Adel Ismail (1928–2010) was a Lebanese diplomat and historian. He was the ambassador of Lebanon to Morocco between 1978 and 1985 and the permanent representative of Lebanon to the UNESCO between 1985 and 1990. He is known for being the author of various books on the history of Lebanon.

Early life and education

Ismail was born in Dulhoun on 18 January 1928. He hailed from a

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

family based in Iqlim al-Kharrub,

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round. Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...

. He was a graduate of the

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University () is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to the Middle Ages in 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon as a constituent college of the Unive ...

where he received both an undergraduate degree and a Ph.D. in law. One of his teachers was

Maurice Chehab Emir Maurice Hafez Chehab (27 December 1904 – 24 December 1994) was a Lebanese archaeologist and museum curator. He was the head of the Antiquities Service in Lebanon and curator of the National Museum of Beirut from 1942 to 1982. He was ...

Career

Following his graduation Ismail worked at the Ministry of Education as an inspector and was the deputy director general between 1956 and 1959. Then he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held various diplomatic posts, including counsellor in Madrid from 1960 to 1963. Then he served as consul general of Lebanon in Italy between 1964 and 1967, in Sudan and Ethiopia between February 1967 and 1969 and in Saudi Arabia between 1969 and 1971. He was the director of political affairs at the Lebanese Central Administration from 1971 to 1978. Ismail was appointed ambassador of Lebanon to Morocco in 1978 and remained in post until 1985. Next he was named as permanent representative of Lebanon to the UNESCO in 1985 which he held until 1990.

Work

Ismail authored more than seventy books and owned a publishing company. He was the first scholar who systematically analyzed the French diplomatic archives. The documents were published in the period between 1974 and 1994 in 41 volumes. He also employed materials from the British diplomatic archives in his studies. One of his books was translated into English in 1972 under the title ''Lebanon: History of a People''. His extensive study on the history of Maronites in Lebanon was published in February 2000.

Death

Ismail died in July 2010.

Awards

Ismail was twice recipient of the Lebanese Order of Cedar (Knight and Commander). He was named as a Laureate of the

French Academy French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

in 1965 and was awarded with the Cardinal Richelieu Medal by the French Academy. He was also awarded the Prize of the French Academy in 1956 and 1989.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ismail, Adel 20th-century Lebanese diplomats 20th-century Lebanese historians 1928 births 2010 deaths Ambassadors of Lebanon to Morocco Permanent delegates of Lebanon to UNESCO Historians of the Middle East Lebanese Sunni Muslims Paris-Sorbonne University alumni People from Chouf District