Urban Cultural Heritage and Armed Conflict: The Case of Beirut Central District

Sandes, Caroline A.

doi:10.1163/9789004251427_015

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Two years into the conflict, Central Beirut, with its centuries-old fabric, was severely damaged. The destruction of the built environment was heightened by 1980, with the involvement of Syrian and Israeli armies, international peacekeeping forces and the rise of suicide terrorism (Sandes, 2013). The vast destruction of Beirut was derived from its wartime environment's active role in the socio-political re-imagination of the city and political spaces beyond it (Fregonese, 2009).…”

Section: The [Des]memorialisation Of Beirutmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The arrival of Palestinian refugees, in 1948, led to ethnoreligious tensions, thus sparking sectarian rife, resulting in social disintegration (Sandes, 2013; Nagel, 2002). By 1975, Beirut was in a multi-faceted structure that involved both huge wealth and economy, but also tension derived from the refugee camps and displaced Shiite Muslims from the South of Lebanon (Kassir, 2010 in Sandes, 2013). Two years into the conflict, Central Beirut, with its centuries-old fabric, was severely damaged.…”

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Destruction, heritage and memory: post-conflict memorialisation for recovery and reconciliation

Atabay

Macedonio

Teba

et al. 2022

JCHMSD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThe destruction of armed confrontations – ranging from chronic armed conflicts to full-scale wars – leads to enormous loss of human lives and causes wide-scale devastation. They also leave deep and lasting traumas in the minds of those whose lives are torn apart because of a conflict. Memorialisation of conflict-affected sites plays an invaluable part in post-trauma recovery and can contribute to the reconciliation of different groups involved in a conflict as these sites are representatives of communities' collective memory, identity and a source of unity and resilience. This paper aims to investigate post-trauma recovery and reconciliation processes through the phenomena of memorialisation. It aims to answer how and if the memorialisation of sites of pain can contribute to the recovery and reconciliation of affected communities and serve as examples for other people around the world.Design/methodology/approachThe documentation of such processes and the lessons learnt can offer valuable information for conducting similar exercises in other settings ravaged by a conflict. To achieve this, a review of literature on trauma, memory, memorialisation and difficult heritage was conducted, while the memorialisation processes from different cases such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1939–1945), Beirut (1975–1990) and Sarajevo's Vijecnica and Mostar Bridge (1992–1995) were analysed.FindingsIt was identified that the potential of memorialisation for post-trauma recovery and reconciliation is vast. However, if these processes can “heal” or “hurt” depend largely on who the stakeholders are; how the site and events are interpreted and presented; how pre/post-conflict relationships and dynamics are harnessed; how symbolic meanings (old and new) are [re]interpreted; the spatial-temporal nature of the site and those interacting with it; and the intended and perceived messages. Altogether, memorialisation of conflict-affected sites is a political and continuous process that should take into consideration all those directly and indirectly involved, the dynamics between them and all the symbolic meanings acquired and attributed to the site.Originality/valueThe study critically explores frameworks of memorialisation and their impact on both the built environment and communities. It contributes to the wider discussion of difficult heritage memorialisation and approaches to reflect on sites and cities emerging from crises such as conflict.

show abstract

Section: The [Des]memorialisation Of Beirutmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Destruction, heritage and memory: post-conflict memorialisation for recovery and reconciliation

Atabay

Macedonio

Teba

et al. 2022

JCHMSD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Unfortunately, national governments and international actors often fail to seek out or build on local initiatives -either because of ignorance or ill-fit with externally designed programmes and timetables. For instance, drawing on her experience in post-conflict Beirut, complex issues pertain to redevelopment and cultural heritage, for instance, redevelopment processes predominately duplicate short-term humanitarian responses, explained by international organisations' and donors' desire to achieve quick, tangible and measurable outputs excluding local populations (Sandes 2013). This short-term, quick-fix, pre-planned project culture that characterises many donor-funded interventions is unsuited to most post-conflict scenarios.…”

Section: Genuine Localisation and Ownershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Necessary conditions for integrated approaches to the post-conflict recovery of cultural heritage in the Arab World

Barakat

2020

International Journal of Heritage Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been a dominant theme over the past half century; yet, cultural heritage continues to be generally overlooked by mainstream postwar reconstruction practices and policies-perceived and treated as a luxury that cannot be afforded by societies coping with multiple overriding priorities during conflict. After analysing the inherent interconnectedness of war and cultural heritage, this paper unearths nine specific deficiencies in policies, practices, and their implications. It then draws upon the efforts to protect and recover cultural heritage, and broader processes of postwar reconstruction, to offer ways forward through critical lessons that seek to advance academic discourse and act as guidance for good practice. These lessons emphasise the need for: a shared vision; integration of cultural heritage into the wider responses; sustained political and financial support; local capacity; participation of Indigenous actors; recognition of complementarity between replacement and conservation approaches; prioritisation of quality over speed of recovery; conservation codes and legislation; and finally, appreciation of belief and religion.

show abstract

“…The question arises: should historical buildings be frozen in time, resembling museum artifacts, or should they be integrated into a modern, economically thriving environment (Bianca, 2000)? To achieve successful conservation projects, decision-makers must prioritize local problems and traditions over global and Western concepts, understanding that the objective is not merely to transform historical areas into tourist zones (Laraichi, 1981;Salam, 1998;Sandes, 2013). The protection of historic center monuments and beautiful buildings alone is insufficient; safeguarding the wider region in which they reside is equally crucial (Sitte, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the influence of old and new rental systems on the physical condition of historic mixed-use buildings: a case study of Lebanon

Sedki

2023

Front. Built Environ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article investigates the link between the physical condition of built heritage and official local authorities’ legislation in Lebanon. The research analyzed the impact of occupation on the physical condition of dwellings under the prevailing official inherited rental legislation, identifying the scale of the problem and the factors leading to it. The responsibilities of the Lebanese official bodies for rental legislation regarding historical buildings were thoroughly discussed. Moreover, a field survey for the condition of historical dwellings was conducted. To accomplish its objectives, the study employed a three-stage methodology. The first stage involved reviewing archival records, current legislation, and relevant literature to gain a comprehensive understanding of historical dwellings laws and regulations in Lebanon. The second stage was divided into two parts. First, the case study area of the Yacob Al Labban historical square in Tripoli, Lebanon, was selected and justified. This area was examined to understand the impact of local authorities’ legislation and rental regulations on the physical condition of its historical dwellings. Second, a field survey was conducted to gather specific information on building typology, physical condition, and building defects. This data will help establish a connection between legislation and buildings’ physical conditions. In the third stage, the findings were analyzed, interpreted, and compared with the existing literature to draw meaningful conclusions about the relationship between legislation and the condition of historical buildings in Lebanon. The research results revealed a strong relationship between the deterioration of historical dwellings and rental legislation. Additionally, the study found that low rental fees were directly associated with a lack of maintenance across all types of rentals.

show abstract

Urban Cultural Heritage and Armed Conflict: The Case of Beirut Central District

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

Destruction, heritage and memory: post-conflict memorialisation for recovery and reconciliation

Destruction, heritage and memory: post-conflict memorialisation for recovery and reconciliation

Necessary conditions for integrated approaches to the post-conflict recovery of cultural heritage in the Arab World

Evaluating the influence of old and new rental systems on the physical condition of historic mixed-use buildings: a case study of Lebanon

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About