Overview
- The city unveiled “Al Qalam: Poets in the Park” in Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza on Thursday, creating a permanent tribute to Little Syria, New York’s first Arabic‑speaking enclave.
- The artwork centers on a bright yellow sculpture that spells al‑qalam, meaning “the pen,” and two curved mosaic backrests that render literary excerpts in a geometric, invented alphabet.
- Nine writers linked to the neighborhood’s famed literary scene are named, including Kahlil Gibran, Elia Abu Madi, and Nasib Arida, with an app that lets visitors hear or read passages in Arabic and English.
- The Washington Street Historical Society led the decade‑long push, collaborating with city agencies and securing support that included funding from the Mellon Foundation after delays from Superstorm Sandy and COVID‑19.
- Little Syria thrived from the 1880s to the 1940s along Washington Street before much of it was razed for projects like the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel, and the new piece now enters the Parks Department’s permanent monuments.