A Fight to Save Beirut’s Historic Architecture

posted on: Sep 4, 2020

BY: Maria Yepez/ Arab America Contributing Writer                    In addition to causing the disappearance of thousands, and the loss of nearly 180 people, the explosion of the port of Beirut swept through an urban landscape characterized by a constant fight between its historic and contemporary architecture. To have an idea of the magnitude of the blast, the shockwave shattered some 8,000 properties, leaving more than 300,000 people homeless. The downtown area of Beirut, which comprises the Gemmayzeh, Mar Mikhaël, and Achrafieh areas, has the highest concentration of historic buildings and reported the worst damages. The Lebanese authorities have accounted for at least 60 heritage structures at risk of collapse in said areas.

In the aftermath of the explosion, activists and urban experts have become increasingly concerned about safeguarding what remains of Beirut’s heritage architecture, which, prior to the explosion, had already been on the verge of disappearing. In addition, it is also feared that the blast provided the perfect excuse for a wave of demolitions, bringing down all the historic buildings that were severely damaged during the blast.

Beirut: “The Paris of the Middle East”

Influenced by the Ottomans and the French, Lebanon’s infrastructure is an architectural blend reflective of the historical, cultural and religious influences that have shaped Lebanon into what it is today.

“There are decades of architectural history in Beirut,” architect Nehmat Alameh told CNN.

In the early 20^th century, following Lebanon’s independence from France, Beirut became known as “The Paris of the Middle East.” With its ornate archways and French-colonial architecture, Beirut was a cultural and intellectual capital that constantly attracted tourists and investors on equal parts. However, Beirut’s boom period came to a quick stop in 1975 with the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War. Since then, the country has struggled with decades of multiple conflicts that have done major damage to Beirut’s heritage.

Before the Explosion

In addition to the destruction left behind as a consequence of armed conflicts, the endangering of Beirut’s historic architecture goes back to the end of the Civil War (1975-1990), when Rafic Hariri, the then Lebanese Prime Minister, created Solidere, a public-private company that appropriated the land, with the purpose of incentivizing investment in the devastated area. However, investors had no interest in restoring historic buildings. Instead, developers decided to take advantage of the situation by buying desperate homeowners their homes to demolish them and build luxury buildings and high-end stores for wealthy tourists rather than for the locals. Hundreds of heritage buildings that have been designated for restoration were demolished.

“Instead of a downtown reborn, the district became, to many, a symbol of Beirut’s postwar ills: corruption, cronyism, incompetent handling of the economy,” said the Middle East bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, Nabih Bulos.

Save Beirut Heritage, a group that lobbies to prevent the demolishing of Beirut’s historic buildings has been fighting for years against property developers willing to sacrifice Beirut’s heritage and cultural life to make way for modern (lucrative) construction.

“Compared to even just after (the Lebanese Civil War), there has been a massacre of buildings in Beirut,” said Joana Hammour, from the non-governmental organization Save Beirut Heritage.

As high-rise buildings kept rising above traditional homes, activists point out that no structure was safe from property developers since even those that have protected status would purposely be abandoned until they are designated as beyond repair; the only option left is to demolish them.

After the Explosion

Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, known for their rich historic architecture, were part of the areas that received the worst part of the blast. With the UNESCO reporting 640 buildings damaged in the blast, this situation represents a huge concern for activist groups such as Save Beirut Heritage. The structural damage caused by the explosion could lead to a wave of demolitions by opportunistic developers. For instance, the tragedy could be used as yet another excuse to demolish, instead of restore, the few historic buildings that remain standing.

“There are rumors that the owners are being offered money to sell them… There is a risk that whoever is going to buy the buildings will just knock them down and build a skyscraper to take advantage of the land, generate more money, more profit,” said photographer Joseph Khoury to BBC News.

Aside from the thousands of historic structures that have perished since the beginning of the Civil War, there is the fear that, in addition to the incompetent response by the Lebanese government, the explosion will further damage Lebanon’s national heritage. As a result, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has urged Lebanon’s major cultural organizations and the international community to work towards the safeguarding of Beirut’s historic buildings. In that same way, UNESCO has pledged to lead international restoration efforts. It is estimated that the total cost of restoration will be around $300 million (£228 million).

At the governmental level, efforts are also being made, the past Aug. 12, the Ministry of Finance issued a decree to prevent the sale of any historic structure without the permission of the Ministry of Culture. However, there are many other threats to Beirut’s architecture that need to be addressed such as the increased risk of individuals abandoning their homes because they cannot afford to rebuild and restore the building, leaving them to the mercy of developers.

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