I grew up hearing tales of Beirut from my parents, who worked there in the ’70s; it became an imperative that I visit the city as well. I had no memories for comparison, but I could tell that it was an incredible example of the way cultures can come together in one small area. What follows are photographs I took of Beirut, mostly at night as I walked around the city. I will also include some brief comments.
Overall, it was a study in contrast.
One thing not shown in these photos is the extremely heavy security presence; comparable to that of Tunisia during the Arab Spring revolt. Several months before my visit, the Lebanese intelligence minister had been killed in a massive car bomb attack. Some of the soldiers and police were polite and conversational with me; others were condescending or even openly hostile towards my presence. Many military posts consisted of bombed-out, bullet-riddled buildings in the middle of otherwise rather nice areas of town.
After spending a considerable amount of time in the city, I could see why Beirut was the stuff of legends. But I found the Lebanese countryside to be far more welcoming and attractive.
In a word: wow.
That pita looks pretty damned good.
the Roman baths are pretty amazing
Great pictures man, and I’m just curious, what kind of gear do you shoot with? Didn’t see any EXIF data in the shots.
Thanks, these photos were taken with a Canon S95.
Oh nice, I have an S100, great little cameras for travel aren’t they?
Thank you for sharing these, I found all the pictures very appealing.
I’m completely jealous of your photography and the places you go, but thanks for sharing anyway. 🙂
Thank you for showing the better side of my country 🙂
Cool account of your travels in Beirut. Enjoyed the pictures and accompanying descriptions.
For those of us whose impression of Beirut was formed in the 1980s, all I can say is “Wow!” and add a humble prayer of thanksgiving to see a city reborn. It sounds as if it was a fascinating trip, and beautifully documented.