Theme Week Beirut on the Mediterranean coast

Saturday, 7 September 2013 - 01:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks, Union for the Mediterranean
Reading Time:  31 minutes

© Yoniw/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Yoniw/cc-by-sa-3.0

Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As there has been no recent population census, the exact population is unknown; estimates in 2007 ranged from slightly more than 1 million to slightly less than 2 million. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast, it serves as the country’s largest and main seaport. The Beirut metropolitan area consists of the city and its suburbs. The first mention of this metropolis is found in the ancient Egyptian Tell el Amarna letters, dating from the 15th century BC. The city has been inhabited continuously since then. Beirut is one of the most cosmopolitan and religiously diverse cities of Lebanon and all of the Middle East.

Before the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut was widely regarded as “The Paris of the Middle East” (on the one hand because of its very liberal, multinational, multicultural, multi-religious and cosmopolitan way of life, which to this day no other city in the Levant can match, even when the one or the other tries to convince ifself otherwise, but of course also because of the enormously diverse mix of architectural styles), often cited as a financial and business hub where visitors could experience the Levantine Mediterranean culture. Beirut’s diverse atmosphere and ancient history make it an important destination which is slowly rebuilding itself after continued turmoil. According to the 2012 tourist statistics, 34% of the tourists in Beirut came from states within the Arab League, 33% came from European countries (mainly France, Germany, and Britain), and 16% from the Americas (about half of which are from the United States).

Beirut is Lebanon’s seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy, with many banks and corporations based in its Central District, Hamra Street, Rue Verdun and Ashrafieh. The city is the focal point of the region’s cultural life, renowned for its press, theatres, cultural activities and nightlife. After the destructive Lebanese Civil War, Beirut underwent major reconstruction, and the redesigned historic city centre, marina, pubs and nightlife districts have once again made it a tourist attraction.

An overview of Beirut © Voice of America/V. Undritz UN Office Beirut © Yoniw Promenading on Avenue de Paris section of the Corniche Beirut © flickr.com - Varun Shiv Kapur/cc-by-2.0 Beirut Central District Collage © A.K.Khalifeh/cc-by-sa-3.0 Beirut Downtown Seafront © A.K.Khalifeh/cc-by-sa-3.0 Beirut © Yoniw/cc-by-sa-3.0
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Promenading on Avenue de Paris section of the Corniche Beirut © flickr.com - Varun Shiv Kapur/cc-by-2.0
Beirut was named the top place to visit by The New York Times in 2009, and as one of the ten liveliest cities in the world by Lonely Planet in the same year. According to a 2010 study by the American global consulting firm Mercer comparing high-end items such as upscale residential areas and entertainment venues, Beirut was ranked as the 4th most expensive city in the Middle East and 15th among the Upper Middle Income Countries included in the survey. Beirut came in first place regionally and 10th place internationally in a 2010 study by “EuroCost International” about the rental markets for high quality housing. 2011 MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut had the second-highest visitor spending levels in the Middle East and Africa, totaling $6.5 billion. Beirut was chosen in 2012 by Condé Nast Traveler as the best city in the Middle East.

Beirut hosted the Francophonie and Arab League summits in 2002, and in 2007 it hosted the ceremony for the Prix Albert Londres, which rewards outstanding francophone journalists every year. The city also hosted the Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009. In the same year it was proclaimed World Book Capital by UNESCO.

Beirut has also been called the “party capital of the Arab world”. Rue Monnot has an international reputation among clubbers, and Rue Gouraud in districts such as Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael have emerged as new hotspots for bar patrons and clubbers, as well as ‘The Alleyway’ in Hamra Street.

