Bab Al-Hara (; "The Neighbourhood's Gate") is a Syrian drama television series. One of the most popular television series in the Arab world, it is reportedly watched by millions of people in the Arab world. 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 managed to renew it for a second season. The series' second season was even a bigger success, and the finale was watched by over 50 million viewers around the Arab World. It was renewed for 10 more seasons.
The show announced its cancellation due to a long run of seasons. The series made a comeback in Ramadan 2014, with season 6. It has been proposed that it be filmed in Dubai on film sets, but many Syrians protested against this as it removes the Bab Al Hara sensation. The sixth season premiered in Ramadan 2014 on MBC HD Channels and received mixed reviews.
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 focused 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. It is obvious that MBC will be the 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.
Historical context Bab al-Hara takes place in the 1920s through the 1940s, a time when much the Middle East was colonized by Western powers. Syria was occupied by France and Palestine was occupied by The United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Jewish people were brought into Palestine by England after Prime Minister, Baldfour's Declaration to give the land of Palestine to Jewish people. Before the 1920s, the percentage of Jewish people in the region was very small (under 5%). The entire region including the current countries of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine was called "Greater Syria" until European colonist occupied the land and divided it among them.
Some of the neighborhood men formed a resistance in Syria to fight France. This was shown at the end of the second installment of the series. Palestinians also formed a resistance to defend their lands from the British and the incoming Jewish people. Jewish people started coming into Palestine in larger and larger numbers. In 1948, the day that the British left (before the date told to the Palestinians, which helped the Jewish people there to wage a surprise attack), a full fledged war was waged and resulted in the occupation of most of Palestine (except for the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and some land surrounding current Gaza). These areas, the Gulan heights, and Sinae from Egypt was occupied in 1967. Syrians were also helping Palestinians by especially sneaking weapons in. This was shown around the third installment of the series.
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 the colonial and post-colonial period. The series' ouches emotions of nostalgia for this era partially which partially explains its massive popularity, an expression of the Arab world's nostalgia and yearning for a revolution that came after 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 Zaa’im, a chosen older man held in high regard. Ideally chosen Zaa’im based on his history in the neighborhood, the zaa’im depended on a number of men from the neighborhood gathered around him to assist him in his functions. These members along with the zaa’im constituted a small nucleus that ran the hara and decided on what was good for it. Wealthier members funded the zaa’im 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 shops or businesses, such as barber shops, bakeries, smiths, ghouta orchards, groceries or other merchant activities.
Evidence and old actors statements (i.e., Hussam Tahseinn Beik) point out that the depiction of the culture during this time period, especially at the start of the series, was exaggerated and sometimes totally inaccurate. The "zaa'im" of each neighborhood did not really have that much power. There was much more interaction between neighborhoods. The series inaccurately depict the neighborhood as if they had some self governing status almost as if they were states or federation (by practice not law). This was not at all the case. The aggression between neighborhoods and the oppression of women was hugely exaggerated.
"Baab el Hara" opened the door to many series that depict earlier historical periods. Such series always existed, but their number and popularity increased greatly after "Baab el Hara." Some of these other series were less unrealistic in their depiction of the culture during thess eras.
List of characters
Family of Abu Issam
