Maha Birqadar... She departed, leaving behind the fragrance of words and the charm of colors.

The Syrian-Lebanese poet and painter Maha Barakat Al-Khal has passed away, leaving behind a legacy of words, brushstrokes, and nostalgia.

On February 22, 2025, she closed her eyes for the last time, but her impact will remain alive in every home that read her poetry, in every painting that adorned the walls of hearts, and in every melody sung by children still cherishing her songs.

In a mournful tragedy, the artists Youssef and Ward Al-Khal mourned their mother with words overflowing with pain and longing. Ward bid her farewell saying:

"The mother of roses has departed, taking with her the fragrance and color... leaving behind the dew that used to sleep on her cheeks... My mother... my beloved sleeping princess... until we meet again... may God have mercy on her soul."

As for Youssef, he summed up his sorrow in two words carrying all the meanings:

"Love has departed."

Maha Barakat was born in Damascus in 1947, and traveled to Germany where she obtained a business administration diploma from the School of Translation in Munich in 1979.

In 1970, she entered into matrimony with the Lebanese poet Youssef Al-Khal and acquired Lebanese citizenship.

She was not only the wife of a great poet, but she herself was a unique poetic voice and a brush pulsating with life.

She wrote and excelled in journalism, and was a presenter on television and radio programs in Damascus, leaving an impact on the world of children with songs that are still sung to this day.

In 1967, she won the title of Miss Syria, and in 2004, the Lebanese President Emile Lahoud awarded her the Order of Merit in recognition of her literary and artistic contributions.

She also received the award for the Best Arab Female Author from the Arab Female Authors Festival in Syria.

With her passing, the family did not just lose a loving mother, but literature and art lost a soul that will not be replicated. She is mourned by her son Youssef Al-Khal and his wife, the artist Nicole Saba, her daughter Ward Al-Khal and her husband, the musician Bassem Rizk, along with relatives and families: Barakat, Al-Khal, Al-Amin, Saba, Rizk, Dibeh, and her friends in the homeland and abroad.

Her funeral prayer will be held on Monday, February 24, 2025, at 3:30 PM at the Lady of Habchieh Church in Ghazir.

Condolences will be accepted on Sunday, February 23, from 1 PM to 7 PM, and on Monday, February 24, from 11 AM to 7 PM at the church salon.

As stated in the obituary, "Please replace wreaths with donations to the church."

Maha Barakat has departed, but her spirit will continue to pulsate in poetry, color, and the hearts that loved her, forever preserved in the dew.

Farewell Maha, a flower that will never wither...

The princess may have left, but the magic of her creativity remains alive.