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A Lebanese Blog

Tag: Beirut

  • Should we preserve every single Phoenician ruin in Beirut?

    The news about the sudden destruction of the ancient Phoenician port in Beirut has flooded the news and the Lebanese blogosphere over the last couple of days. Everybody seems to be against move and some are even asking the minister of culture Gaby Layoun to resign over it.

    But let’s be real for a second, downtown Beirut all lay over Phoenician ruins and much more! At the end, it was destroyed and rebuilt 7 times over its 5,000 year history, so the least you can find is ruins WHEREVER you dig around the city! Should we preserve everything we find and halt all construction works for ever? And let’s assume that we’ve succeeded in actually preserving them and turning these site into touristic places, will Khaleeji people be interested in visiting them? In fact, I see them enjoying places like Zaitounay Bay much more than the ancient ruins near the Grand Serail!

    Still, don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling to erase our history, but why can’t we be more practical? I know the developers at the Phoenician port did wrong by suddenly demolishing that Phoenician port, but why for instance didn’t we give them the option to maybe move that port to another place instead of totally halting their plans?

  • Whatsapp arguileh

    It’s becoming a trend!

    Spotted in Ras El Nabeh

  • Web series – Mamnou3!

    Mamnou3 is a new Lebanese web-series  parody about the day-to-day inner workings of the country’s censorship bureau, and is set to debute on the 1st of July.

    It would be really ironic if the General Security ended up banning Mamnou3 for “endangering Lebanon security” just like they did with Beirut Hotel and many other movies!

  • AUB students demonstrate against Donna Shalala during commencement

    Several dozen people disrupted the Master’s graduation ceremony at AUB Friday evening to protest against the awarding of an honorary degree to Donna Shalala due to her support for engagement with Israel.

    Shalala, president of the University of Miami in Florida and a former U.S. secretary of health, has three honorary degrees from universities in Israel, and does not support a cultural boycott of the country.

    Around 40 protesters heckled Shalala as she began her speech of thanks, shouting “boycott Israel.” Some held a large banner that read “Boycott Zionist Shalala.” Source

  • BBM Taxi

    Missed call me, I call you
    Message me, I reply to you
    Chat with me, I answer you

    via Rudy Chidiac

  • Fete De La Musique 2012 – Beirut

    This year’s edition of Fete De La Musique is happening in a couple of days on June 21st  and will span over 9 locations across Beirut, featuring as usual both amateur and professional musicians.

    Check below the festival schedule and start choosing which artists to watch!

    Fete De La Musique 2012- Roman Baths

    The Roman Baths venue will feature seven different artists, all performing varying genres.

    • 20:00-20:30 Marc Nader (Folk)
    • 20:40-21:10 Dida’s (Acoustic Music)
    • 21:20-21:50 Les Artistes (Folk, Acoustic Rock)
    • 22:00-23:00 Les Fils Du Calvaire (Electro-Rock)
    • 23:10-23:30 Segundo Bloco (Samba, Brazillian Percussions)
    • 23:40-00:10 Poly (Pop)
    • 00:20-00:50 The Passive Standouts (Rock)

    Fete De La Musique 2012- Beirut Souks

    The Beirut Souks venue will feature seventeen different artists, all performing varying genres on two different locations, the Platform and Ajami Square.

    Beirut Souks Platform Venue:

    • 19:00-20:00 Chorale Tania Kassis (Choral, Chants)
    • 20:10-20:30 Nachaz (Rock, Blues)
    • 20:40-21:10 Silverage (Pop, Alternative Rock)
    • 21:20-21:50 Life Line (Rock)
    • 22:00-22:20 Beirut Blues Brothers (Blues, Rock)
    • 22:30-23:00 Soul Sister (Soul, Funk)
    • 23:10-23:40 Butterfly (Rock)
    • 23:50-00:20 The Locals (Rock, Blues)
    • 00:30-1:00 The Fan Dolls (Rock)

    Beirut Souks Ajami Square Venue:

    • 20:00-20:20 Elie Sawaya (Variety)
    • 20:30-20:45 Tina Fish (Slam Poetry)
    • 20:50-21:20 Nour Yammouni (Pop)
    • 21:30-22:00 Blue Yeast (Blues Jazz)
    • 22:10-22:50 The Missing Pixels (Folk)
    • 23:00-23:20 Snowslash (Rock)
    • 23:30-23:50 Ashekman (Rap)
    • 23:55-00:15 Zeinedin (Rap)
    • 00:20-00:40 Banely (Rap)

    Fete De La Musique 2012- Samir Kassir Square

    The Samir Kassir Gardens venue will feature eight different artists, all performing varying genres.