Even if it is hard to imagine today, the Lebanon‘s capital Beirut, Iran‘s capital Tehran or Afghanistan‘s capital Kabul were not only the most progressive cities in the Near and Middle East, but in some cases even more western and more open-minded than some cities in the west and that in the Muslim world. This also included efforts to achieve equality between men and women, some of which went further than the movements in Europe and the USA. Today you can only watch it in old films and documentaries. Tragically, however, that was also the beginning of the downfall of the countries or the rise of Islamist extremists and terrorists. While the country’s elites gathered in the capitals, mostly well to very well educated, poor religious illiterates continued to live in the provinces, who lived on meager agriculture, representimg the exact counter-model of the way of life in the capitals. On the one hand they felt rightly left behind, on the other hand they had the impression that the only thing they had, namely their religion, would be denigrated by the western way of life. So one thing led to another via various detours and to today’s situations in which almost everyone is equally poor and has no serious prospects for the future, led by a badly corrupt elite.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on LonelyPlanet.com – Beirut, Beirut.com, Waterfront City, Beirut Mall, Beirut City Centre Mall, Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, (France24, 4 August 2020: Deadly Beirut blasts were caused by 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, says president Aoun, DW, 4 August 2020: Powerful explosion rocks Lebanon’s capital Beirut, dozens killed, thousands injured, CNN, 4 August 2020: Lebanese capital rocked by huge explosion, France24, 4 August 2020: Offers of assistance pour in for Lebanon after deadly Beirut explosions, BBC, 4 August 2020: Beirut blast: Dozens dead and thousands injured, health minister says, Politico.eu, 4 August 2020: EU countries offer support after Beirut blast, NPR, 4 August 2020: Enormous Explosion Rocks Beirut, Killing Dozens And Wounding Thousands, The New York Times, 4 August 2020: Powerful Explosion Kills at Least 78 and Injures Thousands in Beirut, Haaretz, 4 August 2020: Dozens Dead, Thousands Wounded in Massive Blast at Beirut Port, Times of Israel, 4 August 2020: As Beirut death toll rises, Lebanese PM vows to punish those behind huge blast, Al Arabiya, 4 August 2020: Trump says Beirut blast was the result of ‘an attack’ and ‘bomb of some kind’, Arab News, 5 August 2020: Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries express solidarity with Lebanon over Beirut explosion, France24, 4 August 2020: Offers of assistance pour in for Lebanon after deadly Beirut explosions, DW, 5 August 2020: Beirut deadly blast: What makes ammonium nitrate so dangerous?, The New York Times, 5 August 2020: Anger Rises After Beirut Blast and Evidence Officials Knew of Risks, France24, 5 August 2020: Chemical linked to Beirut blast caused past explosions in Texas, Toulouse, The Wall Street Journal, 5 August 2020: The Beirut Explosion in Photos, France24, 5 August 2020: Beirut residents awake to scenes of devastation after deadly port explosion, NPR, 5 August 2020: Satellite Images Show Aftermath Of Beirut Blast, France24, 5 August 2020: ‘An earthquake’: Beirut blasts heap further misery on crisis-wracked Lebanon, The Washington Post, 5 August 2020: After the blast: Satellite images show destruction in Beirut, The New York Times, 5 August 2020: What Footage of the Beirut Explosion Tells Us, Al Arabiya, 5 August 2020: Without dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal, Lebanon will always be at risk, BBC, 6 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Angry residents demand answers after blast, France24, 6 August 2020: Lebanese diaspora mobilises after deadly Beirut blast, DW, 6 August 2020: 44,000 sign petition for France to take control of Lebanon, France24, 6 August 2020: Lebanese investigators focus on negligence in Beirut blast, BBC, 6 August 2020: Beirut explosion: What we know so far, France24, 6 August 2020: ‘Beirut is destroyed, my heart is broken’: Locals in despair over Lebanon blast, CNN, 6 August 2020: A Russian ship’s cargo of dangerous ammonium nitrate was stranded in Beirut port for years, France24, 6 August 2020: On Beirut visit, Macron says aid to go ‘directly to the people’, relief groups, Politico.eu, 6 August 2020: Macron offers Lebanon’s elite a carrot and a deadline, France24, 6 August 2020: ‘If reforms are not made, Lebanon will continue to suffer,’ says Macron in Beirut, Haaretz, 6 August 2020: Israel Is in Shock, in a Sickening Show of Hypocrisy (there is not a single reason why Lebanese would trust Israeli governments. For years, Netanyahu or one of his right-wing Likudniks has threatened the complete destruction of Beirut at least once a week), France24, 6 August 2020: Israel’s Tel Aviv