Welcome to the Mediterranean Cultural Academy (MCA)! MCA is a unique educational travel academy that is carving out a special place for itself in the burgeoning new field of cultural, spiritual, and well-being travel. MCA organizes journeys of self-discovery to Europe and other destinations across the Mediterranean with a special focus on Italy and Spain. MCA’s tours combine philosophy, mindfulness, art, architecture, history, garden design, and psychology under the guidance of its stimulating tour director, Dr. Samir Mahmoud who has been leading tours to Italy and Spain since 2005. MCA has since evolved into an innovative travel experience.
The idea is to learn, grow, and be transformed while traveling and enjoying the sights and sounds of the rich cultural heritage of the Mediterranean. The purpose of MCA is to revive the ancient art of inquisitive travel for a contemporary audience whose desire is to travel, explore, and learn.
medculturalacademy@gmail.com
My name is Dr. Samir Mahmoud (please call me Samir) and I’ll be your host, guide, and tutor during these culturally exhilarating journeys. I am the Founder-Director of MCA, a Cambridge graduate, an Assistant Professor at LAU, and a Renaissance Man. My role is to immerse you in an exceptional travel experience that will leave you hungry for more. On the menu you will find quite the enticing mix of appetizers including art history, architectural history, aesthetics, philosophy, literature, psychology, and a bit of spirituality for those interested. As your host and tutor I will be providing a general curriculum and education.
I have travelled with a coffee in one hand and a book in the other to: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Turkey studying, documenting, and reflecting on the sights and sounds of the Mediterranean. Nothing excites me more than a bit of historical dramatization infused with art, architecture, urbanism, classical and medieval philosophy, and comparative religion. Throw in some Renaissance philosophy, history, aesthetics, and anthropology, Islamic art, architecture, aesthetics and I’m at home.
Here is a little more for those interested in the formality of credentials: I grew up in Australia (Sydney) and I lived in England (Cambridge & Oxford) for almost seven years. I have a BA in Anthropology (with a focus on art & the imagination) and MA in Urban Design & History of Architecture (the urban morphology of Medieval and Renaissance Italian towns) from the University of New South Wales, Australia. I also have an MPhil in Comparative Philosophy & Aesthetics (with a focus on art, aesthetics, & the imagination) and a PhD in Philosophical Aesthetics (the philosophy of architecture and art in both Western and Eastern civilisations) both from the University of Cambridge, UK.
I was a Visiting Post-Doctoral Fellow at MIT in 2011-2012; a Postdoctoral at the University of Oxford in 2012-2013; and a Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at AUB in 2013-2014. I am currently an Assistant Professor at the Deaprtment of Architecture & Design, LAU.
I have a broad interest in classical philosophy, Western and Islamic art & architecture, mysticism (Christian & Sufism), Renaissance philosophy & art, 20th century French and German philosophy, Jungian psychology, mindfulness, and history. I also have extensive inter-faith and cross-cultural dialogue experience.
Join me on a most exhilarating and stimulating travel experience. medculturalacademy@gmail.com
The MCA Tours are inspired by the famous European Grand Tour and Mindfulness Retreats. The Grand Tour was the trip of mainly British aristocrats who, between the 17th and 19th centuries, travelled to Italy to see the heritage of the classical world (art, sculpture, architecture) in order to complete their classical education. My story first began as I embarked on my own Grand Tour of Italy funded by the ‘International Workshop Scholarship’ awarded by the University of New South Wales, Sydney. The trip also included France and Switzerland where the idea for MCA Tours first came to birth. 'Wouldn't it be great if there could be a contemporary Grand Tour for people like myself,' I often repeated.
In the next few years I would revisit Italy, France, and Switzerland several times a year. The traditional Grand Tour itinerary did not necessarily speak to my entire existential, cultural, intellectual and spiritual needs. If the Grand Tourist visited Italy to reclaim the classical heritage of antiquity, ‘what would a Grand Tour for a contemporary young and modern individual look like?’ ‘What would I be reclaiming?’ I decided that no tour of Europe would be complete without visiting Andalucía in the south of Spain. An important part of Europe’s history overlaps with a definitive moment in Arab/Islamic history and it is in Spain that this rich encounter flourishes, where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam lived in relative peace and enriched each other. There is a direct line from the Renaissance in Cordoba to the Renaissance in Florence a few centuries later and a great deal was exchanged between all sides of the Mediterranean in-between.
