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architecture history lebanon life Photography

Day 25~ February 25~ Lebanon

the mandaloon

Two arched openings in a stone wall with a colonette in the middle and a decorative motif on top, this is a Mandaloon. You see them in most traditional homes in Lebanon and the reason I am telling you about them is the story behind the name ‘Mandaloon’.

Picture a young woman, 100 or so years ago, shy and reserved, on a cool summer night, sitting behind this window, her hand caressing a plant that grows in a pot outside her window. She is gazing at the stars while the breeze gently cools down her blushing cheeks. Below is her suitor serenading her with the sounds of his mandolin and hoping that she might gift him with a quick look before she retires to her sleep.

And that is only one small detail of the beautiful arched stone houses of Lebanon where light and air travel freely.

the Lebanese window
stone arches of the mandaloon

By ~mimo~

Photographer, Art searcher, Motion Designer, traveler.

34 replies on “Day 25~ February 25~ Lebanon”

Amazing photos!

Just wanted to ask if it is possible if I can share these photographs on Lebanon Art and Architecture page?

Good morning Mimo,
May I ask which camera you like to use best ? Your photos are an inspiration and I m seriously thinking of wandering into the world again to “capture”, if I can, some “eye moments”. Would like to return to Lebanon !!! 👣
Thank you.
Amitiés, Nathalie

Hi Nathalie! I am using now the 7D from Canon and I love it. But most importantly is having a range of good lenses I find. I end up using my 50mm a lot but I really recommend having a wide angle lens as well for landscape shots 🙂

Thank you very much for the information…. Even if using the same camera does not mean that the photos will be equally talented !!

Hi Mimo, thank you for sharing those lovely photos of Lebabon and that sweet story :).
I feel honored that you’ve taken the time to visit my little blog. I’m a newbie and not that confident in blogging.

Thanks and regards,
Mafey

Mandaloun is a poetic name for a music instrument, and its application in construction is fitting. It seems that the Italian style has adopted the lebanese style of the three arched windows, representing Jesus, mary and the holy spirit….Do you think the Mandaloun two arches is specifically Lebanese? What the girls did in winter time, and how the Mandaloun functioned then?

Thank you for that extra information! I wonder what they did in the winter! I do remember in our village a lot of people met in the village square around fires.. but that was long long ago 🙂 I am sure they use sms or twitter now 🙂

I especially love the word mandaloon. I have mentioned you in my pages this morning so that some of my other readers can find you. Your work is quite superb! Morning Mimo! c

i would love to live in a house like this… the structure is beautiful
and this sounds like our fable, probably the wrong word.. and the woman with the long hair her name was rapunzel…. is this where the story came from?
as always Mimo, love your words!!! and yur pictures from home.

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