Bab Al-Hara

Bab Al-Hara
Genre	Historical Drama series
Written by	Marwan Qaouk
Directed by	Bassam Al-Mulla
Starring	Abbas Al Noury Samer Al Masry Bassam Kousa Muna Wassef Lilia al-Atrash Mamoon al-Farkh Mohammad Rafe
Country of origin	Syria
Original languages	Arabic, French language
No. of seasons	5 (6) in production
No. of episodes	156
Production
Camera setup	1930
Running time	45 mns
Original release
Network	MBC
Release	September 23, 2006 (2006-09-23)
Release	drama, Syrian Drama
Release	drama, Syrian Drama
Release	drama, Syrian Drama
Release	drama, Syrian Drama
Release	drama, Syrian Drama
Release	drama, Syrian Drama
Release	drama, Syrian Drama

Bab Al-Hara (Arabic: باب الحارة; "The Neighborhood's Gate") is one of the most popular television series in the Arab world, watched by tens of millions of people from "poverty-stricken Gaza to the opulent cities of the Persian Gulf." The series chronicles the daily happenings and family dramas in a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria in the inter-war period under French rule when the local population yearned for independence. The appeal is cross-generational, and viewers include Muslims, Christians, Druze and Jews from Arab countries, the show was a huge success in the Arab World so MBC decides to renew it for a second season, the series' second season was even a bigger success as the finale was watched by over a 50 million viewers around the Arab World. It was renewed for 3 more seasons, the viewers went down in both seasons 4 and 5 so the channel announced its cancellation. Although, according to some recent news by syria-drama.net that the series will be making a come back next Ramadan 2013.

Overview

Bab Al-Hara aired during Ramadan and forms part of the emerging modern tradition of the Ramadan soap opera. The Arab satellite channels broadcast special programming every night during Ramadan to try to capture audiences from among the families who have gathered together to eat and break the fast.

Directed by Bassam al-Mulla and broadcast on MBC, the first installment of the series, comprising 31 episodes, aired during Ramadan in 2006 and enjoyed broad viewership and a positive reception. The second installment, entitled Bab al-Hara 2, was highly anticipated, receiving even wider acclaim in Ramadan of 2007. A third installment to be aired in Ramadan of 2008 was officially announced on al-Arabiya channel in October 2007, and will focus on the post-marriage lives of the children of Abu Issam, the local doctor and barber.

Like many of the most recent popular Arabic series, Bab al-Hara is a Syrian production, financed by the Gulf-state satellite channels. It reflects a new trend representing the shift of Arabic media dominance away from the Egyptians to the Syrians.

Two more Bab al-Hara seasons were aired in Ramadan 2009 and 2010, Bab al-Hara 4 and 5 were produced directly after each other just like Bab al-Hara 1 and 2. This was announced just after airing 10 episodes of Bab al-Hara 3 after realizing that Bab al-Hara 3 was able to keep its audience and not decline in ratings. Its obvious that MBC will be channel to broadcast the series during the next 2 years, although this year they did give the rights to Libya Al-Shababiya (Libya Youth Channel) to broadcast Bab al-Hara 3 at the same time of airing it in MBC.

Historic context

Bab al-Hara takes place in the 1930s, a time when the Middle East was colonized by Western powers. Syria was under French control and Palestine - where some of the neighborhood men go to fight at the end of the second installment of the series - was British-occupied. Bab al-Hara depicts the last moments of Syrian society as it existed in its centuries-old Ottoman era make-up, just prior to the transition into colonial and post-colonial modernity. The series' hearkening back to this era partially explains its massive popularity, an expression of the Arab world's nostalgia and yearning for a simple, more dignified time before the cataclysmic turmoil and cultural identity crisis ushered in by the colonial period.

Background

Bab al-Hara is based on an interpretation of life in the old city of Damascus. Every neighborhood, or hara, has its own mukhtar, a chosen older man held in high regard. Ideally chosen Mukhtar based on his history in the neighborhood, the mukhtar depended on a number of men from the neighborhood gathered around him to assist him in his functions. These members along with the mukhtar constituted a small nucleus that ran the hara and decided on what was good for it. Wealthier members funded the mukhtar and had a say in its use, such as use for public renovation, given to charities for the poor or set aside for emergency uses. Members generally were of the mercantile class, having steady incomes from having shop or businesses, such as barber shops, bakeries, smithies, ghouta, groceries or other merchant activities or from land rents.