lights up with Lebanon flag, Times of Israel, 6 August 2020: Rebuffed by Lebanon, Israelis seek workarounds to get help to Beirut, The Guardian, 6 August 2020: Beirut explosion: death toll rises to 137 as army takes control of site, DW, 6 August 2020: Lebanese open homes to people displaced by Beirut blast, The Guardian, 6 August 2020: No lights, no glass, no money: Beirutis hamstrung in efforts to rebuild, BBC, 6 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Macron calls for ‘deep change’ in Lebanon after blast, The Guardian, 6 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Security forces confront protesters near parliament, The New York Times, 6 August 2020: As French President Visits Beirut, Lebanese Ask Where Their Leaders Are, Arab News, 6 August 2020: Macron calls aid conference for blast-hit Lebanon ‘in coming days’, BBC, 6 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Before-and-after images, Arab News, 6 August 2020: Lebanese clean up after blast in solidarity and rage, Arab News, 7 August 2020: Who is to blame for Lebanon’s mess?, The National, 7 August 2020: EU releases €33m of emergency aid for Beirut, Arab News, 7 August 2020: French President Macron’s visit touches a chord in shellshocked Beirut, Al Arabiya, 7 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Lebanon’s police fire tear gas at anti-government protestors, DW, 7 August 2020: Lebanon faces ‘grim’ prospect of food, medical and housing shortages, France24, 7 August 2020: Lebanese police tear gas anti-government protesters in wake of devastating blast, DW, 7 August 2020: Germany warns against political destabilization in Lebanon, France24, 7 August 2020: Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader ‘categorically denies’ storing arms at Beirut blast site, BBC, 7 August 2020: Anti-government protests break out in city, France24, 7 August 2020: The strange history of the chemical cargo that caused the Beirut blast, BBC, 7 August 2020: US jobs growth slows in July as pandemic takes toll, France24, 7 August 2020: Rescuers comb through rubble of Beirut blast site as first arrests made, CNN, 7 August 2020: How judges responded to warnings about ammonium nitrate stored at the Beirut port, BBC, 7 August 2020: Beirut explosion: UN warns of Lebanon humanitarian crisis, NPR, 7 August 2020: Beirut Explosion Looks Like An Accident — And A Sign Of The Country’s Collapse, The Guardian, 7 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Former port worker says fireworks stored in hangar, Al Jazeera, 7 August 2020: Lebanon is on track to become a failed state, CNN, 7 August 2020: Ammonium nitrate that exploded in Beirut bought for mining, Mozambican firm says, The Guardian, 7 August 2020: Beirut blast Police fire teargas at protesters demanding justice over explosion, Al Arabiya, 7 August 2020: Beirut explosion will hasten Lebanon’s meltdown, DW, 8 August 2020: Lebanon’s worst enemy is its own government, Times of Israel, 8 August 2020: Israel TV: Hezbollah apparently wanted Beirut’s ammonium nitrate for Israel war (when looking at the incident from the other side, it make sense as well. For years, Likud members, including the Crime Minister himself, have threatened the complete destruction of Beirut. With this explosion they would have already lived up to half of their promise), DW, 8 August 2020: Lebanon: Protesters take over ministries after deadly blast, France24, 8 August 2020: Lebanese protesters storm ministry buildings as anger over Beirut explosion grows, Arab News, 8 August 2020: More than 60 still missing after Beirut mega-blast: ministry, Al Arabiya, 8 August 2020: Beirut explosion death toll rises to 158, over 6,000 injured: Health ministry, NPR, 8 August 2020: Police Fire Tear Gas As Thousands Express Outrage Over Beirut Explosion, BBC, 8 August 2020: Footage from a church mid-explosion brings hope to Beirutis, Arab News, 8 August 2020: Third Saudi aid plane arrives in Beirut, Politico.eu, 8 August 2020: Charles Michel visits Beirut as Lebanese protestors vent fury over port blast, BBC, 8 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Angry protesters storm government ministries, CNN, 8 August 2020: Lebanon protesters storm ministries as violent protests grip Beirut, Arab News, 8 August 2020: Why Europe has a duty to help its stricken neighbor, Al Arabiya, 8 August 2020: Beirut blast is the most tragic: 6 explosions, fires around the world within 72 hours, Al Arabiya, 9 August 2020: Beirut would be ‘erased’ had full chemical load exploded, bulk likely stolen: Expert, Israel Hayom, 9 August 2020: Former defense minister: Hezbollah responsible for Beirut blast, DW, 9 August 2020: Beirut blast: Donors push for reforms in return for pledged money, France24, 9 August 2020: Macron urges donors to ‘act quickly’ at UN virtual conference on aid for Lebanon, Israel Hayom, 9 August 2020: Is France helping Lebanon, or trying to reconquer it? (for Lebanon and the surrounding