Four Generations
of the Harb Family
A Damascene family of artists and collectors — from the painter Abou Sobhi Al-Tinawi to the house we carry today.
Muhammad Harb — known by his artist name Abou Sobhi Al-Tinawi — at work in Damascus. An Antar and Abla painting visible at the lower-left of the desk.
Born inside
a museum
The Orient Gates begins with a single artist. In late-19th-century Damascus, our great-grandfather Muhammad Harb — better known by his artist name Abou Sobhi Al-Tinawi — painted the folk legends of the Arab world on glass and paper. His Antar and Abla cycles travelled from the souqs of Damascus to the Louvre in Paris, and resurfaced again in Sotheby's sale A Love Letter to Beirut: Arts and Culture 1960s–2020s in 2024.
Four generations later, the same family still works from the same neighbourhood. We grew up inside one of the historic Damascene houses of Bab Sharqi — courtyard homes named by UNESCO as cultural heritage for their carved wood, coloured glass, and mother-of-pearl inlay. Living inside what is effectively a museum shaped everything we make and everything we choose.
My grandfather Tawfik built the practice into a house. My father Fawaz brought it abroad. I — Aziz — carry it now, with showrooms by appointment in Damascus, Beirut, Rome, and Brooklyn. The pieces we present have been chosen with the same eye that guided four generations before us.
Four Generations
Muhammad Harb
Abou Sobhi Al-Tinawi
Our great-grandfather. A folk painter and master of reverse-glass painting in Old Damascus, known across the Arab world by his artist name Abou Sobhi Al-Tinawi. His Antar and Abla cycles travelled from the souqs of Damascus into the collections of the Louvre, Paris — and most recently surfaced again in Sotheby's A Love Letter to Beirut: Arts and Culture 1960s–2020s (2024).
Tawfik Harb
The founder
Our grandfather formalised the family practice into The Orient Gates. Operating from a workshop in the Bab Sharqi quarter, he carried the household of artists into a house of collectors and dealers — buying, restoring, and placing the rarest pieces of the Levantine tradition.
Fawaz Harb
The bridge
Our father opened the house to the world. He brought European antiques alongside the Damascene tradition, built relationships with Sotheby's and major collectors abroad, and shipped the first pieces beyond the region.
Aziz Harb
The fourth generation
I (Aziz) carry the work now — same eye, same hands, same patience — with showrooms by appointment in Damascus, Beirut, Rome, and Brooklyn.
Our Principles
Authenticity
Every piece we offer is examined with scholarly rigor. We stake our family name on the authenticity of each object.
Preservation
We are custodians of cultural heritage. Our conservation honours the original artistry while ensuring these treasures endure.
Discretion
Every inquiry is handled with absolute confidentiality and the personal attention of the family directly.