The Syrian director, Hisham Sharbatji, passed away in Damascus, yesterday, at the age of 75, after a long artistic career, in which he established a prominent school in the art of comedy, during which he collaborated with some of the most prominent Syrian comedians.
The Syrian Artists Syndicate called him, describing him as a “capable director.”
Sharbatji studied at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Egypt, then traveled to Germany, and continued his artistic studies there, before returning to Syria and following up on the foundations of the first generation of early Syrian directors, and collaborating with prominent comedians, such as Duraid Lahham, Yasser al-Azma, and Ayman Zaidan. .
Hundreds of his friends and fans rushed to mourn him on social media, recalling clips from his series and scenes from his works.
And the Syrian actor, Bassam Koussa, wrote, “Mercy to the soul of Sheikh Al-Kar and the great director.”
The Syrian actor Bassem Yakhour called him on his Facebook page, describing him as a “laugh maker” and a “professional teacher.”
Artists and actors call Sharbatji the title “Sheikh of the Kar”, or “Sheikh of the Syrian Comedy”, because of his distinguishing features through comedy series that were engraved in the Syrian memory and were popular in the Arab world.
Sharbatji married an Egyptian woman, and he has three children, including director Rasha Sharbatji, who inherited the profession from her father and became prominent in the field of drama.