countries a “French solution” would even be desirable, because that would mean that other EU countries would also get involved. With the exception of Hezbollah on the one hand and Israel on the other, this should please all the other parties involved pretty well, because it would ultimately create stability in the medium and long term and thus a basic requirement for the country’s recovery), The Guardian, 9 August 2020: Beirut explosion: protests outside parliament call for fall of government, DW, 9 August 2020: In pictures: Beirut blast aftermath — destruction, chaos and protests, France24, 9 August 2020: Beirut protestors call for fall of government on second day of demonstrations, BBC, 9 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Donors pledge aid for Lebanon but want reform, Politico.eu, 9 August 2020: World leaders pledge €250M in Lebanon donor conference, The Washington Post, 9 August 2020: How the Beirut blast compared with similar explosions in Texas, China and France, France24, 10 August 2020: ‘I can’t sleep, I can’t even cry’: NGO worker on rebuilding Beirut after blast, DW, 10 August 2020: Germany’s Foreign Minister Maas to travel to Beirut, demand reform, France24, 10 August 2020: Lebanese PM announces government’s resignation over Beirut blast, DW, 10 August 2020: Lebanon’s government resigns over deadly Beirut port blast, Times of Israel, 10 August 2020: Lebanese blogger goes viral slamming Nasrallah as ‘worse than Israel’, France24, 10 August 2020: Beirut blast destroyed landmark 19th-century palace after painstaking restoration, BBC, 10 August 2020: Lebanon’s government resigns as public anger mounts, Arab News, 10 August 2020: UN chief calls for independent inquiry into Beirut explosion, The National, 10 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Legendary Palestinian banker envisaged silos that shielded his adopted city from more destruction, Al Arabiya, 10 August 2020: Hezbollah softens stance on Israel maritime border dispute after Lebanese rage, Al Jazeera, 10 August 2020: Hezbollah and the people will have to negotiate a new Lebanon, Arab News, 10 August 2020: ‘Balance of terror’ drives Israel’s approach to Lebanon, The National, 10 August 2020: Beirut explosion to deepen Lebanon’s economic contraction to 24%, IIF says, Arab News, 10 August 2020: Lebanese need world’s help to weed out corruption, The Guardian, 11 August 2020: If ever there was a moment for change in Lebanon, this must surely be it, France24, 11 August 2020: Beirut pauses to remember the dead one week after catastrophic explosion, The Guardian, 11 August 2020: Lebanon’s political corruption can be rooted out – if its international donors insist, Jerusalem Post, 11 August 2020: French MP demands that France designate Hezbollah a terror organization (one can only hope, that the French MPs aren’t as dumb as some of Germany’s actually are, stopping to distinct between the armed and political branches of Hezbollah, chosing to do so on the basis of US and Israeli misinformation. The last time European powers fell for US and Israeli nonsense and lies resulted in the Iraq war and a conflagration in the Middle East and North Africa), The New York Times, 11 August 2020: After the Beirut Blast, Lebanon’s Whole Cabinet Quit. Now What?, The National, 11 August 2020: Beirut’s suffering is a direct result of a failed political system in need of overhaul, Arab News, 11 August 2020: A week on from catastrophe, Lebanon remembers Beirut victims, Al Arabiya, 11 August 2020: Lebanon’s people are calling out the disease of corruption, but say cure out of reach, Al Arabiya, 11 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Six sources explain details, shine light on Hezbollah link, DW, 12 August 2020: German Foreign Minister Maas arrives in Lebanon, brings aid, calls for reform, DW, 12 August 2020: Will protests after Beirut blast bring reform to Lebanon?, Arab News, 12 August 2020: Over half of Beirut health facilities ‘non-functional’: WHO, France24, 12 August 2020: Lebanese protesters call for downfall of president and political elite over Beirut blast, NPR, 12 August 2020: ‘Lots Of Destruction, But This Is The Future’: Photos Inside The Homes Of Beirut, Times of Israel, 12 August 2020: US threatening to veto UN peacekeeper mandate in southern Lebanon — report, The New York Times, 12 August 2020: Could the Beirut Explosion Be a Turning Point for Lebanon?, DW, 13 August 2020: UN human rights experts demand probe into Beirut explosion, Arab News, 13 August 2020: ‘Dubai will be my new Beirut,’ say grieving Lebanese workers, Al Arabiya, 13 August 2020: Lebanon’s sinking economy set to plunge further after Beirut port explosion: Report, CNN, 13 August 2020: Beirut’s once-thriving cultural community was already at breaking point. Then the blast hit, Der Spiegel, 14 August 2020: Deeply Wounded City: A Portrait of Beirut After the Explosion, DW, 14 August 2020: Beirut’s cultural scene