Dr. Monika Ghattas, CFIS-AIA
December 3, 2017

Few cities in the world evoke such vivid imagery as Beirut.  This is a city often compared to Paris for its joie de vivre and indomitable spirit.  Travel and Leisure recently ranked it as one of the world’s best cities to visit because of its Ottoman architecture and contemporary art museums.  But it is also associated with dramatic hijackings and kidnappings, a bloody civil war and international espionage. It has become a refuge for several hundred thousand Syrian refugees who have joined earlier immigrants, like Armenians, Kurds, and Palestinians.  It is a city justly celebrated for its natural beauty and damned for its municipal problems that include incredible congestion, corruption, and lack of basic services.  Beirut is a very old city that lives for today and continues to be a magnet for leisure and business of the Middle East.  Monika Ghattas will focus her talk on the kaleidoscope that defines this fascinating city on the eastern Mediterranean.

Dr. Monika Ghattas, is a long-time member of the Albuquerque International Association, where she is on the Board of Directors and also chairs the Book Club.  She taught European and Far East history at CNM for many years and recently published a book titled “Los Arabes of New Mexico:  Compadres from a Distant Land”.  It is the story about the early Lebanese and Syrian immigrants who first came to the territory of New Mexico in the late 19th century. In addition, she volunteers at the Albuquerque Museum, where she has been a docent for many years. She loves to travel and visit unconventional destinations.

Supported by Sandia National Labs, Haverland Carter Lifestyle Group, and Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union