Cairo - Renowned Syrian singer and actress Amal al-Atrash, also known as Asmahan was the greatest diva of all time. Asmahan was a femme fatale who had a life that was as strange and fantastic off the silver screen as it was on it. The Syrian princess who emigrated to Egypt in the twenties and became an entertainer, was the sister of singer Farid al-Atrash, who helped her start her career, and the daughter of Fahd al-Atrash, a member of the famous Druze al-Atrash family who played a pivitol political role in Syria. She married Emir Hassan al-Atrash and returned to Syria in 1934 where she gave birth to her only child, Camilia. Asmahan divorced a few years later and returned to Egypt and became one of the most prominent singers of her time. Asmahan was married three times while dozens of men, including Egyptians, Arabs and foreigners, fell in love with her. She lived in extremes: a heavy drinker and heavy smoker, she enjoyed a luxurious life while her many relations were intertwined with those that harmed her.
