Iconic Arab poet Nizar Qabbani gets doodle for birthday

One of the most iconic Arabs of modern history, Qabbani will be represented in four separate doodles dedicated to the Syrian poet.

The drawings pay tribute to the different cities Qabbani lived in, such as Beirut, Baghdad, and his home town of Damascus, according to a Google press release. Qabbani was born in Damascus, Syria on March 21, 1923. He died in London on April 30, 1998 after enriching Arabic literature with his many published works. Arab nationalism, love and feminism were among the most prominent themes he wrote about. Many called him the “woman’s poet”.

He was also lauded as the poet whose revolutionised Arab poetry with simple verses that were accessible to wider audience, said Google press statement. Google celebrates key Arab figures who had an impact on different aspects of life with special doddles on their birthdays. Among those already celebrated were Egyptian singers, Umm Kulthum, Abdul Halim Hafez and Asmahan.