Photos: Curbside cuts from Beirut’s dapper barber-on-a-bike

Scissors, combs, electric razors and brushes –everything he might need is attached to a handmade trunk that Mohammad Khaled Jahjah a roving barber, better known on southern Beirut’s streets as Abo Tawila or ‘the tall one’ carries on the back of his bicycle. The 18-year-old is somewhat of a celebrity, with regulars stopping him for a quick trim and others piqued by the slender, stylishly dressed hairdresser waving him down for a chat or to introduce themselves. Abo Tawila and his bike have time for both.

Updated on: May 31, 2018 11:56 AM IST

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Dressed in an old straw hat and navy suspenders, Abo Tawila pedals around a southern district of Beirut. A rare sight in modern-day Lebanon, the young barber-on-a-bike is looking for his next customer. His real name is Mohammad Khaled Jahjah, but he prefers the name Abo Tawila -- “the Tall One” in Arabic. (Joseph Eid / AFP)

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“It’s a beautiful idea because it’s a really old one,” said the dapper 18-year-old as he made his way through the district of Burj al-Barajneh. “People like this, and I love everything old. If I ever have the chance to open a barbershop, it’ll be a vintage one,” he said. (Joseph Eid / AFP)

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Everything he needs for a trim on the pavement is in a handmade trunk attached to the back of his pushbike: scissors, combs, electric razors and brushes. Mobile barbers were once ubiquitous in Beirut, but regular salons have since become more popular. Abo Tawila works in both, spending most of his day in a barbershop before hitting the tarmac on his bike. (Joseph Eid / AFP)

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“I used to love watching the barber near my parent’s house. I’d come back from school, drop off my backpack, and go to his shop,” Abo Tawila said. “He told me to come to the salon after school if I like this job. But I decided to leave school altogether to work with him.” (Joseph Eid / AFP)

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The handsome hairdresser has become something of a celebrity in southern Beirut. He is slender, stylishly dressed, and has a sharp wit. “I’m so happy he’s here,” says Abo Saeed, one of his favourite curbside customers. “He’s talented and always available... On top of all of that, he reminds us of the barbers of the old days.” (Joseph Eid / AFP)

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Some stop him for a haircut, others hail him down to catch up or introduce themselves. In his free time or when his shift is done, he heads out on his bike to find customers, grooming between five and 30 people a day. “The situation changes depending on the day,” he said. (Joseph Eid / AFP)

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While he dreams of opening his own shop, Abo Tawila insists he’ll stay loyal to his bike. “If I open a salon, I’ll still keep it, because that’s what got me here,” he said. (Joseph Eid / AFP)