There is also something else I discovered during my sojourn, which is often neglected by the modern educational system and which I wish to share with you. It is in a sense an inner calling that requires opening a deeper connection with the soul, the spirit and the wellsprings of creativity that transcend the impoverished limits of logic, reason, and rationality; something not conveyed in most university degrees. Wandering through picturesque medieval towns and contemplating the majesty of nature leads one to reflect upon the inner landscape of one’s own soul.
MCA Tours are supposed to help one discover this inner landscape with its own topography. The adventure, the learning, the introspection, the reflection, and the reading all changed my life. I wish to walk with you on the paths of these renaissances, exchanges, and outer and inner landscapes. It is this experience and much more that I wish to share with you.
medculturalacademy@gmail.com
The aim of the MCA tour is to introduce you to the rich heritage of the Mediterranean cultural traditions (art, architecture, history, religious studies, philosophy, humanities, etc.). Combining on-site lectures and off-site discussions, and eschewing the artificial boundaries between disciplines, our tours weave history, art history, architectural theory and history, urbanism, philosophy, psychology, mindfulness, and even the esoteric with novel ideas and keen observations, often inspired by the travelers themselves.The talks spring from a profound interest in the cross cultural exchanges that took place across the Mediterranean and a fervent passion for the creative process at work in their arts and architecture.
The tours have as their aim self-growth, personal development, intellectual stimulation, and spiritual nourishment and are conducted in a very relaxed and casual manner. They often border on the inspirational with still some room to indulge one’s self in the many intriguing cultural pockets, panoramic vistas or delicious regional delights. I insist on small groups to deliver a more sociable, personal and intimate experience. Small groups foster a healthier, more personal, and much more exciting educational experience.
But it is not all about lectures and talks; we are all about having fun, dining, hiking, and simply enjoying ourselves. I love to talk, love to listen, and love to engage.
Join me for a complete immersion in a cultural and intellectual experience of a lifetime. Piazzas become theatrical backdrops for historical dramatizations, the worn steps of temples and churches become sites for adoration and contemplation, the luminous corridors of museums and art galleries for silent meditation, archeological sites for re-enacting ancient events, but most of all the very streets and pavements of cities, hilltop towns, and villages, with their dramatic vistas, come to life. The very stones speak and we listen. Brace yourself as it all comes to life!
For booking one of our tours or for more information including booking your own tour please feel free to contact us. I would be more than happy to have a sit down info session with anyone of you over coffee or over the phone.
medculturalacademy@gmail.com
Check out our new 2018, 12 Day Grand Tour & Retreat in September/October at our sister website www.discoveryourselfinitaly.com
Other tours:
1) The Grand Tour of Italy: Journey of the Heart & Mind
Rome, Siena, Florence & Tuscany, Venice & the Veneto
In this tour of Italy we shall start with the classical world of ancient Rome. The ancient stones of the Roman Forum and the Coliseum will be made to speak and tell their tales of glory and we shall listen. No trip to Rome is complete without a day at the Vatican with its Raphael frescoed rooms, Michelangelo ceiling & dome, or St. Peters Square. Then we shall explore one of the great moments in Mediterranean history: the Renaissance of Florence under the aegis of the Medici, the birthplace of the Renaissance of Florence. More than any other city, Florence was the seat of Renaissance Humanism and the center for the flourishing of the classical arts. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Florence witnessed a revival of classical antiquity in literature, philosophy, architecture and the arts that decisively changed Europe and the West forever. It was also a period of a remarkable influx into Florence of ideas and goods from various parts of the Mediterranean. In more than one way, it is to Florence that we owe the origins of the modern world. We will spend most of the time in Florence with day trips through the rolling hills of Tuscany to visit several Tuscan hilltop towns and villages such as the Gothic town of Siena & the picturesque San Gimignano.
