Will the architectural heritage of Beirut survive the explosion?

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As the city rebuilds, many Lebanese worry about what will emerge from the rubble as property developers circle the debris

had not even been cleared when the speculators started to descend. They visited the Ghoulam family twice, offering to buy a shattered home on one of Beirut’s most famous streets. They called one man for days before he finally stopped answering. When the direct approach failed, some tried subterfuge: unnamed visitors whispered to owners that their homes were structurally unsound and should be demolished.

As the city rebuilds, many Lebanese worry about what will emerge from the rubble. Decades of runaway development have spoiled Beirut’s natural and architectural beauty. The Mediterranean coast was gobbled up by developers, leaving residents without access to public beaches. Stately old homes were bulldozed to make room for unsightly apartment blocks.

Such fears are rooted in a similar experience decades earlier. Downtown Beirut was heavily damaged during the country’s long civil war, when it became a front line. After the war the prime minister, Rafik Hariri, set up a company called Solidere to oversee reconstruction . The government used eminent domain to control the city centre. Developers razed hundreds of historic buildings. In their place rose luxury apartments and high-end boutiques priced beyond the reach of most Lebanese.

 

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