damaged by explosion, Arab News, 15 August 2020: Why Beirut may be the catalyst for a new wind of change, The Washington Post, 15 August 2020: Hezbollah faces toughest challenge yet in aftermath of Beirut blast, DW, 16 August 2020: Assassination verdict complicates Beirut blast fallout, CNN, 16 August 2020: Lebanese President says it’s ‘impossible’ for him to resign following Beirut’s deadly blast, Arab News, 16 August 2020: To save Lebanon, break the Aoun-Nasrallah unholy alliance, The National, 16 August 2020: Will Iran succeed in completely taking over Lebanon?, Al Arabiya, 16 August 2020: Beirut explosion: Lebanon’s President Aoun calls blast probe ‘complex’, Arab News, 23 August 2020: Lebanon’s new start needs to be locally led, CNN, 23 August 2020: The pain of loving Lebanon, Al Arabiya, 23 August 2020: After explosion, Lebanese say ‘Beirut is not for sale’ to corrupt developers, France24, 4 September 2020: One month on from massive port explosion, ‘Beirut needs us’, Al Arabiya, 10 September 2020: In Lebanon, Beirut’s port needs rebuilding, but no one has yet stepped up, The Guardian, 10 September 2020: Panic again at Beirut port as huge fire breaks out, CNN, 10 September 2020: Beirut port ablaze, weeks after massive blast, BBC, 10 September 2020: Beirut fire: Large blaze erupts in port a month after explosion, France24, 10 September 2020: Huge fire breaks out at Beirut port one month after fatal explosion, Al Arabiya, 10 September 2020: Major fire in Beirut port triggers ‘fear and panic’ among already distressed citizens, The Washington Post, 10 September 2020: New port fire burns in battered Beirut one month after deadly blast, France24, 11 September 2020: New fire at Beirut port causes panic among citizens already reeling from blasts, The National, 20 September 2020: Owner of capsized Beirut cruise ship ‘Orient Queen’ discusses her sea of memories: ‘It can’t end this way’, France24, 1 October 2020: ‘United for Lebanon’ charity concert in Paris to air live on FRANCE 24, France24, 6 October 2020: In pictures: Two months after port explosion, Beirut’s wounds endure, Al Jazeera, 10 October 2020: Fuel tank explosion in Lebanon capital kills four, The Guardian, 12 November 2020: Beirut blast, 100 days on A night of horror, captured by its victims, Al Jazeera, 16 November 2020: Intelligence probe into Beirut explosion lays out liabilities, Der Spiegel, 19 November 2020: The Perfect Bomb: Anatomy of the Explosion that Rocked Beirut, Al Arabiya, 5 December 2020: Beirut experiences a historical hailstorm, leaving a white blanket for hours, BBC, 5 December 2020: Beirut explosion: The abandoned ship in the blast ‘war zone’, Al Arabiya, 6 December 2020: Renowned trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf brings life to battered Beirut, Al Arabiya, 19 December 2020: Watch: Beirut neighborhood damaged by explosion opens Christmas village, Gulf News, 19 December 2020: 2020 in review: Post-blast Lebanon sees no light at end of tunnel, The Guardian, 6 January 2021: Beirut’s wounds on show in display of art damaged by port blast, Al Jazeera, 3 February 2021: 6 months after Beirut blast: Rebuilding slow, prosecution stalled, DW, 13 February 2021: Beirut blast investigation slow to find answers, The Atlantic, 12 March 2021: After the Blast, The National, 9 April 2021: German firms unveil $7.2bn proposal to revamp Beirut port, The National, 3 May 2021: Ship carrying dangerous chemicals to leave Beirut on Tuesday, Al Arabiya, 22 May 2021: Investigation underway after fire erupts in Lebanon’s Beirut port: Security sources, Jerusalem Post, 11 July 2021: Families of Beirut blast victims call for justice, Arab News, 24 July 2021: Tragedy of Beirut, last bastion of the true Levant, 2020 Beirut explosions, France24, 30 July 2021: One year after deadly blast, Beirut struggles with ‘trauma after trauma’, Reuters, 30 July 2021: FBI probe shows amount of chemicals in Beirut blast was a fraction of original shipment, France24, 30 July 2021: Beirut’s historic Sursock museum still recovering from wounds of the blast, France24, 31 July 2021: ‘They have to pay for what they did’: Families of Beirut blast victims fight for justice, France24, 2 August 2021: Beirut blast propels activist from street protests to political action, Haaretz, 2 August 2021: Beirut Port Blast and Economic Crisis Cloud Mental Wellbeing of Lebanese, Al Arabiya, 2 August 2021: France, UN target $357 mln for Lebanon in aid conference, DW, 3 August 2021: Beirut blast: Key officials ‘criminally negligent,’ HRW says, Arab News, 3 August 2021: ‘Our protests will become fiercer’ say families of Beirut blast victims, Haaretz, 3 August 2021: Why Lebanon Is Beyond Saving, France24, 4 August 2021: Beirut explosion, one year on: ‘We will never forget, we will never forgive’, BBC, 4 August 2021: Beirut blast: ‘The day our city exploded’, Arab News, 4 August 2021: Lebanon stuck on intensive care ward without any power, France24, 4 