Horsh Beirut

Horsh Beirut is an urban park in Beirut, Lebanon. The urban park is known as Horsh El Snoubar or Bois de Pins (Arabic and French, respectively, for the Pine Forest); it covers about 40,000 m²[1] of green space within municipal Beirut.

History

Map of Beirut with mark showing location of the Horsh
Location of Horsh Beirut

Horsh suffered throughout history frequent abuse of its timber especially by the armies of the Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, and the Allies of World War II to build ships and weapons.[2] Large parts of the pine forest were segmented-out to become an Ottoman Casino in 1917 (which became the Pine Residence later during the French Mandate of Lebanon), a horse racecourse in 1921, Al-Shohadaa Cemetery in 1958, and Rawdat al-Shaheedein Cemetery in the 1970s. Moreover, the development of new roads during the 1950s state planning produced some leftovers of the remaining woodland that became subject to conflict and appropriation.


During recent history, Horsh was bombed to burn by Israeli jet fighters during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. From a pine forest over 1,250,000 m2 in 1696 to a park over 800,000 m2 in 1967 (≈ 5% of Municipal Beirut),[3] today, Horsh Al-Sanawbar is lot [1925], only 255,000 m2 triangular park at the southern boundary of the city inscribed within Omar Beyhum St, 22 November Av, and Abdelnasser Av. It lies along the axis of the old airport road amidst areas of Mazraa, Tarik el-Jdideh, Qasqas, Sabra, Ghobeyri, Shiyah, Furn el-Shebak, and Badaro while it is separated from Ras el-Nabaa by the Beirut Hippodrome.

References

  1. ↑ Doyle, Paul. Lebanon, Bradt Travel Guides, 2012, page 153.
  2. ↑ Al-Wali, T. (1993). Beirut fi'Tarikh wal'Hadara wal'Omran (Beirut: History, Culture, and Urbanism). Beirut: Dar al-Elem lil'Malayeen. pp. 106-107.
  3. ↑ Al-Wali, T. (1993). Beirut fi'Tarikh wal'Hadara wal'Omran (Beirut: History, Culture, and Urbanism). Beirut: Dar al-Elem lil'Malayeen.

Al-Wali, T. (1993). Beirut fi'Tarikh wal'Hadara wal'Omran (Beirut: History, Culture, and Urbanism). Beirut: Dar al-Elem lil'Malayeen.

    External links

    Coordinates: 33°52′18″N 35°30′34″E / 33.87167°N 35.50944°E