Lebanon's capital, Beirut, is a beautiful port city on the Mediterranean Sea. Beirut's central Old Town traces the history of 11 ancient civilizations, from the Biblical Canaanites to the Ottoman Empire.
The city's urban and architectural identity was largely shaped by the Ottoman Empire and the French colonial period. However, the civil war of 1975-1990 devastated the central Beirut area, leaving about two-thirds of the buildings in near ruins.
British photographer James Kerwin has spent years "watching" Beirut, capturing the "soul" of abandoned buildings here by focusing on their unique colors and ancient architectural lines. Through his camera, Kerwin has tried to tell a colorful story about Lebanon's history through the remaining ruins.
The scars of the past are present on Beirut’s abandoned buildings as a legacy of the many wars that have occurred throughout the city’s history. Kerwin gives us a candid look at the wars that have taken place in this place.
Once known as the “Paris of the Middle East,” Beirut’s gilded past is still evident in its crumbling architectural ruins. Ornate archways and delicately plastered walls transport us back to the grandeur of Beirut, a cradle of culture and intelligence after the country gained independence in 1943.
But all that changed in 1975, when the Lebanese civil war began. Successive wars sparked decades of chaos, eventually leading to the Israeli-Lebanese conflict in 2006.
Although it lasted only 34 days, the Israeli-Lebanese conflict severely damaged the city of Beirut, which had been rebuilt since the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990. In this short period, approximately 1,300 Lebanese died and many structures and infrastructure were severely damaged. These ancient architectural spaces show the scars of decades of internal conflict created during the Lebanese civil war.
During his time in Beirut, Kerwin had the opportunity to visit ancient palaces, theaters, mosques, old housing estates, and hammams. Many of these were used as military bases during the civil war. Most were abandoned, with only a few restored to use today.
Take a look at the once-splendid ancient architecture of the memory city of Beirut through the lens of photographer James Kerwin.
Once dubbed the “Paris of the Middle East,” Beirut’s gilded past still seems to be present in its crumbling architectural ruins.
But Beirut's once legendary circular window
