Our Heritage is being raped by SOLIDERE

Posted by Michel on March 17th, 2012

Two days ago an article in Lebanese French newspaper said “The Roman hippodrome in Beirut engulfed by the promoters: Three of his predecessors had refused to do it, Gaby Layoun, Minister of Culture, has done it. He allowed the decommissioning of the site of the Roman hippodrome in Beirut and its redevelopment into a luxury residential complex …”

If this is not enough, the Lebanese government is about to bury a 2500-year-old Phoenician port in Beirut’s Minet El Hosn region with three towers. The port was discovered recently. It is located behind Hotel Monroe. The discovery of this port last summer was kept in the dark by the SOLIDERE evil tsunami. A tsunami that is destorying anything Phoenician, Roman, …. anything that speaks about Lebanon prior to the Islamic Conquest. The excuse given is development. but this excuse doesn’t work on some Lebanese who are eager to save their history. Many countries developed their cities but saved its heritage. For me, there is nothing that will replace the destruction of a Phoenician port. No excuse can convince me that 3 towers are more important to Lebanon than its history and heritage. The ruins will bring in thousands of tourists every year while the 3 towers will bring few hundreds tenants from the Gulf region. Why from the gulf? Because you and me (the reader) will not be able to afford to buy an apartment in these towers. Anyway, what kind of Lebanese is willing to live in a tower that destroyed for ever a Phoenician port?

What kind of a company is SOLIDERE that is willing to destroy such a treasure? Isn’t it enough what they destroyed already? How about the first law school in the world that was discovered few years ago and SOLIDERE flooded it with sewer waters and build over it? This is a small crime committed by SOLIDERE to our heritage. They do not only destroy, they do not pay taxes. Even SOLIDERE formation is illegal (Follow this link to read about it http://www.cggl.org/scripts/new.asp?id=862).

Our heritage is under attack and yet only few Lebanese are up to face this attack. Some are busy fighting for their political leaders the battles of Don Quixote, others busy with their plastic surgeries, some with their western prostitutes, many with their clubs, food and arjileh, …. oh and many torturing migrant workers (something I will address soon).

My question is, where are those who used to say we are not Arabs, we are Phoenicians? Where are you today? Working in the Gulf? Collecting money from the Gulf countries and Iran to finance your political parties?

Some are trying, but their move is still in cyberspace. For those interested in keeping informed you can check the Facebook group: Phoenician Port of Beirut: Slipways of the Phoenician Harbor of Beirut, or sign this petition PROTECT THE PHOENICIAN PORT on BEIRUT PLOT 1398!!

Nothing will change if the NGO’s, communities, parties act as one to save our heritage. I’m wondering even our Phoenician heritage is not a common point between those who used to claim we are Phoenicians???

Posted in Crime, Cultural, Opinion

Tags: oman hippodrome of Beirut, Phoenician, Phoenician port, solidere

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shin

a lot of ancient culture (Christian heritage) has been destroyed in middle east or lies in ruins. old culture cannot be bought with money, it is too precious.
cultecural heritage should be protected from destruction. a (old) house with local architture has tradition that cannot be compared with new built luxury apartments and buildings .
Elias

What the shame is that all the developers in Lebanon claim to be advancing Urban Life. They claim these new buildings are building the economy. That a load of lies. Jobs aren’t in Beirut. They are still in the GCC. and Beirut doesn’t need new buildings. Its needs a mass transit system. Its needs sidewalks for pedestrians. It needs Parks and preservation. It needs better utilities and sewers. Developers Keep building your concrete jungle, your only ruining the chance for your own investments to flourish.
Elias J

Its a shame that they are allowing such a thing it should be the government that should protect heritage sites, but wait i forgot its corrupt. Thats the problem most countries have laws that save there heritage sites, unlike lebanon.

LOL its funny no one remembers that they use to say we are not arabs we are Phoenicians, dont see them trying to protect it. Will people must wake up cause the more they get rid of everything that has a past not related to islam, its a step closer to making it a islamic country.
Formerly Kanaan

I can’t help but wonder where do these people who live in those nice new condominiums work? How to do they get to work? How do they get around their own city? Beirut has no transportation system! No subway system and the bus system from what I seen of it looks like an unreliable joke. You cannot cycle safely, you cannot even walk safely in many areas and sometimes not even a sidewalk. You can hardly breath during rush hours from pollution. You cannot even drive safely. Well I’ve spent time in Mexico City, where there are around 20,000,000 cars. I use to always tell my girlfriend “let’s just take the metro” and she would want to wait it out in a taxi! …I couldn’t stand it sometimes. Well the metro might be jammed with people, at least you have the option to get to where you want to go very quickly and efficiently… sadly, people in Beirut do not even have this option! Recently I stayed in Hamra for a month, and everyday I would go to Sassine area to meet my friend at her job after work or for lunch. Rather then waiting over an hour to travel a few kilometers in a taxi, sometimes I would just walk alongside the Corniche. The Corniche is a nice walk, but the challenging part was when you get to martyrs square where the Hariri mosque is and you have to go up hill to Ashrafieh. You have to dodge construction, debris from possible construction, maniac drivers, cars parked on the sidewalk, narrow sidewalks, its terrible.

It seems Lebanon is building backwards. You are suppose to have the infrastructure in place before you build, Beirut cannot even accommodate what they have now yet they keep managing to build these luxurious million dollar a unit condominiums that nobody normal can afford to live. It is ridiculous. I feel your pain, and pain for the good and honest people who try to make a living in Lebanon.
http://www.angrylebs.com Michel

March for Beirut’s Phoenician Port and Roman Hippodrome

Minat Al Hosn, behind Monroe Hotel, site of the Phoenician Port

The APLH invites all Lebanese citizens to mobilize into an non-political movement, for a peaceful walk on the 24th of March, Saturday 2012, at 3pm.

Gathering point: Minat Al Hosn, behind Hotel Monroe.

The march aims for the following:
-Denouncing the reluctance of the government and lax approach towards launching the necessary projects to valorize the many archeological and historical sites in Beirut.
-To protect the Phoenician port of Beirut, on plot 1398
-The reversal of the ministry of culture’s decision to allow the ‘integration’ of the Beirut Roman Hippodrome In Wadi Abou Jmil, into a development project, especially that the Hippodrome is onthe list of culturally relevant monuments in Beirut.

Let’s save the few remaining archeological sites we still have left. they are the last remaining historical link between our past and us.
Let’s safeguard this cultural heirloom for our descendence!

History, Culture and Identity over Politics: Thank you for NOT bringing along any visual or slogan related to any political, religious or commercial affiliation.

Politics have no place in our meeting. This is a gathering of Lebanese, paying tribute to their rich ancestry and reconnecting with it.

Long Live Lebanon and its people.