rivoli demolition

The place of archaeology in the reconstruction of Beirut

Elie Wardini and Børre Ludvigsen

Virtually from the time of its founding, the physical fabric of the city of Beirut underwent waves of destruction, demolition and decay, punctuated by the devastation of souks at the heart the old city by the Ottomans in 1915.

Again, Beirut is undergoing comprehensive reconstruction in the area of the old city. The usual conflicts between the urgency to build and the need for scientific excavation arose as soon as talk of reconstruction began. In the battle between construction finances pressed by interest rates and funding for archaeological investigation strapped for both funding and concern, many believe that science will lose. Not everyone is of the opinion that the inherent value of ancient remains and modern architecture should automatically favor the historical.

It is also felt that while previous reconstructions of the city, left the remains of demolition intact in the earth, the present round of construction is not so sensitive. Both the indiscriminate carting off of excavation material and deep foundations maybe be inflicting irreversible dammage on historical evidence.

Other sites in Lebanon are included here.

There is a mailing list for the discussion of the situation..

Here are some articles and addresses that might be of interest to those concerned with the ongoing archaeological efforts of behalf of these unique remains of cultural heritage.

Beirut

Other sites



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