The elegant Ottoman-era houses in Beirut’s Gemayzeh district lend the area a “caractère traditionnel”, as a sign reminds tourists. But gaping holes are starting to appear between the sandstone facades where buildings have been knocked down to make way for new high-rise developments.
A dizzying property boom has already deprived Beirut of many of its old houses, not to mention almost a third of the 300 buildings designated as “top priority heritage”, according to Lebanon’s culture ministry. Nearly 6,000 people have joined a Facebook group called “Save Beirut Heritage”, fearing that their city is steadily losing its historic Mediterranean identity and becoming an ersatz Dubai.
Many parts of the city, particularly its historic downtown, were destroyed in the 1975-1990 civil war, making the preservation of its remaining heritage a particularly poignant issue for locals.
No comments:
Post a Comment