The noise, the pollution, the traffic, the filth, and the grime of daily life in Beirut has immunized us to a lot of its hidden charms and history.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to leave the city to really get a feel of its history; a lot of it’s architectural relics still stand today. On the corner of your street, up the alleyway of your favorite bar, and behind that massive new eighteen floor skyscraper lies little tiny vestiges that have stood the test of time and war to tell you the stories of a Beirut forgotten – if you want to listen.
We are so often consumed by the things we see at eye level, that a quick glimpse upwards on that street you walk through everyday might show you something new, or really old.
Old houses that have watched the city grow vertically over time, immobile so long that they have been covered and camouflaged by vines.
Just above, right by that new urban coffee shop we love, moulded with arched window frames and quaint balconies.
Designed with green window shutters, and black iron fer forge.
Some aren’t as remarkable as others, aging badly through the years, but still stand right under our noses unnoticed.
They whisper names and stories of a time past.
The charming Beirut of another time and generation.
The last standing evidence of a time of peace and culture, our beloved city enjoyed.
