The Port of Beirut – the site of the disastrous explosions that shattered Beirut on Tuesday – came to prominence as a Mediterranean trading hub facilitating commercial activity for Lebanon.
But 200 years ago, during a time of political uncertainty in which Lebanon was occupied by an Egyptian dynasty, the port was developed as a way to quell epidemics. At the time, cholera was the primary concern, but today, Lebanon – and the rest of the world – must again grapple with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic while it clears out the rubble left from the blasts.
Two days after the blasts, Lebanon recorded its highest single-day coronavirus infection tally, with 255 new cases.
While parts of Beirut lies in ruin, citizens have picked up brooms and taken to the streets. Meanwhile, the government seems absent from the scene, although security forces made an appearance Thursday night to blast protesters with tear gas after they gathered to protest government negligence that led to the explosions.
While the port’s history stretches back to the 15th century, the government paid particular attention to the development of the port in the 19th century as the city developed, wrote the late Samir Kassir in his book Beirut.
Partial view of St. George’s Bay, in the port of Beirut, with a modern new building dominating in the background in Beirut, Italy on May 23, 1958. (AP)
People are pictured through the retractable ceiling of the B 018 nightclub in the Lebanese capital, Beirut in the Qarantina district on September 14, 2018, as they dance during the closing party of the famous club ahead of scheduled renovations. (AFP)
This Tuesday, May 5, 2020 photo, shows a partial view of the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon. (AP)