Omar Abu Risha

Syrian poet and diplomat

Omar Abou-Richeh عمر أبو ريشة


4th Ambassador of Syria to the United States
In office 1961–1964
Preceded by	Farid Zayn Al-Din
Succeeded by	Sabah Qabbani

Personal details
Born	April 10, 1910 Manbij, Syria
Died	July 15, 1990 (aged 80) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Spouse	Mounira Abou-Richeh
Children	Chafe Abou-Richeh, Rafif Abou-Richeh Mattar, Rif Abou-Richeh
Residence(s)	Beirut, Riyadh
Profession	Syrian ambassador, poet

Omar Abu-Riche (Arabic: عمر أبو ريشة; 10 April 1910 – 15 July 1990), also spelled Omar Ab(o)u Risha, Abu Risheh, was a Syrian ambassador and writer, known for his poetic works.

Biography

Abu-Riche was born into a wealthy literary family in Manbij, near Aleppo. He received his educational upbringing in Syria and continued his tertiary studies at the University of Damascus. He also studied at the American University in Beirut in 1931 and later read chemistry at the University of Manchester but returned to Syria in 1932.

While initially a fan of Abbasid poetry, he later looked for more independent voices in poetry and considered Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis to be the greatest love poem ever written. His favorite poets were Charles Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe. He wrote the poem Khatam al-Hub (The End of Love) and produced literary works while attending to his duties as librarian of Aleppo, Syria.^[1] His works included several volumes of poetry and poetic dramas.

In 1949, the Syrian government appointed him ambassador to Brazil. As a diplomat until 1964, he was ambassador to Argentina, Chile, India, Austria, and finally the United States.^[2]

References

^ Moubayed, Sami M. (2006). Steel & Silk: Men and Women who Shaped Syria 1900-2000. Cune Press. pp. 512–513. ISBN 978-1-885942-41-8.
^ "ʿUmar Abū Rīshah | Arabic Poet, Diplomat, Scholar | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-03-21.

Historic	Al-Shuaibiyah Mosque Great Mosque of Aleppo Al-Nuqtah Mosque Al-Qaiqan Mosque Mahmandar Mosque Altun Bogha Mosque Al-Sahibiyah Mosque Bahsita Mosque Al-Tawashi Mosque Al-Otrush Mosque Al-Saffahiyah Mosque Khusruwiyah Mosque Al-Adiliyah Mosque Behramiyah Mosque
Modern	Ar-Rahman Mosque Tawhid Mosque

Churches

Historic

Modern

Catholic	Church of Saint Francis of Assisi Church of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Saint Joseph Church of the Holy Cross Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption
Eastern Orthodox	Cathedral of Elijah the Prophet (Greek Orthodox)
Oriental Orthodox	Church of the Holy Mother of God
Protestant	Emmanuel Church Bethel Church Martyrs' Church

Historic gates

Culture and
education

Aleppo Citadel Amphitheatre
Aleppo Citadel Museum
National Library of Aleppo
National Museum of Aleppo
Aleppo Centre for Culture and Arts
University of Aleppo
Mamoun University for Science and Technology
Al-Shahba University
Aleppo College
École Amal
International School of Aleppo
Lycée français d'Alep

Entertainment

Streets and squares

Notable people

Nature

Sport

Venues	7 April Stadium Ri'ayet al-Shabab Stadium Al-Assad Sports Arena Al-Hamadaniah Stadium Al-Ittihad Stadium Bassel al-Assad Swimming Complex Aleppo International Stadium Al-Hamadaniah Tennis Complex Al-Hamadaniah Olympic Swimming and Diving Complex Al-Hamadaniah Sports Arena
Clubs	Al-Ittihad SC Al-Hurriya SC Al-Yarmouk SC Al-Herafyeen SC Jalaa SC Ommal Aleppo SC Ouroube SC Shorta Aleppo SC