Beirut's heritage buildings threatened by urbanization
Activists in Lebanon are demanding new laws to preserve heritage buildings, as chaotic urban planning and archaic laws are leading to the disappearance of Beirut’s oldest houses.
In Beirut, historical or heritage areas and buildings are being replaced by shiny tall buildings. The Red House, the Rose House and the Laziza Brewery are symbols of the lack of urban planning in the Lebanese capital, where heritage succumbs to money.
On Feb. 3, Ghattas Khoury, the new minister of culture, issued decree No. 32, which removed the famous Red House — in the Ras Beirut area in Hamra, in western Beirut — from the list of protected buildings. It was only seven months after former Minister Rony Araiji put the house on the list through decree No. 95 in July 2016. Reportedly dating back to the 18th century, the Red House is one of the oldest houses in Hamra and has a rich history.
Samir Rebeiz, a conservator who was born in the house and lived there for 65 years, was expelled from it by members of his family who were given the property by their elderly uncle. “After months of discussions, I received a court order at the end of January 2016 telling me to evacuate, so I did,” Rebeiz told Al-Monitor. “I don’t mind moving, but the house was in perfect shape and condition. I was maintaining everything — it’s my job after all — living in basic conditions and not having done anything to modernize the house in order to keep it intact.”
When the owners asked for a demolition permit in January 2016, the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) — a technical unit of the Ministry of Culture in charge of the promotion, protection and excavation of all heritage sites of Lebanon — started an investigation. In March 2016, it established that the Red House is a part of the city's cultural heritage and that it should not be demolished. The owners appealed this decision.