List Of Characters

family of Abu Issam

• • Abu Issam - Abbas al-Noury (The pharmacist Of Hara) starring 1-2
  • Issam - Meelad Yusuf (Eldest son of Abu Issam) guest 1, string 1-5
  • Meghtaz - Wael Sharaf (Younger son of Abu Issam good friend) guest 1, starring 1-5
  • Souad - Sabah Jazaeri (Wife of Abu Issam ) starring 1-5
  • Jamileh - Taj Haidar/Dana Jaber (Daughter of Abu Issam and Married to Bashir) starring 1-2, 3-5
  • Dallal - Anahid Fiad (Daughter of Abu Issam Married to Brahim) guest 1, starring 1-5

family of Idaghshiri

• • Maghrof - Bassam Kousa (Son of Idaghshiri) starring 1
  • Idaghshiri - Bassam Kousa (Poor bitter man and troublemaker) starring 1
  • Known - Hami Bakkar (The eldest son of Adashra and a young hot works as a porter in one lane died after being bitten by a snake in his house) starring 1
  • Subhi - Asim Hawat (Guard, dies killed by Idaghshiri Ghouta) guest 1, guest 3-5
  • Systemic - Wafaa Al-Abdullah (Idaghshiri wife died in the first part after she was diagnosed with severe depression as a result viewed for the burial of her husband to guard Abu Samao good friend of, Systemic, Shariqa, Abu Known, Subhi and Idaghshiri) starring 1
  • Shariqa - Rania Ahmed (Idaghshiri daughter and the wife of Abu Arm) starring 1

family of Abu Khater

• • Abu Khater Salim Kallas (Pottery Shopkeeper) starring 1 2, 3-5
  • Umm Khater Iman Abdul Aziz/Azza Searh (Wife of Abu Khater, dies in) starring 1-2, 3
  • Khater - Allα Zourbi (Abu Khater's Son good friend of, Abu Khater, Umm Khater, Charity, Zahra, Riyad) starring 1-5
  • Zahra - Dima Al Jundi (Abu Khater's Daughter, married to Riyad) starting 1-2, 3-4
  • Riyad - Qays Sheikh Najib (Abu Khater's son in law) guest 1
  • Iraqi Basha - Jihad Abdou (Husband works at a flower and her father Abu Khater, and then take his work, shop and hires Abu Samir Homossani which increases the hatred of Abu Ghalib on the hot and her family after they refused to give him the shop) starring 3-4
  • Khayryeh - Dima Sexton and Imarat Rizq (Daughter of Abu Khater, married to Meghtaz) starring 1-2, 3-5

family of Abu Brahim

• • Abu Brahim - Issam Abaji (Fabric shopkeeper, dies in good friend of, Abu Transplantation, Brahim and Umm Zaki) starring 1-2, 3
  • Umm Brahim - Fadwa Mohsen (Wife of Abu Brahim) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Transplantation - (Waiter in the Coffee Shop, good friend of, Abu Brahim) guest 1
  • Brahim - Mohammed Rafi (Son of Abu Brahim married to Dallal good friend of, Abu Brahim, Umm Brahim dies in) starring 1-2, 3
  • Abu Nasouh - Yassin Arnaout (Abu Brahim's brother. Demanding half the house Abu Brahim get the money. Brahim then attend or aunt accompanied her son to testify against him that a quorum) guest 3

family of Abu Bashir

• • Abu Bashir - Hassan Dakak (Bread seller of the Hara, friend of Abu Issam, Bashir, Hoda and Umm Bashir) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Umm Bashir - Sahar Fawzi (Wife of Abu Bashir) 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Bashir - Osama Malaheem Bread seller and good friend of Abu Issam, Abu Bashir, Abu Majed, Samao, Meghtaz, Abdou and Khater) starring 1-2. 3, 4-5
  • Hoda - Rasha Al Taqi/Najla Russet (Αbu Bashir's Daughter, married to Issam. She is replaced who couldn't participate during last season due to her pregnancy) starring 1, 2, 3-5

family of Abu Depo

• • Abu Depo - Adnan Abu Moles (Abu Depo, the husband of the sister of Abu Hatem Frish was drinking alcohol, days of his youth gambling before and likes to repent and live in the hot hyena with his wife and his son participated in the defense of the French attack during the warm) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Frish - Raghdaa Salman (Or Depo, the sister of Abu Hatem) starring 1, 2, 3
  • Depo - Omar Al-Masri (Ibn Abu Depo, and the sister of Abu Hatem. Goodness gracious uncle, Abu Hatem and his son promise) starring 1, 2, 3

family of Colonel Abu Shehab

• • Abu Shehab - Samer al-Masry (Strongman of Hara, dies in) starring 1, 2, 3
  • Abu Gassem Ayman Bahnasi (Owner of Hamam, brother of Abu Shehab and Souad) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5

