Maroun an-Naqqash

Maroun an-Naqqash (* 1817 in Sidon ; † 1855 ) was the founder of theater in the Arab world. Born into a Maronite family that moved to Beirut. There he learned Italian, French and Turkish. In 1846 he made trips to Egypt, Italy and France, where he developed an interest in theatrical art. After returning from France, the Lebanese founded the first Arab theater, the first performance of which in 1847 was an adaptation of Molière's "L'Avare" . He also wrote novels independently and was the first to write oriental dramas in imitation of Moliere's comedies.

literature

• Georg Graf: History of Christian Arabic Literature. Fourth Volume, The Writers from the Middle of the 15th to the End of the 19th Century. In: Studi E Testi 147. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana MCMLI. Citta Del Vaticano 1996
• Angela Daiana Langone: Molière et le théâtre arabe. Reception moliéresque et identités nationales arabes De Gruyter. Berlin 2016