the former monastery where Gibran spent part of his childhood and has since 1931 been transformed into a sanctuary for his mortal remains.
The Prophet, an international bestseller translated into 115 languages, continues to captivate a hundred years after its first publication in the United States. The work comprises 26 poetic essays and has resonated with people around the globe in the way it addresses diverse subjects such as life, death, love and friendship. Joseph Geagea, the museum’s director, recalls the cultural impact of the book, which was recently highlighted at the Beirut Book Fair where the writer Alexandre Najjar emphasized its influence on the hippie movement of the 1960s.
The influence of The Prophet extends far beyond literary circles, touching global figures such as the former Empress Michiko of Japan, Indira Gandhi and John Lennon. Elvis Presley’s devotion to the work was such that he customarily gave away annotated copies as gifts to his friends on each birthday.
The stylistic architecture of the work draws from both biblical and Sufi traditions, merging the philosophical depth of Thus Spoke Zarathustra with a poetry that is distinctly Gibran’s, according to Najjar.
The museum’s collection includes precious editions of The Prophet as well as other works that influenced Gibran, including Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. Visitors can also explore Gibran’s artistic talents through 150 of his paintings on display, reflecting his profound spiritual vision of existence.
Born in 1883 under the Ottoman Empire, Gibran emigrated to the United States at the age of 12. Despite his fervent wish to return to Bcharre, he never saw his hometown again. Following his death, his sister Mariana acquired the monastery to make it his final resting place and a sanctuary for his cultural legacy. Today, the museum welcomes approximately 50,000 visitors a year from all over the world.
To mark the centenary of The Prophet, the museum participated in an exhibition in April at the United Nations headquarters in New York, selecting 23 paintings to pay tribute to the year 2023, each one representing key figures who influenced Gibran’s work and life, such as his mother, a pillar of his support.
With AFP