Abu Salim family

• • Saeed - Mohammed Knoogh (Abu Issam's son in law) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Buran - Amieh Malas (Daughter of Abu Issam, has a son and a daughter) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Salim - Adham Bassam Al Mulla (Grandson of Abu Issam, son of Saeed and Buran) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Gift - Beauty is an urgent (Daughter Saeed and Buran, her father wanted her to marry her when she was, but relented in the end) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5

family of Abu Bader

• • Abo Bader - Mohammed Kheir Al-Jarah (Abu Issam's neighbour) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Bader (Abu Bader's Son season) starring 1-2
  • Fawziyyeh - Laila Sammur/Shukraan Mataja (Abu Bader's wife) starring 1-2, 3, 4, 5

family of Abu Hatem

• • Abu Hatem - Wafeq alza'em (Coffee shop owner, father to 7 girls and 1 boy) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Umm Hatem - Sabah Barakat/Nahed al Halabi (Wife of Abu Hatem) starring 3,4-5
  • Sharifeh - Jomanah Murad (Daughter of Abu Hatem and is married to Abu Shehab) starring 3, 4, 5
  • Benign - Pioneers Aliu (Daughter of Abu Hatem Dr. Hamza doctor's wife) starring 3, 4, 5
  • Obedient - Fedaa Alkabra (Abu Hatem's daughter and fiancee Muslim, who died in the battle) starring 3, 4, 5
  • Iftikhar - Ibrahim Lama (Daughter of Abu Hatem) guest 3
  • Nawal - Ola Bader (Daughter of Abu Hatem) guest 3

family of Al Zaghim

• • Al Zaghim - Abdul Rahman Al Rashi (boss of the Hara, dies in) starring 1-2
  • Feryal - Wafaa Maosili (Widow and troublemaker) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Lutfieh - Lilia al-Atrash (Wife Of Issam) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Valid - Keke Brahim (I'm the chosen Abu Saleh Mukhtar hot hyena. Traveled with his friend Christian to Argentina to study. Came the news of his death ten months later to Al Zaghim during the Bishop after the arrival of his friend to the Levant. Appeared and only one scene in the first part) guest 3

Other Men

• • Sheikh Abdul-Halim - Adil Ali (Sheikh of the Hara) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Marzouk - Mohammed Achammat (fruit and vegetable seller, good friend of, Adul Ahmed, Abu Samir) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Samir Mamoon al-Farkh (Owns a hummus shop, killed in good friend of, Abu Ghalib, Abu Marzouk and Adul Ahmed) guest 1
  • Abu Adil - Ali Tallawy (Storyteller warm, good friend of Meghtaz, Bashir, Issam, Sheikh, Abu Issam, Abu Shehab, Abu Bashir, Abu Gassem, Abu Hatem, Idaghshiri, Abu Marzouk, Abu Samir, Al Zaghim and Abu Mahmoud dies in) starring 1, 2, 3
  • Abu Mahmoud - Adham Al Mala (A working shoemaker smoking good friend of, Abu Marzouk, Adul Ahmed and Idaghshiri) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Adul Ahmed - Ahmed Khalifa (Scavenger Donkey of the Hara good friend of, Bashir, Abu Bashir, Abu Samir, Abu Marzouk and Abu Mahmoud) guest 1
  • Umm Zaki - Hoda Shaarawi (Midwife) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Majed - Tousam Tahseen Baik (Guard and it believes that he has died in good friend of, Abu Marzouk, Bashir and Samos) starring 1-2
  • Abu Fawares - George Jabara (Guard and it believes that he has died in) starring 3-5
  • Abu Samao - Riad magnify (Hot the first guard. Killed by Idaghshiri caught after stealing gold from the house of Abu Brahim) guest 1

Others

• • Abdou - Houssam Alchat (A worker in the Hamam) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Samao - Fadi Chami (Ibn Abu Samao guard, his dream to work with the gendarmerie, appears in Part III has worked with the gendarmes to try to find out who killed his father has forgiven his father for the son of a killer Subhi and become brothers and joined Abu Hassan and men Ghouta) starring 1-3, 4, 5
  • Msallam - Pioneer Musharraf (Employee goalkeeper Abu Hatem and preacher his son was martyred in the battle with the French, with warm and Brahim Adham) starring 1, 2, 3
  • Dr. Hamza Al-Hakim - Baraa Alzaim (Hot doctor and the husband of his son Abu Hatem benign, lane M and live in the hot hyena) starring 3, 4, 5
  • Fathi - Samir Achammat (Becomes a robber, becomes better and works for Abu Shehab) starring 1, 2-3, 4, 5