No trip to Italy is complete without Vencie and the Veneto. The Veneto is one of the most romantic and evocative regions of Italy. Located on the northeastern tip of Italy on the Adriatic Sea, it is a region that can boast of the glorious city on water, Venice, the great architecture of Palladio,and Verona, the site for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. At the heart of this legendary Province is of course Venice, with its numerous bridges spanning the canals navigated by gondolas, its churches, bustling piazzas, narrow alleyways, silent waters, and of course the famous Carnival of Venice. The tour will cover Venice, and either Verona, Lake Garda, Padua, or Vicenza.
This tour is ideal for the refined traveler who wants an educational journey of a lifetime. It is 10 days long packed with lectures, site visits, and stimulating discussions with time for solitary reflection and encapsulates the Mediterranean Cultural Academy's philosophy: travel, explore, learn!
2) Executive Retreats to the Lakes
The Northern Lakes (Como, Orta, & Maggiore with short trips to Switzerland)
The main lakes of Maggiore, Lugano, and Como fan out across Italy’s north and sprinkled between them are countless smaller lakes such as Orta, famous as a refuge for the German philosopher Nietzsche. Surrounded by snowcapped mountains, the lakes have been a sanctuary for writers, royalty, and adventurers alike. Writers from Goethe and Stendhal to DH Lawrence and Hemingway have been inspired by their beauty. But even their lavish praise of the lakes does not do them justice. The lakes offer the most serene soul-soothing backdrop for nature lovers and those escaping the bustle of city life. Winding mountain passages, crystal clear water, picturesque islands, idyllic gardens and villas, earth-toned buildings huddling mountain sides, balconies over blue water, centuries old luxurious palaces and villas, perched monasteries, sleepy cobblestone villages, hidden gardens, exotic flora, a mix of legend and history, and of course warm and exuberant locals. There will also be occasional day trips to Switzerland (literally 15 minutes away).
This tour of the lakes is as much a retreat as a holiday. The pace will be slow in order to take it all in. It is ideal for a weekend getaway or a 5 day relaxing escape.
Please feel free to contact me about exact itineraries and prices or look at the Bespoke Tours page for more on how I can create the cultural and educational itinerary just for you.
medculturalacademy@gmail.com
No scheduled tours to Spain in 2018. For a tailor made Spain journey please email us.
Andalucía (Cordoba, Granada, & Seville)
In this tour of Spain we shall explore one of the greatest moments in Mediterranean history: the Renaissance of Cordoba under the aegis of an Umayyads of Spain centered around the city of Cordoba, the seat of the Umayyad Dynasty in Spain and the center of the cultural, intellectual, and religious phenomenon known as Convivencia. During this period, roughly from the 8th-12th centuries, a relative period of co-existence among the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities prevailed and artistic, intellectual, and cultural exchanges and communal symbiosis flourished in Andalucía in general and Cordoba in particular. Cordoba was the then intellectual capital of Europe with the largest number of universities, schools, libraries, books, and manuscripts. It was also a period of remarkable technical achievements in the sciences, agriculture, engineering, philosophy, art, and architecture. This is why I have called it the Renaissance of Cordoba. The tour will cover the cities of Cordoba, Seville, Granada, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Contact me about exact itineraries and prices. medculturalacademy@gmail.com
For our new 2018, 12 Day Italy Grand Tour & Self-Discovery Retreat see our sisterwebsite:
www.discoveryourselfinitaly.com
For more information see our Italy Tour Page or contact me on: medculturalacademy@gmail.com or call me on: 71269455 from within Lebanon or just add 00961 from outside Lebanon.
For our new 2018, 12 Day Italy Grand Tour & Self-Discovery Retreat see our sisterwebsite:
www.discoveryourselfinitaly.com
For more information see our Italy Tour Page or contact me on: medculturalacademy@gmail.com or call me on: 71269455 from within Lebanon or just add 00961 from outside Lebanon.
For our new 2018, 12 Day Italy Grand Tour & Self-Discovery Retreat see our sisterwebsite:
www.discoveryourselfinitaly.com
For more information see our Italy Tour Page or contact me on: medculturalacademy@gmail.com or call me on: 71269455 from within Lebanon or just add 00961 from outside Lebanon.