Our Villa 88 Travel community is enthsiasticaly bringing this project to life. The stories are flowing in, each one a reminder of why we travel in the first place. Our second submission comes from Maissa Terkawi, who takes us through the cities that shaped her life, places that held her, challenged her, and ultimately defined her sense of belonging.
Some people measure their lives in years, but I measure mine in cities. Each city I knew shaped a part of my personality, my memories, and my dreams. From the fashionable streets of Beirut, to the artistic energy of Cairo, the spiritual meaning of Jerusalem, the jasmine soul of Damascus, and the bright future I built in Dubai, these cities were not just places, they were women who raised me, each in her own way.
In Arabic poetry, cities are often described as women. Poets did not see cities as streets and buildings, but as living souls of women with beauty, sadness, strength, and memories. As I grew up, I realized that the cities in my life were not just places on a map. They were chapters of my life, and each city felt like a different woman who helped shape who I am today.
Beirut was the city of my childhood, known as “The Lady of the World – ست الدنيا”، and to me, she was always elegant and fashionable. Beirut was where I discovered beauty for the first time. Beautiful shops, beautiful people, beautiful art, and beautiful life. When we went there, I felt like everything was stylish and creative. Beirut taught me taste, fashion, and the love for everything artistic. She was graceful, inspiring, and a free soul full of life, but also strong, because even after everything she went through, she never lost her beauty.
Cairo was different. I only visited Cairo when I was older, but I knew her as “The Mother of the World – مصر أم الدنيا”, long before I met her. My parents used to visit every year because it was the city of Arabian drama, theatre, and cinema. I grew up hearing stories about actors, films, and plays. When I finally visited, I felt like I already knew the city. She was loud, alive, full of movement and stories. Cairo felt like a stage, where every street had a story and every person was an actor in a beautiful, never-ending play.
Jerusalem is the city I have never seen, yet the city I feel deeply connected to. We grew up dreaming of Jerusalem, talking about it, and praying for it. I remember standing in my school choir, singing Fairuz’s song “Ya Quds Ya Madinat Al Salat” translated as “Jerusalem, the City of Prayers”. I was young, but I felt that the song was full of love and sadness at the same time. Jerusalem, to me, is not a place I visited, but a place that lives in the heart. A city of faith, resilience, and hope.
Damascus is where my soul comes from. Damascus is my roots, my history, my identity. They call her the “Bride of the East – عروس الشرق”, and I understand this name perfectly. Damascus is like a bride, quiet, elegant, and full of history. The smell of jasmine is the smell of Damascus, and that is why until today, I only wear perfumes with jasmine notes. It is my way of carrying my city with me wherever I go.
And then there is Dubai, the city where my life truly began. Dubai is where I became the woman I am today. It is where I built my career, where I grew and matured, where I fell in love, where I got married, and where I started my family. Everything beautiful in my adult life happened in Dubai. If the other cities were chapters, Dubai is the book itself. They call it the “Pearl of the World – دانة الدنيا” but to me, it is more than a precious pearl. It is my home, my future, and the place where my story is still being written.
In the end, I now understand why poets described cities as women, because they are not just seen, they are felt. Each city has a face, a voice, a smell, and a memory. As Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Every land that honors you is your homeland.” For me, I belong to all these places combined. They are my roots, my memories, my prayers, and my dreams. They are the women who raised me, the souls that continue to guide me, and the homes where my heart will always find peace.
By Maissa Terkawi