Abu Issam – Abbas al-Noury (The pharmacist/doctor of Haret Al-Dab3. The French claimed that he died on his way to the ghouta to medicate the injured comrades who fought the British in Palestine, but he returns in season 6 saying that he never actually reached the ghouta) starring 1–2, 6-9 Issam – Milad Youssef(Eldest son of Abu Issam, owns a barber shop, married to three women: Latfieh, Hoda, and Faiza) starring 1–9 Moataz – Wael Sharaf/Mustafa Saadedine (Younger son of Abu Issam, married to Khayriye and Sara. Abu Zafer thought he killed his son Zafer. He went to jail, but he was released when it was discovered that Sam’o killed Zafer) starring 1–9 Souad – Sabah Jazairi (Abu Issam's Wife) starring 1–9 Jamila – Taj Haidar/Dana Jaber/Hala Rajab (Daughter of Abu Issam and married to Bashir) starring 1–9 Dalal – Anahid Fayad/Rubeen Issa (Daughter of Abu Issam; she married Ibrahim in season 3 but he died shortly after. Later she married Sam'ao but they later divorced ) starring 1–9
Family of Abu Hatem
Abu Hatem – Wafeq Al-Za'em/Salim Sabry (Coffee shop owner, father to 7 girls and 1 boy) starring 1–7 Umm Hatem – Sabah Barakat/Nahed al Halabi (Wife of Abu Hatem) starring 1–9 Sharifeh – Jomanah Murad/Kholoud Issa (Daughter of Abu Hatem and was married to Abu Shehab in season 3. After he dies she remains a widow and refuses to get married after the death of her husband) starring 3–9 Hamide – Rawad Aliu (Daughter of Abu Hatem and married to Dr. Hamza) starring 3–9 Mutiea – Fedaa Alkabra (Abu Hatem's daughter; married to Abdo and they have a child together named Karam) starring 3-9 Iftikar – Lama Ibrahim (Daughter of Abu Hatem) guest 3-9 Nawal – Ola Bader (Daughter of Abu Hatem) guest 3-9 Fadya (Abu Hatem's twin daughter) Sahar (Abu Hatem's second twin daughter)
Family of Abu Zafer
Abu Zafer – Ayman Zeydan//Assad Fida starring 6-9 (Owner of a sheep farm; he wanted to be the Hara's leader and was jealous of Abu Issam's leadership and how much the people in Hara love him such that they can't replace him with anyone. He died after Zafer's funeral) Fatma Umm Zafer – Marah Jaber (Wife of Abu Zafer) starring 6-7 Zafer – Moatasim Alnahar (Son of Abu Zafer; married to Bahie but he was killed in season 9) starring 6-9 Neima – Janiar Hassan (Daughter of Abu Zafer) starring 6-9 Bahie – Lia Mbardi (Married to Zafer) starring 6-9 Gaoud : Abd Al Rahman Kouder (Abu Zafer's son, from his previous wife, he doesn't tell the Hara at first that he is his son, so he is known as a worker at Abu zafer's sheep farm) starring 6-7 9
Family of Abu Bashir
Abu Bashir – Hassan Dakak (Bread seller of the Hara, died before season 6) starring 1–5 Umm Bashir – Sahar Fawzi (Wife of Abu Bashir) 1–9 Bashir – Osama Halal (Bread seller of the hara and married to Jamile) starring 1–9 Hoda – Rasha Al Taqi/Najla Al Khamri/Rama Al Rashed (Αbu Bashir's Daughter, married to Issam) 1–9
Family of Abu Khater
Abu Khater Salim Kallas (Pottery Shopkeeper) starring 1–5 Umm Khater Iman Abdul Aziz/Azza Al Bahra (Wife of Abu Khater, dies in season 3 after falling of the ladder while cleaning). starring 1–3 Khater – Alla Zoubi/Yahia Biazi (Abu Khater's Son) starring 1–9 Khayriye - Emarat Rezk/Ahed Deeb(Abu Khater's Daughter, married to Moataz) starring 1-8 Zahra – Dima Al Jundi (Abu Khater's Daughter, married to Riyad, they have a son called Mohammad).starting 1–5 Riyad – Qays Sheikh Najib/Jihad Abdou (Abu Khater's son in law) guest 1-4
Family of Abu Ibrahim
Abu Ibrahim – Issam Abaji (Fabric shopkeeper, dies in season 3) starring 1–3 Umm Ibrahim – Fadwa Mohsen (Wife of Abu Ibrahim, dies before season 6) starring 1–5 Ibrahim – Mohammed Rafeh (Son of Abu Ibrahim married to Dalal, he dies in season 4) starring 1–3 Abu Nasouh – Yassin Arnaout (Abu Ibrahim's brother. After the death of his brother, he claims that he owns half of the house and shows his nephew the papers that proves it. But it is shown later that he was lying. Umm Ibrahim gets the papers that prove otherwise, and that shows how he was manipulating them) starring season 3.
Family of Abu Dibo
Abu Dibo – Adnan Abu Al Shamat (Abu Dibo, married to Abu Hatem's sister Fariza, he later starts to work at Abu Hatem's Coffee Shop) starring 1-5 Umm Dibo – Raghdaa Salman (Abu Hatem's sister) starring 1-3 Dibo – Omar al-Masry (Son of Abu Dibo (obviously) starring 1-3
Family of Abu Shehab
Abu Shehab – Samer al-Masry (He becomes the leader in Hara after the death of the previous leader, marries Sharifa in season 3. He dies in season 4 after accidentally being killed by Abu Draa) starring 1-3 Abu Qassim Ayman Bahnasi (Owner of Hamam, brother of Abu Shehab and Souad) starring 1–9
Family of Abu Salim
Saeed Abu Salim – Mohammed Kanou’ (Abu Issam's son in law, married to Buran) starring 1–9 Buran Umm Salim– Omaya Malas (Daughter of Abu Issam and married to Saeed) starring 1–9 Salim – Adham Bassam Al Mulla (Son of Saeed and Buran) starring 1–9 Haddiyah – Masat Al-Jamal (Daughter of Saeed and Buran, her father wanted to force her to get married when she was young, but later regrets his decision, now she's married to Zafer but Zafer was killed) starring 1–9
Family of Abu Bader
Abo Bader – Mohammed Kheir Al-Jarah (Abu Issam's neighbour) starring 1–9 Fawziyyeh – Laila Sammur/Shokran Mortga (Abu Bader's wife, who was shown as a troublemaker in the first few seasons) starring 1–9 Bader (Abu Bader's Son) starring 1–5
Family of Ida3shiri