Grand Theatre becomes popular selfie spot
YOUNG LEBANESE ARE CONNECTING WITH THE HISTORIC BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR DECADES
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Fenced off on a corner between Beirut’s Emir Bashir Street and Syria Street, Lebanon’s historic Grand Theatre has become a favourite spot for protesters to take selfies.
Built in 1929, the building has been closed since Lebanon’s civil war started in 1975.
It has hosted such musical legends as Umm Kalthoum and Mohammad Abdul Wahhab.
Riddled with bullet-holes from the civil war, the majestic structure still stands today, but many young Lebanese had no idea about its historical significance.
Because of its vantage position, protesters broke into the
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The Grand Théâtre was designed by Youssef Aftimos and built by Jacques Tabet (a poet and lover of theatre) in 1929.
The theatre was part of a commercial centre that housed a hotel, rental apartments, offices and shops.
The construction of the Grand Théâtre on the corner of Emir Bashir and Syria streets blocked the original 1878 design of a major thoroughfare connecting the harbour to the Pine Forest at the city’s southern limit.
The horseshoe-shaped auditorium of the theatre accommodated 630 seats with an abandoned building to snap photos from the balconies — offering incredible bird’s eyeview of the protests.
Only after people started sharing photos taken from there, did they become aware of
its historical significance.
“I had no clue. I climbed up the roof to take photos of the protests. After posting photos on social media, my mother showed the photos to my dad and he told me that it is the historical a French musical called adapted from a Broadway success. The theatre later hosted the Comédie Française, the Ballet des Champs-Elysées, the Egyptian Ramses Group, and concerts by Abdul Wahhab and Umm Kalthoum. The Grand Théâtre also screened international movie productions and catered for major literary and charity events. From the 1960s onwards, it operated solely as a movie theatre. Post-war reconstruction of the mid-1990s restored the façade of the Grand Théâtre, adapting the building for contemporary use.
Grand Theatre that had a famous theatre, cinema and hotel,” Patricia S. told Gulf News.
The Grand Theatre has been fenced off since the 1990s when the war ended.
Plans to renovate it have been
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French tourist, Sarah Riehl, said she took the opportunity to see the building that has been closed off from the public for decades.
“It is an amazing feeling. It is
SCAN ME
Watch a video on Lebanon’s historic Grand Theatre
a huge a symbol of people taking back their freedom and enter places that were previously forbidden. Long live the revolution,” she said.
“It’s a shame they did not open this up earlier. I am happy to see this,” Syrian choreographer, Omar Baz, said.
“My grandfather used to tell us stories about it. I never knew it was this building. I cannot believe this revolution helped us discover this hidden gem,” Ranya, said, as she snapped pictures from the rooftop.