Saif Azzuz Libyan-Yurok, b. 1987
For Derna (Rumman), 2026
Acrylic on canvas
203.2 x 152.4 cm
80 x 60 in
80 x 60 in
Courtesy of the Artist and Lawrie Shabibi
Derna is a port city in Libya which has a unique location and physical environment, as it lies between the Jebel Akhdar (also known as Green Mountain), the Mediterranean Sea,...
Derna is a port city in Libya which has a unique location and physical environment, as it lies between the Jebel Akhdar (also known as Green Mountain), the Mediterranean Sea, and the desert. It is the fourth most important port in Cyrenaica's northern coast after Benghazi, Bayda and Tobruk and home to people of many different backgrounds. In 2023. about a quarter of the city was wiped out by a catastrophic flood caused by the collapse of two dams over the Wadi Derna river against the backdrop of Storm Daniel, resulting in the death of thousands of its residents. 'Rumman' means pomegranate in Arabic - the flower is the symbol of fertility, prosperity, abundance, and long life in North Africa.