Sawfar’s Timeless Heritage: Tom Young’s Art Bringing History to Life

This time, allow me to take a leap from my previous article about a real-life stroll through the village of Sawfar and transport you on an imaginative journey through time within the same village. Perhaps this journey serves as a lesson for those who reflect and as a lasting bridge toward preserving our peace and heritage.

Reviving a Lost World through Art

Let us travel on a journey of imagination to a world that once thrived in reality—a world most of us never witnessed firsthand but have read and heard about. A world brought to life with passion and artistic brilliance by the British painter Tom Young, who, despite not being a native of this land, embraced its essence as if it were his own. He is not the first to dedicate himself so wholly to a cause—one that, in its peaceful and aesthetic "battle," seeks to awaken the conscience and urge us to protect the roots of our civilization and heritage before they are erased from our memory and the memory of future generations.

Through these excerpts of paintings and other artworks displayed at the Grand Sofar Hotel, Tom Young masterfully captured the essence of Sofar’s golden era, offering a glimpse into the thriving days the village—and the country as a whole—experienced before the war.

Foreigners Who Embraced Lebanon: A Legacy of Love, Art, and Preservation

In the past, the renowned monk and scientist Mouterde dedicated 33 years of his life to studying Lebanon’s flora, discovering rare plant species and donating them to the Geneva Museum of Natural History. Others followed a similar path, such as the Colombian hermit who withdrew from the world, making Qadisha Valley his sanctuary for nearly twenty years.

Many foreigners have fallen in love with Lebanon, appreciating its richness on all levels, and Tom Young is no exception. Moved by the country’s struggles and angered by its tragedies, he first arrived in Lebanon after the 2006 war, conducting art workshops with children in war-affected areas. He spent years traveling between his homeland and Lebanon until he finally settled here, stating:
"Recovering something lost has always been part of my experience with Lebanon."

Tom Young’s brush masterfully captures the essence of a bygone era, reviving Lebanon’s rich heritage with deep emotion. His art stands as a powerful testament to the country’s cultural legacy and its role as a meeting point of civilizations.

What struck me most was his unwavering plea to preserve our traditional architecture, a cause that resonates deeply with me and many activists striving to protect historic homes from modern encroachment.

Much has been written about him, but his passion and concern for our vanishing heritage left a lasting impression. As I immersed myself in his artwork, I was equally moved by the visitors' reactions—some awestruck by a lost era brought to life, others overwhelmed with nostalgia, and many shaken by the stark contrast between past grandeur and the scars of war.

Yet, among all these reactions, it was the children’s response that struck me the most. Some stood frozen, their wide eyes reflecting silent bewilderment, struggling to grasp the meaning of what they were seeing. Others clung tightly to their parents’ hands, as if sensing an unspoken gravity in the space around them, despite the safety of the enclosed venue.

Thus, art has breathed new life into this once-abandoned hotel, drawing thousands of visitors and capturing the attention of both local and international media. Now, it closes its doors temporarily, only to reopen in the coming spring as a vibrant cultural center.

We all hope that our traditional homes will once again be inhabited after restoration or transformed into cultural centers, believing that we have learned the lesson that civil war harms no one but ourselves. Rising from its aftermath is a challenging task that requires time, but it is not impossible—as we have already proven to the world.

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