7/28/2025–|Last update: 19:01 (Mecca time)
In an exceptional farewell, the feelings of sadness and respect were overwhelmed by Lebanon, on Monday, July 28, 2025, the body of the great artist and musician Ziad Rahbani, in a majestic funeral procession that started from the capital, Beirut, in the presence of a heavy popular presence, and an influential presence of his mother, the Lebanese artist Fairuz, who appeared publicly for the first time in many years, participating in the farewell of her only son.
The funeral ceremony began in front of the “Khoury” hospital in Al -Hamra Street in Beirut, where hundreds of Rahbani fans gathered since the early morning hours, carrying his pictures and bouquets of flowers, along with the Lebanese flags.
The sounds of his songs, which accompanied generations of Lebanese, rose through loudspeakers, while church bells were drawn to coincide with the exit of the body from the hospital. The streets surrounding the hospital were filled with people who came from various Lebanese regions, in response to invitations that spread through social media, to bid farewell to one of the most important symbols of music and political theater in Lebanon and the Arab world.
The funeral procession is slowly presented, amid farewell shouts, applause from the mourners, and the scattering of roses and rice on the coffin that made its way between the crowd. The procession passed from Spears Street, and Ashrafieh neighborhood, to the town of Al -Mahdithi in Bakfia, in the Al -Matn area, where the late was buried in the “Raqd Al -Sayyida” church, after the prayer was held, according to local media.
But the most affected moment on this day was the appearance of the great artist Fayrouz, the mother of Ziad Rahbani, who seemed coherent despite the great pain. She arrived at the church is a blacksmith, putting sunglasses, accompanied by her daughter Rima Rahbani, her sister, Hoda Haddad, and a number of members of the Rahbani family. Immediately after descending from the car, she was surrounded by dozens of photographers, which prompted her family to appeal to stop filming, out of respect and feelings of the late family.
Many circulated on the communication sites of the funeral of Ziyad, which turned into a demonstration of love and loyalty, in which artists, intellectuals, activists and ordinary citizens participated. Some of them raised banners on which phrases are inspired by Ziad’s works, such as: “Without nothing .. I love you”, and “for the first time, there is no one,” which is a reference to one of his most famous songs that he wrote to his mother, Fayrouz.
Many interacted with the news of the death of Ziyad, reducing the call for a day of a national mourning day, and the flags of the flags, because of the artistic and cultural value represented by the late Lebanese and Arab conscience. Some of the mourners also demanded that the coffin out of the car, carry it on the shoulders and circumambulate it in the nearby streets, especially in the Sanayeh area, where Ziad lived, and he owned a technical studio, and used to spend his times in its cafes and libraries.
Ziad Rahbani died on Saturday morning, July 26, at the age of 69, after a long struggle with cirrhosis. With his departure, Lebanon lost a comprehensive artist, combining music, theater, and political criticism, as his works formed a honest mirror of the lives of the Lebanese, and a sharp ridicule tool of political and social reality.
He was known for his unique style, which blended the eastern melody with the bold word, and had a special presence as a writer, author, composer and musician.
As for his mother, Fayrouz, she has remained over the past years, away from the spotlight, and has already appeared on public occasions, except for her reception of French President Emmanuel Macron at her home in 2020.
