Achrafieh

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Achrafieh, (Arabic: الأشرفية; sometimes spelled as Ashrafieh), is one of Beirut's oldest quartiers. It is located on a hill in the eastern part of Beirut alongside the shore. Achrafieh is a both a residential and commercial district characterized by narrow winding streets and large apartment and office buildings. It is a location of investment and tourism.

Until the 1930s, Achrafieh was largely composed of farmland owned and farmed by only a few Christian families that ruled the country and the region for centuries. The Lebanese government, which at the time was under French Mandate, partitioned the land in Achrafieh to build roads and highways, forcing these families to eventually sell large parts of their land.

Achrafieh was (and still is) the home of the seven most socially and economically prominent Christian Greek Orthodox families that formed Beirut High Society for centuries: Ferneini, Bustros, Sursock, Trad, Tueini, Araman, and Fayad.

The area is divided into numerous smaller neighborhoods. Its most prominent ones include St Nicolas (where important buildings include the Sursock House, Sursock Museum and the Sofil building) and Tabaris (among its important buildings: 812 Tabaris, Achrafieh Tower, Yared buildings, Metropolis, and L'Hermitage building).

During the Lebanese Civil War, which started in 1975, Achrafieh was an important base for Lebanese Christian militias and the Lebanese Forces, and as such formed part of Christian East Beirut.