Getting to Know Old Beirut


Archeologists and history professors in Lebanon should step in and take charge and guide the hapless tourists (and us locals too) around old Beirut, teach us about its history, what all the open archeological digs are, what they represent. As it is no public authority has stepped up to put up so much as a small sign telling us what each dig represents or even where the old Roman road was or medieval wall once stood, relying instead on Solidere which is too busy turning dirt to cash to care.

There is nothing I like better than walking around old Beirut and discovering its many side streets and ally ways, although most are just too clean and too empty now, not what they once were pre-1975, or so I’m told. What I hate is not knowing what an old crumbling building or ruin once was and there is never anyone around who knows. Cities only die when they pass out of our living memory.

We have lost so much of the quaint old, once bustling souks area, the whole of Burj Square is gone, the district of Saifi too, once a place where people lived and traded today its a museum to excess. Gemayzeh, once a quiet leafy green suburb of the capital is now a loud place to go to to get drunk.

We need to preserve this city’s modern and ancient history, keep it alive in the hearts and minds of its people not just information in a book collecting dust on a shelf. There is so much to the history of this city and it needs to be kept alive. The tourist deserves to be able to walk around the old city and learn of its rich and multi-layered history.

What Beirut also needs are more entertainment events aimed at increasing knowledge of this ancient city. We have an amazing city for a stage, but it’s an empty stage, we need to fill it with music, laughter and life? High priced shopping is fine, but it’s not enough. We are not living in the Gulf, we are an outdoors people and we are blessed with the sights and sounds and climate that allow us to enjoy this outdoor lifestyle.

There is this old crumbling structure (picture above) just at the very end of Foch Street to the right as you are going down towards the sea, located just behind an old mosque. Its a wall-like struture that has been covered with a green cloth. There is no sign to tell anyone what this structure is. If anyone knows, please share.

And another thing, as a local I do not appreciate that many parts of my old city are closed off and private, and here I mention Rue de France, which is closed to the public it seems. I used to be able to walk its length, but now with added security you get questioned by cops and asked what business you have in the area. You can’t exactly tell them you’re just walking to discover Beirut; they’ll think you’re off your rocker. So, Solidere, ISF and whoever, please open up our city streets, our quaint old quarters, let us walk around, we want to see them, enjoy them, we want to walk and live Beirut.

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