Beirut's Economic Vein...Before and After the Explosion!

1. Port of Beirut: Considered the main sea port in Lebanon, located in the eastern part of St. George's Bay on the coast of Beirut to the north of the Mediterranean and west of Beirut River, it’s a meeting point for the three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa, which makes it a passage for fleets of commercial ships between the East and West. In the seventies of the 20th century, Beirut Port was the most important station for international trade within the Arab countries until it was damaged on August 4, 2020 in the Beirut explosion incident (Beirutshima).

2. An-Nahar Newspaper: It is a daily political newspaper, issued in Lebanon and considered one of the oldest newspapers in the country, founded by Gebran Tueni, the first issue was published on August 4, 1933. The building of Al-Nahar newspaper was severely damaged by the explosion (Beirutashima) on August 4, 2020 due to its proximity to the site of the explosion, 15 journalists working for the newspaper were injured, and the homes of many journalists were damaged.

3. Mar Mikhael: It is one of the oldest towns in Lebanon, bordered by Ain Zaytuna and Ain Safsaf, and it is close to Al-Morouj and Al-Matin. The town of “Mar Mikhael” was previously called the “Monastery of Mar Mikhael” - Nabeul, due to the presence of “the monastery” in its land. This area was a late night hangout spot, a street that never sleeps with many nightclubs and a large number of famous restaurants. It was already suffering from the suffocating economic crisis in Lebanon, then the Corona pandemic came to double the suffering, and now the explosion put the last nail in the coffin of a beautiful street that fell down.

4. Le Gray Hotel: Le Gray Hotel is located in the exclusive downtown area of Beirut, and features an elegant design and a neon-lit bar on the top floor with panoramic 360-degree views of the sea, the city and the mountains. This unique hotel was damaged by the explosion (Beirutshima) which damaged 90% of the hotels in Lebanon. Many employees and hotel guests were injured. Guests were then moved to other hotels far from the explosion.

5. Al-Zaytouna Bay: Al-Zaytouneh Region is a region in Beirut, the Lebanese capital. On its bay, lies the St. George International Hotel, a hotel that was damaged during the Lebanese war but continued to operate. After the explosion (Beirutshima), this beautiful bay was turned into a destroyed empty plaza.

6. The Lebanese Parliament: It is the legislative body of the Republic of Lebanon. It is located in Al-Najma Square in Beirut; It was damaged and destroyed during the explosion (Beirutshima) due to its proximity to the site.