| Birth Place: | Ramallah, Mandate for Palestine |
| Occupation: | Archeologist |
| Period: | 1990s |
| Genre: | Novel |
| Notableworks: | A Beggar at Damascus Gate |
Yasmin Zahran (Arabic: ياسمين زهران|Yāsamīn Zahrān; born 1933) is a Palestinian writer and archeologist who is known for her novels, including A Beggar at Damascus Gate.
Zahran was born in Ramallah in 1933.[1] [2] She graduated from Columbia University and the University of London. She received a PhD in archaeology from Sorbonne University in Paris.[3]
Following her graduation Zahran was employed in the UNESCO.[3] Then she worked at the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology in Jerusalem.[3] She is the cofounder of the Jerusalem-based Institute of Islamic Archaeology which was established in 1992.[4] Zahran's studies focus on the leading historical figures in the Middle East such as Zenobia which she described as a multi-ethnic queen.[5]
Zahran is a resident of both Paris and Ramallah.[1]
Zahran published her first novel, The First Melody, in 1991 which was published in Arabic.[3] Her second book, A Beggar at Damascus Gate, which was written in English was published in 1993 and narrates the struggle of Palestinians to find a place which they could call home.[6] This novel largely reflects Zahran's own experience.[7]
Her other books include Philip the Arab: A Study in Prejudice, Zenobia Between Reality and Legend, Ghassan Resurrected and Septimius Severus: Countdown to Death.[3] She wrote a book about cats entitled The Golden Tail in 2017.[8]