The Memory Tree is the only standing memorial to the famine that Mount Lebanon suffered from 1915 till 1918 during the Ottoman rule due to the British and French blockade along the Mediterranean.
The Arabic calligrapher, Yazan Halawani, stated the following about this tree: "It is said that the Lebanese suffer from collective amnesia. And that Beirut finds it difficult to recall this brutal past. It is also said that those who can't remember the past are doomed to repeat it." And this resonated in me as a local.
It is all made of Arabic calligraphy of the phrases that poets and writers wrote about the famine who lived through it, as Khalil Gebran. Surrounding it is a group of benches that anyone can sit on and a sidewalk that is wide enough for biking and kids to play around.
Find your way with 179 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
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"Mansion" Blatt in Beirut is a 20th-century villa that's been turned into a shared coworking & creative space used by designers, artists, architects & more.
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An exciting part of this museum is that at some point, if you look up, you'll be looking through a glass ceiling that shows the church right above you.
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The "Garden of Forgiveness" in Beirut is a vast space that was properly unveiled during excavations after the Civil War. Come observe its beauty & history.
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"Barzakh Bookshop" in Beirut is the ultimate definition of a hidden gem. It's a cultural melting pot of literary rebels from around the world...
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"Beit Beirut", or the Yellow Building, has been standing since 1924. It survived the Civil War and is now used as a center for exhibitions & events...
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"L'Artisan du Liban" is a social movement in Beirut that's keeping local art and artisans alive. I usually buy gifts for my locals friends here...
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179 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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