Finiqia by Caracalla from the Lens of a Language Professional

Finiqia, Caracalla 's exquisite festival of choreography, costumes, cultures and LANGUAGES, is a feast for the eyes.

From English subtitling shown on a screen atop the stage, to King Ahiram and the Pharoae each speaking what sounded like a very credible and now extinct Phoenician and Ancient Egyptian dialects, to the Marquis' funny French gibberish, and fast forward to Arabic and Lebanese traditional songs.

The spectacle will certainly leave a grin on the face of every language professional.

Finiqia, The legend lives on.

فينيقيا، الأمس واليوم.

Read show Synopsis on Caracalla Dance Theatre.

Languages Through Museums

From an early age, I discovered a profound interest in languages and translation, and museums played a pivotal role in shaping that passion.

As a child, I wasn’t just wandering around looking at artifacts; I was glued to those little description cards. I’d read every single word, then challenge myself to memorize the terms in all three languages: Arabic, French, and English. It became my own little game—like, “ How do you say ‘pottery shard’ in French?” or “What’s the Arabic word for ‘mosaic’?” Before I knew it, I was building this secret multilingual dictionary in my head, one exhibit at a time.

This passion grew with every visit to my favorite museums in Lebanon _ Sursock, with its vibrant contemporary art; MIM, where minerals tell stories of science and beauty; and Nabu, blending modern creativity with ancient heritage by the sea. Each space offered not just visual inspiration but a multilingual experience that made me fall in love with words as much as with art.