Lebanon’s Barbershops Back In The Day: Here’s What They Were Like

What was the visit to the barber like back in the old days? Take a walk down memory lane with this installment of Beirut’s Collective Memory.

Ask any elder: remember your old barber? He’ll immediately respond with ten anecdotes, an entire description of the salon he used to go to, the antique chair the barber used, the equipment he had… his picture shaving a client when he was young… the towel he used, the razor he used to sharpen…

No doubt, the barber shop was an important part of our history and a key component of the social fabric of any city. The barber shop was also not just a routine spot, you knew very well that you could walk in and get the entire news bulletin about the neighborhood, the street, the neighbors…who came and who left and who had children. Everything was known at the barber’s. So you have all the real tales of the neighborhood, of course they’re not always real, some of them true, some lies…some good, some bad…some sweet, some bitter.

But there you’ll find the neighborhood’s news receptacle, or the neighborhood’s news agency. About the barber himself, he always wore a white coat and big glasses. Whenever he wanted to fix a certain hairstyle, he’d put on his glasses, then take them off—I don’t know why. On the marble shelf in front of him, there was always a two mirrors. There was also a bowl for shaving cream, one brush he used, and two new ones. You’d spot a razor too, kept in a box. He got those razors from Germany and saved them in an old box. He always put it on the shelf in front of customers so they could see the stuff he used.

The barber would wet the customer’s hair, and then he had a device he would press to release some powder. There were four or five scissors, four or five combs, and two small jars. Each jar had an electrical tape hanging from it, inside was a pair of electric clippers. On the other side, there was also a hairdryer available. The jars had two small clippers on them. He would open a drawer whenever he needed a certain scissor. He’d find it on the shelf, take it, close the drawer, and continue his work. There was always a picture of his father or grandfather hanging on the walls. There were two or three pictures of Lebanon, and three or four pictures of actors whose hair was eye-catching: Sean Connery, Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis…they served as samples of what could be achieved under his skillful hands.

It was always said that the barber is talkative. To be honest, he isn’t talkative, rather he often would retell story after story that gets brought to him from and by the end of the day, it would be completely different. Back in the old days, the barber did more than just cut hair. He was like a doctor and a surgeon. He treated things like eye problems and skin diseases, even mange—he took care of it all. And in times before proper medicine, lots of barbers also did dental work. That’s where the saying comes from: while he’s shaving you, he might end up pulling a tooth.

Before barbers had modern salons, they used to carry small bags, foldout chairs, and a tiny mirror. The customer would sit on the chair under a tree and hold the mirror while getting a trim. Even the wooden chairs in the middle of the salon were special for barbers. A backrest was added under the seat later, modeled after ones from Chicago. These new chairs were made of chrome and porcelain, and many barbers rented them. They came with a headrest and leg supports.

In history, when a pharaoh passed away, they were sometimes buried with their barber. Maybe it was to fix their hair in the afterlife, or maybe to keep secrets from spreading after death.

Check out our tour of the oldest barber shops in Beirut:

@beirut.com Journey through time 🕰 as we explore Beirut's iconic barbershops💈From architectural marvels to tales of the community! 💇‍♂️ #barbershop#beirut#fyp#lebanon ♬ يا دار – وديع الصافي