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The History of Beirut
Whenever the world thinks Beirut is done for, it proves them all wrong and rises from the ashes of whatever destruction besieged it – whether that be nature, ruler or warrior. Destroyed and rebuilt seven times, the antiquity and true staying power of this small port city is possibly best illustrated by its name, derived from the Canaanite name Be’erot (Wells) which referred to the underground water tables that continue to be drawn on today.
Until recently, the complicated history of Beirut was told through speculation by European travelers and archaeologists, but the recent civil war-wrought destruction of the city has opened the door to large archaeological digs that continue to unearth the rich, multi-civilizational history of the city. Today it is known that Beirut contains sites and monuments spanning at least 5,000 years – layers of civilizations from the Canaanites to the Ottomans, including the Phoenicians, Persians, Hittites, Romans, Byzantines, Umayyads, Abbasids, Crusaders and Mamluks – each leaving their mark in the form of ancient ruins and artifacts, language and culture.
Excavation Site in Beirut
The recent discovery of many of these sites has not allowed for much in-depth academic, let alone public, knowledge of the lasting structural impacts these peoples have left on Beirut; however, what follows is what we do know.
Arab City and Crusader Outpost
An Ottoman Vilayet and Christian Missionaries
While Beirut is mentioned in Egyptian records as early as second millennium BC, it did not gain a prominent place in the world system until it was declared a Roman province in 14 BC. The center of the original town was situated between the hills Al-Ashrafiyeh and Al-Musaytibeh and its fashionable suburbs extended into the hills. The flat land, underground water table, fertile soil and easy access to the sea all aided in the initial success of the valley town.
Ruins of the Roman Beirut Law School
Under the rule of Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus, the city was begun on a path toward becoming a cultural and intellectual, as well as trading, center of the Roman Empire. The zenith of Beirut’s acclaim during this rise was the establishment of a law school in 300 AD which drew students from around the region and empire. The city was destroyed and Roman rule was ended in 551 AD with a succession of small earthquakes, culminating a large quake and tidal wave. Upon occupation by Muslim conquerors in 635 AD, the city was still in ruins.
Arab City and Crusader Outpost
With their occupation of the city, the Arab Muslims began reconstructing the city as a small, walled garrison centered at Ba’albek. This fort was part of the jund, or Muslim province, of Damascus and its original grid pattern is still visible in the modern city. Beirut was essentially non-existent in the world system until a 10 th century revival, under the rule of the Fatimid Caliphs of Egypt, brought the city back to its trade and commercial prominence.
In 1110 AD, Beirut was taken by the warriors of the First Crusade and was quickly organized into a central post and fief of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Except for the 10 year rule (1187-1197) of Saladin and his successors, the Crusaders maintained control of the city until the Mamluks definitively drove them out in 1291.
Restored Crusader-Era Church
Under their almost two century long rule, the Christians established a flourishing trade with Genoa and other Italian city-states. The Mamluks, keen to increase their own fortunes, maintained these connections and as Beirut became the chief port of Syria, it also became the main port of call for Venice spice merchants.
An Ottoman Vilayet and Christian Missionaries
In 1498 the Portuguese discovered the means to round Africa and as a result the spice trade shifted it center from the Mediterranean to the East. After this discovery and subsequent declining economic prosperity, Beirut and Greater Syria came under Ottoman rule in 1516. However, this decline was only short and by the 17th century Beirut had reinvented itself as a major exporter of silk to Europe, primarily to Italy and France.
Lebanese Silk
These economic ties to the West were extremely beneficial to the Maronites notables of the mid-17th and 18th centuries and resulted in an on-going migration of Maronites from the mountains to the city proper where they wield considerable influence. While this migration grew the population of the city, the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1768-1974 nearly destroyed the city and drove the population down to a mere 6, 000 inhabitants.
Following the Industrial Revolution in Europe, Beirut began a period of huge commercial growth under the rule of Egyptian occupier Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha. This initial push by the soon ended Egyptian occupation (1840), was exactly what Beirut needed to regrow itself. By 1848 the town had begun to outgrow its walls as its population swelled to 15, 000 people. Civil wars in the mountains between Druze and Christians also led to a large resettling of Christian refugees in Beirut. As the Great Powers stabilized the situation in the mountains, Beirut was reconciled with its hinterland and in 1888 it became the capital of an independent Ottoman vilayet made up of all of coastal Syria, including Palestine. By the turn of the century the city’s population had ballooned to 120, 000.
Excavation of Old City Wall
Throughout the turmoil of the 1800s, Protestant missionaries from Great Britain, the United States and Germany and Roman Catholic missionaries from France were extremely active in Beirut. Through their work, the educational and cultural base of the city was established. In 1866 the Syrian Protestant College, later to become the American University of Beirut, was established by American Protestants. French Jesuit priests also founded St. Joseph University in 1881. The growth of the printing press, encouraged by both Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries, made publishing a main tri-lingual (Arabic, French and English) industry in Beirut. This initial growth has proved to be a lasting legacy of Beirut, and to this day it is known as the best and most free press in the Arab world.
Main College, American University of Beirut