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Gate of the Sun - Book by Elias Khoury

Name: Gate of the Sun
Author: Elias Khoury

Elias Khoury’s Gate of the Sun (originally Bab al-Shams, 1998) is a monumental novel chronicling the Palestinian experience post-1948 Nakba. Set in a makeshift hospital in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp, it follows Khalil, a doctor without formal training, who keeps vigil over Yunes, a comatose Palestinian freedom fighter. Like a modern Scheherazade, Khalil recounts stories of Palestinian exile, weaving tales of displaced villagers, massacres, and resilience after the creation of Israel. Central is Yunes’ secret love for his wife, Nahilah, met at Bab al-Shams, the “Gate of the Sun.” Khoury’s nonlinear narrative, drawn from real stories collected over years in refugee camps, explores memory, loss, and identity with poetic intensity.

Original Language: Arabic

Original Title: Bab al-Shams (باب الشمس)

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