MARTYRS SQUARE

Also known as the Square of the Cannons or Borj, this square was named after the Lebanese martyrs hanged here on May 6, 1916 by the Ottoman authorities during the First World War.

The square is now a vast empty lot, pierced by two roads, awaiting the realization of vast real estate projects.

It is hard to imagine that in the time of Amir Fakhreddine this square abounded with green trees and superb statues imported from Italy. It was called Al-Borg, "the tower", because of an observation tower at the north corner of Gouraud Street from which the Emir could admire his orchards, the sea and the snow-capped Sanine Mountain. In 1860, the French army moved into the square with its arms, christening it "Place des Canons". In 1915 and 1916, the Turks hanged Arab nationalist leaders there. Since then, what used to be the orchard of Fakhreddine is known as the Martyrs' Square.

Like the rest of downtown Beirut, Martyrs Square was, as early as 1975, the scene of violent fighting between rival militias vying for domination of the capital. At the beginning of the fighting between 1975 and 1976, the Sursock, Tawilé and Ayass souks were meticulously looted, robbed and burned. Thereafter, there was very little hand-to-hand fighting. Indeed, each camp took possession of a building, a street or an area. Fighters and snipers neutralized each other across a demarcation line. As a result, many ochre or white stone buildings with ornate facades, built in a Franco-Eastern style during the French Mandate, disappeared. As a result, many of the old souks and buildings damaged during the war were destroyed in the late 1970s by dynamite or bulldozers in anticipation of various reconstruction plans. From the memories of Martyrs Square in 1975, only the old Opera House (Virgin Megastore) and the statue of the Martyrs remain.

To the southeast of Martyrs Square is the new residential area of Saifi Village. Watched over by guards on every street corner, this district offers a perfectly controlled urban setting with paved roads, a public garden, uniform sidewalks, alleys, squares and green spaces. On the initiative of the Solidere real estate company, this neighborhood has some fifteen residential buildings, among the most sought-after in Beirut. Saifi Village also has a commercial vocation with several shops devoted to the arts.