How Much Do You Know About Baalbek’s Guest-Welcoming Rituals?

In December 2025, Pope Leo XIV visited Lebanon — an extraordinary moment in the nation’s recent history. But his welcome was far from a typical state ceremony. At the Presidential Palace in Baabda, a symbolic performance took place, offering a glimpse into Baalbek’s ancient heritage: a Dabke line performing only Bedouin and Arja-style Dabke, traditional drumming, a solo Dabke performance by Omar Hamade, and a procession of decorated horses — all designed to honor the Pope’s presence in a uniquely Lebanese way.

What Actually Happened: A Symbolic Taste of Baalbek’s Identity

A line of Dabke dancers from the renowned Hayakel Baalbek troupe performed two of the oldest traditional styles: Arja Dabke, known for its heavy, rhythmic steps and shoulder expression, and Bedouin Dabke, which reflects the desert warrior roots of tribal dance. These styles, according to researcher Ali Hleihel, have origins in Bedouin sword performances and pre-Ottoman marching traditions in the Levant.

At the heart of the performance stood Omar Hamade, a master dancer from Baalbek, who performed a powerful solo Dabke, showcasing fierce steps, chest lifts, and warrior posture. The drummers intensified the beat, while the horses paraded in sync — echoing the age-old “Arda” (عرضة), a ritual of honor and celebration found in Bedouin Arab heritage.

But What If This Welcome Had Taken Place in Baalbek?

As meaningful as this gesture was, it only scratched the surface of Baalbek’s full guest-welcoming tradition, a deeply rooted cultural ritual that dates back centuries and is still practiced in the town’s weddings, festivals, and family gatherings:

• The Arada Ceremony (العراضة): Entire neighborhoods gather — elders, men, youth — forming a loud, proud procession of singing, cheering, and dancing. Calls like “Ardak Ardak!” and “Idbah Idbah!” echo through the streets, signaling the guest’s importance.
  
• Bitter Coffee (القهوة المرة): Served in a small handle-less cup held in the left hand, bitter Arabic coffee is offered repeatedly to the guest until he gently shakes the cup to indicate he’s had enough. This centuries-old tradition, rooted in Bedouin hospitality from Najd, symbolizes respect and honor.
  
• The Madaa’fa (المضافة): Every major Baalbeki family traditionally kept a guest house — open 24/7 to travelers, strangers, and community members alike. It was where coffee was poured, poetry was recited, and political and social decisions were made.
  
• Singing and Hida (الحداء): A poetic chant sung by a designated voice, the Hida or Ataba would often precede the Dabke or be used to welcome noble guests with customized verses praising lineage and virtue.
  

Conclusion: A Cultural Moment Missing Its Full Frame

What happened at the Presidential Palace was powerful and proud — but imagine it on the stone plazas of Baalbek, under its Roman columns, with men in traditional dishdasha and keffiyeh lined in full. With coffee being poured, the Arada echoing, poetry floating through the air, and horses stomping beside swirling Dabke lines — that is the full Baalbek ritual: not just a performance, but a ceremony of identity.

In honoring the Pope, Lebanon offered a brief but symbolic gesture of its deeply rooted cultural code of hospitality. And perhaps one day, the complete Baalbeki welcome will again be seen — not as nostalgia, but as living heritage.

Sources:

• Ali Hleihel, oral interviews on the origins of Dabke, Bedouin sword performances, and anthropological roots of Arja and Bedouin styles.
• Lebanese University, Department of Anthropology and Folklore – “الدبكة في الموروث الشعبي اللبناني”.
• Diab Al-Qarsifi, researcher in Baalbek oral traditions and author of documented profiles on Dabke figures such as Abu Yehya, Abu Doukhi, and Abu Majed.
• “عادات وتقاليد البدو في لبنان” by Mohamad Hassan, a foundational text on the evolution of Bedouin hospitality and the bitter coffee tradition in the Bekaa region.
• Baalbek Municipal Archive, oral history transcripts and records of Madaafa customs, family welcoming protocols, and Zaffe/Dabke rituals.
• USEK (Holy Spirit University of Kaslik) Thesis: “The Art of Hida in Lebanese Oral Poetry and Ritual Welcome Ceremonies”, 2018.
• Personal observation and documentation from the event at Baabda Presidential Palace, December 2025, featuring Pope Leo XIV and the Hayakel Baalbek troupe, including Dabke, drumming, solo dance by Omar Hamade, and horse parade.