Race Against Time: How luxury developers are wiping out ancient Beirut
A version of this story was published in Monocle Magazine, August 2018
By Habib Battah
Just...
Grand Sofar Hotel: A case for preservation
At a time when so many historic sites are being demolished in Lebanon, it's refreshing to see that some in the country are also...
On the Making of ‘We Made Every Living Thing from Water’
‘We Made Every Living Thing from Water’ (وجعلنا من الماء كل شيء حي) will have its premiere at 6pm today (22 November) at Metropolis...
Ghalghoul: a neighborhood erased
Before and after pictures were at the heart of the project to rebuild downtown Beirut following the Lebanese war. These images filled the pages...
Amid constant blackouts, Energy minister awarded prize
If you live in Lebanon, you would probably fall out of your chair if I told you government ministers were being awarded for public...
Venice? No, it’s all in Lebanon!
Have you ever been to Lake Naccache? It's so romantic with restaurants right on the waterfront.
But strangely, the people drive cars, not boats:
...which doesn't...
The changing culture of election campaigns in Lebanon
Even if independent candidates don't win big on election day, they are already having an impact on Lebanese political culture. They have introduced new...
Lebanon’s first expatriate voters show true colors
There is a fantasy among many in Lebanon- liberals in particular– that a silent majority of Lebanese do not support the country's political establishment....
Not your average citizen: Rafik Hariri’s neoliberal Lebanon
With tensions between Lebanon and GCC countries rising everyday, it is essential to examine how Lebanon's economy has become dependent on oil-producing states and...
Hacking the Saudi narrative, Lebanese style
Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. I'm not a fan of quoting cliches, but in these Machiavellian times, few phrases seem to...
