Beirut: Hamra neighborhood, dear to the late Ziad Rahbani, bid him a solemn and heartfelt farewell on Monday.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, from the early hours, crowds gathered outside Fouad Khoury Hospital to accompany the iconic artist's final journey. As his coffin emerged to applause, ululations, and church bells, family members and friends, including his aunt Hoda Haddad and Lebanese Communist Party chief Hanna Gharib, joined in prayer and mourning.
The funeral convoy struggled through Hamra's packed streets as mourners waved Lebanese Communist and Palestinian flags, with MPs Ibrahim Mousawi and Ali Fayyad among the crowd. Streets echoed with Fairouz songs composed by Rahbani as citizens tossed flower petals over the procession.
Led by Internal Security Forces motorcycles, the convoy continued through Sanayeh, Spears, Burj al-Murr, and Ashrafieh, en route to Mhaidseh-Bikfaya, where Ziad Rahbani will be laid to rest.
The farewell matched the legacy of a man who revolutionized Lebanese music and political theater.