Lebanon paid a solemn and emotional farewell to iconic artist Ziad Rahbani on Monday, as mourners gathered at the Church of Our Lady of the Dormition in Mhaydseh–Bikfaya for his funeral.

Ziad Rahbani, a composer, playwright, pianist, and political commentator, revolutionized modern Lebanese culture through his unapologetic art, biting satire, and unfiltered social critique. He was not only an artist but a chronicler of Lebanon’s wounds and contradictions, using his pen, his music, and his voice to challenge injustice and provoke thought.

The ceremony, held at 4 p.m., brought together the country’s political, cultural, and artistic figures. Yet it was the quiet presence of his mother, legendary singer Fairouz, that carried the heaviest emotional weight.

Fairouz, Rahbani’s mother and Lebanon’s eternal diva, whose presence moved the nation. Clad in black, her face partially concealed by dark sunglasses and a lace headscarf, she sat silently as mourners approached her one by one, bowing without uttering a word. No hands were shaken. No words were exchanged. Just solemn nods, reverent bows, and tears.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister Salam presented the family with the National Order of the Cedar, rank of Commander, awarded posthumously by President Joseph Aoun in honor of Rahbani’s groundbreaking artistic and national contributions.

“I speak where words fail,” Salam said in a moving eulogy. “I stand in reverence before the grieving mother, the family, the friends, and all of Lebanon, which now shares in this profound sorrow. Ziad, the brilliant and creative soul, you were also the honest voice of our generation, committed to the causes of humanity and the homeland. You said what many of us never dared to say.”

“To future generations, you will remain the voice of beauty and rebellion, the voice of truth and justice when silence becomes betrayal.”

Among the dignitaries in attendance were Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his wife; Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab, representing Speaker Nabih Berri; former President Amine Gemayel; Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh; Minister of Information Paul Morcos; MP Ibrahim Mousawi; and hundreds of artists, writers, and admirers of Rahbani’s revolutionary work. The church overflowed with family members, close friends, cultural figures, and journalists, all united in grief over the loss of one of Lebanon’s most singular artists.