Beirut's cultural decline
Deutsche Welle
The explosion in Beirut was a shock for Mary Cochrane, a member of one of Lebanon’s most prominent aristocratic families. Sursock Palace, where the family lives, was severely damaged in the blast, but there‘s no money to save it.
Beirut's reputation as the "Paris of the Middle East" was built on the city's many historic structures. These architectural gems elegantly combined both European and Middle-Eastern influences. After the explosion in early August, thousands of these buildings now lie in ruin. Most of them are privately owned, but their owners currently lack the means to secure them. Beirut's cultural scene is sounding the alarm: the destruction of these buildings threatens the soul of the city. But there is no money to rescue them. Donations are currently their only hope. Mary Cochrane is struggling to reconstruct the family home, or at least make it winter-proof. After all, Sursock Palace is one of the most famous landmarks in Beirut's Christian quarter, Ashrafieh. A report by Theresa Breuer and Vanessa Schlesier.
After the explosion in Beirut - the art scene draws hope | Arte TRACKS
ARTE
The explosion in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 changed everything. TRACKS visits two artists in the destroyed city in Lebanon.
We meet Raymond Essayan, artist and pianist, who was almost thrown off the roof of his Mar Mikhael neighbourhood by the blast. And we meet the rapper "Chyno With A Why?". The founder of the first battlerap league in the Middle East recently signed his first international record deal. His album "Mamluk" is scheduled for release in 2021. TRACKS talks to him about hope and his way out of the crisis.
Lebanon after the explosion in Beirut
Deutsche Welle
The explosions in Beirut's port turned property agent and party king Johnny Assaf into an activist. He's coordinating the protests against Lebanon's politicians, accusing them of leaving the people to pick up the pieces.
They have no recourse but their own initiative. Volunteers are coming to Beirut from all across Lebanon, bringing food, helping to clean up and caring for the wounded. Especially hard hit are the quarter of a million Syrian refugees living in Beirut, most of them in the port's immediate vicinity. Now, many of them have lost what little they had. Discontent had already been smoldering in Lebanon for months. Critics blame the country's rigidified and corrupt political system for the ongoing economic crisis. They say the explosions in the port were only the last gasp of an epic and wide-ranging failure of the state. Will the Lebanese give themselves over to resignation or allow their fury to ignite a revolt? A Report by Theresa Breuer and Vanessa Schlesier.