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Beirut
It was a one hour flight from Amman to Beirut. After checking in to Le Patio Boutique Hotel we went for a walk around the Downtown area. We
were staggered to see all the graffiti caused by the rioters. (Having been away during October and November, we were unaware of the civil
unrest).
Click on any photo to see a slideshow of larger versions
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque is a Sunni mosque located in Martyrs’ Square. It was built between 2002 and 2007 by late Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, who is buried in its cemetery. It was inaugurated by his son Saad Hariri on October 17, 2008. According to architect,
Azmi Fakhuri, the blue-domed mosque is of Ottoman inspiration, copying the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. Beirut is the most
religiously diverse city of Lebanon and in all of the Middle East, with Christians and Muslims both having a significant presence.
Around Martyrs’ Square
Saifi Village - commonly referred to as Le Quartier des Arts, due to its numerous art galleries, antique stores, artisan shops, and specialty
boutiques - is an upscale, residential neighbourhood in Beirut. The neighbourhood was completely destroyed during the war. However,
Solidere has rebuilt the neighbourhood and restored its historic, French-colonial buildings and winding cobblestoned streets. The buildings are
painted in various pastel colours. However, there still remains some derelect buildings as a memory of its scarred past.
Unfortunately, areas around the government buildings were shut off with rolled wire and the streets were heavily guarded so we couldn’t get
to see the Lebanese Parliament buildings, the Roman Bath Ruins, the Grand Serail (Government Palace), nor the Nejmeh Square Clock Tower
which is one the few historic structures that have survived the Civil War (1975-1990) without any damage.
Medieval Arches
At the lower end of Martrys’ Square are the ruins of medieval
arches that are said to belong to the Palace of Emir
Fakhreddine II. They were discovered after the Civil War. The
site is dated to 1600.
Roman Cardo Maximus
Roman Cardo Maximus, the five Roman columns - remnants
of a Roman market in Beirut - were discovered in 1963, next
to the Maronite Cathedral of Saint George in downtown area.
The columns are dated to the second century AD.
Martyrs’ Square,
Martyrs’ Square, in the heart of downtown Beirut has a central statue that commemorates
Lebanese nationalists who were hanged during World War I by the Ottomans. In the 19th century,
the square was known as Place des Canons. During World War I, Lebanon was under Ottoman
rule. In 1915, Lebanon suffered from a food shortage due to Ottoman Turks confiscating food
from the local population, swarms of locust invading the country, and western blockade by the
Allies, intended to starve the Turks out.
A revolt against the Turks broke out which resulted in hanging of many intellectuals and
nationalists on 6 May 1916 in the renamed Martyrs’ Square. Some remains of the old Cinema
Opera building (now a Virgin Megastore) and the bronze Martyrs statue are the only features left
of the Martyrs' Square. The statue was inaugurated on March 6, 1960. Thre are many bullet holes
in the statues.
Downtown
We wandered around the desserted streets of downtown. As a result of the protests there were very few tourists. Many shops and over 300
restaurants had been forced into closure. The streets in central Beirut were empty at night. There was evidence of new modern building
such as the five storey North Souks department store designed by the famous Zaha Hadid. (Unfortunately, it was badly damaged by a fire on
15th September, 2020).