August 2021: Lebanon marks Beirut blast anniversary with fears of crackdowns in days to come, CNN, 4 August 2021: What we still don’t know about Beirut’s port explosion, France24, 4 August 2021: International donor conference raises $370 million in aid for Lebanon, Haaretz, 4 August 2021: On Beirut Blast Anniversary, Jordan Warns Lebanon Crisis ‘Could Spill Over Beyond Its Borders’, Times of Israel, 4 August 2021: Macron says Lebanon leaders ‘owe their people the truth’ about Beirut blast, France24, 4 August 2021: Beirut explosion, one year on: ‘Collectively, we will come through’, Arab News, 4 August 2021: International conference on Lebanon raises over $357 million, France24, 4 August 2021: Thousands of Lebanese protesters demand justice one year on from Beirut blast, NPR, 4 August 2021: A Year After The Beirut Explosion, Victims’ Families Continue To Push For Justice, Arab News, 4 August 2021: Thousands demand justice on anniversary of port blast in Lebanon, The National, 4 August 2021: The Blast Episode 1: how the ammonium nitrate that blew up Beirut got to Lebanon, The National, 4 August 2021: The Blast Episode 2: Who left dangerous explosives in Beirut port for six years?, The National, 4 August 2021: The Blast Episode 3: the day Beirut exploded, Arab News, 7 August 2021: Beirut blast survivors lose hope as Lebanon lurches from one crisis to another, Al Arabiya, 2 November 2021: How the Beirut blast led a Bahraini doctor to launch a Lebanon mental health lifeline, Al Arabiya, 22 November 2021: Beirut explosion: Lebanon receives Beirut blast satellite images from Russia, DW, 3 April 2022: Beirut’s golden 1960s revolutionary art, The National, 31 July 2022: Ruins of Beirut port silos collapse as three-week fire continues to burn, Jerusalem Post, 31 July 2022: Damaged grain silos at Beirut Port partially collapse, France24, 31 July 2022: Part of Beirut’s blast-damaged port silos collapses, BBC, 31 July 2022: Beirut: The moment part of the port grain silos collapsed caught on camera, The Guardian, 31 July 2022: Lebanon: Silos damaged in 2020 Beirut port explosion partly collapse after fire, Al Arabiya, 31 July 2022: Part of Beirut port silos, damaged in 2020 blast, collapses, Arab News, 31 July 2022: Part of Beirut silo complex collapses as port blast anniversary nears, The National, 1 August 2022: Fall of Beirut port silos causes distress for those who wanted memorial, CNN, 3 August 2022: Beirut’s port blast two years on: An open wound festers as authorities try to close the case, The National, 3 August 2022: Pope Francis: truth over Beirut blast ‘can never be hidden’, Arab News, 3 August 2022: Beirut port explosion investigation remains shackled two years on, DW, 3 August 2022: Two years on, hope for justice in Beirut port blast fading, Al Arabiya, 4 August 2022: Two grain silos collapse on Beirut Port explosion anniversary, The Algemeiner, 4 August 2022: On Beirut Blast Anniversary, Christian Patriarch Condemns Government Inaction, The National, 4 August 2022: More Beirut silos collapse as Lebanon marks second anniversary of port explosion, Al Arabiya, 4 August 2022: The ongoing battle to save Lebanon’s heritage damaged by the 2020 Beirut Port blast, The Economist, 4 August 2022: Beirut marks an awful anniversary with more disaster, Arab News, 4 August 2022: Parts of damaged Beirut grain silos collapse on blast anniversary, Al Arabiya, 4 August 2022: Beirut Port Blast survivor still living with severe PTSD, moved to Dubai to feel safe, France24, 4 August 2022: Two years after deadly Beirut port blast, victims continue fight for justice, Haaretz, 9 August 2022: In Photos: Beirut Explosion Then and Now, Arab News, 22 August 2022: Ancient glass shattered in Beirut blast restored, on display in London, France24, 23 August 2022: More grain silos collapse at Beirut port, damaged by devastating 2020 blast, The National, 23 August 2022: Last section of Beirut port’s northern grain silos collapses, The National, 17 June 2023: Beirut Port Blast Stories takes search for justice global following explosion, Al Arabiya, 3 August 2023: Beirut port blast: Three years on, victims still await accountability, The National, 4 August 2023: Beirut blast: US sanctions ‘must target Lebanon’s political class’, DW, 4 August 2023: Seeking justice 3 years after Beirut blast, Al Arabiya, 4 August 2023: Lebanon mourns Beirut Port blast victims after three years with no accountability, DW, 4 August 2023: Lebanon: Thousands march demanding justice over Beirut blast, The National, 4 August 2023: Lebanese rage at political classes as Beirut blast anniversary marked, DW, 4 August 2023: Rebuilding Beirut’s cultural life, CNN, 4 August 2023: Protesters demand answers on third anniversary of Beirut port explosion), Wikivoyage Beirut, Wikitravel Beirut and Wikipedia Beirut (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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Remscheid in the Bergisches Land