    • 19:30-19:50 IQEWS (Alternative Rock)
    • 20:00-20:20 Point of View & Bob Arja (Rap)
    • 20:30-20:50 7ta2at (Rap)
    • 21:00-21:20 What’s Your Story (Rock, Pop)
    • 21:30-22:00 Homemade (Alt Rock, Pop)
    • 22:10-22:30 Srai (Rock)
    • 22:40-23:10 Jammit the Band (Reggae)
    • 23:30-23:50 Bandage Group (Pop, Rock)
    • 00:00-00:30 Wata El Lounge (Trip-rock, Dub)
    • 00:20-00:50 The Passive Standouts (Rock)

    Fete De La Musique 2012- Martyrs’ Square

    The Martyrs’ Square venue will feature eight different artists, all performing varying genres.

    • 19:00-20:00 Gabriel Abdel Nour (Arabic Pop)
    • 20:10-20:40 The Coolcumbers (Alternative Rock)
    • 20:50-21:30 Episode (Prog Rock)
    • 21:40-22:20 Lazzy Lung (Indie Rock)
    • 22:30-22:50 Anixa (Rock)
    • 23:00-23:40 Epic (Rock)
    • 23:50-00:10 The Rakans (Pop, Electro)
    • 00:20-01:20 DJ Andre Rizzo (Electro)

    Fete De La Musique 2012- Zaitunay Bay

    The Zaitunay Bay venue will feature eight different artists, all performing varying genres.

    • 20:00-20:20 Abdel Harb (Flamenco Guitar)
    • 20:30-21:00 Rojo Del Libano (Flamenco)
    • 21:10-21:40 Bruno Tabbal (Rock, Pop)
    • 21:50-22:10 Beirut Vocal Point (A capella)
    • 22:20-22:50 Band Audi (Rock, Blues)
    • 23:00-23:30 Blue Band LB (Rock, Reggae)
    • 23:40-00:05 Gilbert Simon and Jebebara (Pop, Arabic)
    • 00:15-00:35 Maher Salame (Electro Oriental, House)

    Fete De La Musique 2012- Saint Louis Capuchin Church

    The Saint Louis Capuchin Church venue will feature two performing groups.

    • 18:00-19:00 Chorale Du College Protestant
    • 19:00-20:00 Pastorale De L’USJ

    Fete De La Musique 2012- National Evangelical Church of Beirut

    The National Evangelical Church of Beirut venue will feature two performing groups.

    • 18:30-19:15 Chamber Music
    • 19:15-20:00 Classical Chants

    Fete De La Musique 2012 – Beirut New Waterfront

    The Beirut Waterfront Venue will feature performances by ten different DJs.

    • 8:00 pm- Alterra (Deep House)
    • 9:00 pm- Tavarish (Dubstep)
    • 10:00 pm- Ryan K (Deep House)
    • 11:00 pm- The Middle Beast (House)
    • 12:00 am- Jade (House)
    • 1:00 am- Dop [Paris] (Tech-House)
    • 2:00 am- Diamond Setter (Tech-House)
    • 3:00 am- Trix (Deep House)

    Supported by Vanclode Jandam
    VJ’s: Mosig / TM / Beirut Visuals

    via evention

  • Paint Up – Making Beirut brighter!

    I’m really loving what this group of artists and designers are doing to Beirut. Equipped with colors and skills, these guys are painting staircases around the city with cool designs.


    Bliss Street


    Mar Mkhayel


    Sakiet El Janzir

    I hope their work won’t be limited to painting up staircases only, and maybe push it further to make walls brighter even.

    Anyway, you can check their Facebook page here.

  • Beirut then and now

    via Facebook

  • 24 hours to kill in Beirut

    Check out this cool find posted by Tarek from Beirut/NTSC a couple of days ago.

    I stumbled upon the movie “In Beirut sind die Nächte lang” or “24 hours to kill”… A German movie shot in 1965 in Beirut. Here’s the synopsis:

    “When engine trouble forces an airliner into a 24 hour layover in Beirut, the plane’s pilot finds himself in the crosshairs of crime thanks to his duplicitous purser. Lex Barker assays the hero pilot role with ease, while Mickey Rooney thoroughly enjoys his turn as the seemingly hapless criminal. Walter Slezak rounds out the caper as a deadly smuggler.”

    Pity embedding the original trailer is forbidden…. But watching it is a must! You can find it HERE (above are some of the snapshots taken from that trailer)… Basically, it’s the usual mishmash of the epitomized image of Beirut: Lust, intrigue, modernist architecture, Phoenicia Hotel (and yes, there is a scene where the pool which gives way to the bar is seen!), Nadia Jamal (the belly dance), the nightclubs and get this – at the time private helicopters could land right next to Baalbeck ruins with no “yellow t-shirts” in sight…

    I also heard a while ago about another movie called “Embassy” that was shot in Lebanon back in 1973, but unfortunately failed to find any trailer or footage related to it on the internet.

  • Straight to the point!

    Wouldn’t be awesome if people spray painted similar messages every time the government does a lousy job?

    Is this Nahr El-Mot bridge by the way? Since that’s the bridge everyone complains about…