Men Abu Nar

• • Abu Nar - Ali Kareem (Strongman of Hara Nar) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Ghalib - Nezar Abohajar (Balila seller of Hara Nar) starring 1, 2, 3
  • Abu Arm - Ramez Alaswad (Worker for Abu Nar and Issam) starring 1, 4, 5
  • Abu Hakam - Haitham Gaber (Abu Nar's Daughter, Abu Ghalib, Fayza, Abu Satoor, Idaghshiri, Nemes and Abu Tmir) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Satoor - Ramez Atallah (Friend of Abu Nar) starring 1, 4, 5
  • Abu Tmir - David Shamy (Abu Nar, Abu Ghalib, Use it to remove the gold from the house of his uncle Abu Nar, but he was a liar) guest 3

Gendarmes

• • Noury - Hani Shaheen (Cop, dies in) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abu Jawdat - Zuhair Ramadan (Head of district police good friend of, Abu Brahim, Idaghshiri, Abu Issam, Nemes, Samao, Abu Satoor, Abu Depo and Jean Miran) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Jean Miran - Solomon and Decent (Commander of the first group that the siege of hot hyena and killed by the men hot and his uncle is the principal military adviser to the French Army of the Levant) guest 3
  • French Translator - Mohammed Amin (Translator French army. Was captured after the battle of hot hyena with the French forces were smuggled to the men Ghouta) starring 2-3
  • Abu Kamal - Adel Shukri (One of the largest dealers Sham preaches charity girl willingly to his son Abu Kamal) guest 3
  • Kamal - Fadi Wafaay (Ibn Abu Kamal's largest dealers Sham married charity alone with them, then he wants before the date of his wedding, and quarreled with the young hot hyena until he was forced later to divorce charity) guest 3
  • Rlcamara - Leila Forgiveness (Daughter) guest 3
  • Thank the nurse - Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour (Nurse at the hospital. Contributed in the treatment of Ibn Abu Khater Khater of serious injury that hit him before he goes to the house or Joseph. And a friend of Dr. Hamza al-Hakim) starring 3, 4, 5

Rebels Ghouta

• • Zebah - Nawar Boulboul (Associate Abu Hassan was martyred in the ambush of the French gendarmerie on the morning of his wedding the first part) guest 1
  • Abu Hassan - Mohammed Khrmacho (leader of revolution dies in) starring 1-2, 3, 4-5
  • Abdul Wahab - Haitham Assaf (Associate Abu Hassan was martyred in the ambush of the French gendarmerie during the liberation of the Abu Shahab families) starring 1-2
  • Abu Noor - Khalil Haddad (Aleppo merchants who have a contract with them, Colonel Abu Shehab to buy arms deal) starring 2-3
  • Tony Abu - Riad and Rdiagn (Aleppo merchants who have a contract with them, Colonel Abu Shehab to buy arms deal) starring 2-3
  • Abu Ahmad al-Shami - Keke Brahim (Assistant Abu Hassan, leader of the rebels Ghouta. After the martyrdom of Abu Hassan became the fifth part is the leader of the rebels Ghouta) starring 3, 4, 5
  • Abu Ali - Bassam Tamponade (Representative of the Palestinian guerrillas. Went to the Levant in order to obtain weapons from the men Ghouta) guest 1

Characters lane M

• • Abu Sayah - Saleh Al-Hayek (Moukhtar of Haret al Mawi) starring 3, 4, 5
  • Hamdi - Andre Skaff (spy for the French dies in) guest 1
  • Abu Arab - Ayman Reda (The strongman of hara who appears in) guest 3
  • Or Arab - Forgiveness of the (Daughter of a selected lane M Abu Sayah, wife of Colonel Abu Arab killed her only son in the hot hyena during an attack on a gendarmerie warm) guest 3
  • Adham - Khaled Agayh (Lawyer in Hara Almawee) guest 3
  • Umm Adham - Hala Hosny (Adham's mother and lawyer. Help her son in hosting the men of the National Bloc for the Liberation of the Levant) guest 3
  • Abu Ali - Pro-Mullah (worker for Moukhtar Abou Sayah) guest 3

Other characters

• • Saw - Tony Moussa (Arms dealer he bought weapons from Abu Jawdat Nouri and sold to the Abu Shahab last) guest 3
  • Umm Abdullah - Muna Wassef (The Gypsy of Hara) guest 2
  • Steif - Maan Abdul Haq (A "blind" spy, killed Abu Samir and Al Zaghim) starring 1-2
  • Kiki Abuahmd - Brahim (The strongman of hara) guest 3
  • Aliu - Mohamed Anwar al-Masri (Wife) guest 3