Remscheid in the Bergisches Land

[caption id="attachment_154229" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Haus Cleff - Typical regional architecture style © Björn Janc[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area. The population was 113,935 in 2007. Remscheid was founded in the 12th century, but remained a small village until the 19th century. The economic growth of...

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Anapa on the Black Sea

Anapa on the Black Sea

[caption id="attachment_153610" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Port of Anapa © flickr.com - Alexxx Malev/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Anapa is a town in Krasnodar Krai in Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. Population: 59,000, up from 55,000 in 1990. The Town Theater of Anapa is located on Krymskaya Street. It was opened after the reconstruction of the Town Cultural Center. There are twenty nine public libraries including four for children. In 2010 the libraries of Anapa rece...

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Theme Week Emilia-Romagna - Ravenna

Theme Week Emilia-Romagna - Ravenna

[caption id="attachment_152601" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Garibaldi statue © flickr.com - currybet[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until that empire collapsed in 476. It then served as the capital of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths until it was conquered in 554. Afterwards, the city formed the centre of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the invasion of the Franks in 751, after which it became the seat of th...

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Riace in Calabria

Riace in Calabria

[caption id="attachment_151176" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Riace © Marcuscalabresus/cc-by-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Riace is a municipality in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 km south of Catanzaro and about 80 km northeast of Reggio Calabria. Riace borders the municipalities of Camini and Stignano. It is especially famous as the site in which, in 1972, the famous Bronzi di Riace (Riace bronzes), Greek bronze statues of warriors (now in the Museo Nazionale della ...

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Romantic Hotel Muottas Muragl, the first plus-energy hotel in the Alps

Romantic Hotel Muottas Muragl, the first plus-energy hotel in the Alps

[caption id="attachment_161137" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © muottasmuragl.ch[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]During summer 2010, the entire Berghotel Muottas Muragl was completely renovated. Particular focus was placed on the aspect of environmental-friendliness, giving rise to the first plus-energy hotel in the Alps. Besides constructing the building according to the principles and requirements of the Swiss "Minergie" ecological label, this project went one step further. Although the surface area of the building was e...

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