- Hashim Robe (Married) guest 3

Additional characters in Season 4

• • Ma`moon Bek - Fayez Quzuq (The spy and is married to Fereal; died in the last episode of) starring 4-5
  • Abu Mamdouh - Riad Nahas (Storyteller instead of Abu Adel, his brother Abu facilitate sailors XBMC and have the door detailing some of the lane. Which is a warm Aadoat) starring 4-5
  • Nemes - Mustafa Al-Khani (An outlaw who wreaks havoc especially when he decides to team up with Abu Satoor) starin 4-5
  • Corporal Rustam - Ahmed Mahasneh (Assistant Chairman of Abu Jawdat station warm, was appointed to the police station after the expulsion of Corporal Nuri from military service) starring 4-5
  • Lieutenant Fadi - Alaa Kassem (Sergeant in the French army) starring 4-5
  • Major French - Jamal Qbash (Commander of the French army by the siege of hot hyena) starring 4-5
  • Abu Yusuf - Nawar Bulbul ((Elias) The Christian Palestinian, came to Damascus, accompanied by his friend, Abu Ahmed, to bring arms to Palestine, cited in Episode 17 of Part IV) guest 4
  • Abou Ahmad - Wael Abu-Ghazaleh (Abou Youssef's friend who is a Muslim - Palestine who goes with Abou Youssef to receive Weapons and also gets killed) guest 4
  • Abu Abdo - Tarek Sabbagh (worker for Moukhtar abou Sayah) guest 4
  • Abu Facilitate Akram Tallawy - (Brother Mamdouh Abou-lane hyena. And his house in Haret XBMC. The agreement with his cousin Abu Al Khair to secure the basement to warm the house overlooks the hyena Aladashra. Died of illness in Part V) starring 4-5
  • Umm Joseph - Muna Wassef (A strong Christian woman helps fight the French) starring 4-5
  • Abu Tayeb - Kamal Times (Cook in the prison of the castle, is characterized by deception and malice and evil, an opportunist and a man runs after his own interests and be a means to achieve them, however, officials what they want, and resorts to devious methods of secrecy and to achieve their goals) starring 4-5
  • Abu Hilal - Khaled Al-Maleh (Men of Beck and his servant Mamoun's. Was formerly a thief in the Sham-lane and then repents and work with the safe pick. After his betrayal to secure safe Beck asked Abu Satoor killing of Abu Hilal Abu Satoor, but freed the poor) guest 4

Season 5 characters

• • Abou Merhi - Sobhi Rifai (Tayyan warm. Beck seized a safe on his home after he sent him to Abu cleaver beaten to pressure him to sell the house) guest 5
  • Faiza - Hnov Khrbtala (Daughter of Abu-Nar. Issam Hallak married to two wives of the emotional and guidance) guest 5
  • Abu Diab/Abu Ghauud - Qusai Khawli (Was a prisoner with Abu Issam and knows that Ma'moon Bek is really Lieutenant Nemer and works as a garbage man for Harat Dabaa) guest 5
  • Abu Shakouch - Zuhair Abdul Karim (Nemes old friend) guest 5
  • Abu Faisal - Mahyar Khaddour (Abu Diab's cousin gives Issam the letter from his father) guest 5
  • Abu Yasser - Mohammed Khaonda (Worker for Maamoun Bek) guest 5
  • Abu Shakir - Ghassan Lactic (Worker for Maamoun Bek and goes to jail at the end for killing Nouri) guest 5
  • Wardeh - (Abu Bader's daughter, adopted by Fawziyyeh but goes back with her original mum at the end) guest 5
  • Samira - Rana Shamis (Wife of Khater) guest 5
  • Leh - (The donkey of the Hara) guest 5
  • Abu Wared - Keke Ibrahim (Worker for Maamoun Bek) guest 5
  • Abu Avatar - Jalal-Term (Soldiers a safe pick. Used in the safe pick-added operations and implemented within the hot pick for the benefit of safe and the French. After the murder of Abu Diab Abu Intention of burning offline store and coffee Abu Shehab Abu Hatem order Maamoun Bek) guest 5
  • , Arab - Sulafa Auishq (Woman living in the estate working dairy products, or Tltgo Joseph to hide then after the French took her home, or Joseph betroth her daughter Hassania Subhi Aladehari I'm known as Abu Obstinacy.) guest 5

External links

• "For some, Ramadan means fasting, cleansing and TV drama." CNN. 10 September 2008.
• Watch Bab El-Hara 1 on Istikana.