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Beirut, once known as the "Paris of the Middle East," has a rich history of cultural and economic vibrancy, from its Phoenician roots to its Golden Age in the 1960s. However, beneath this glamorous image, deep social and economic inequalities fueled unrest, leading to periods of violence. Today's Beirut is marked by the resilience of its people, while grappling with ongoing political instability, economic crises, and renewed violence, reflecting its long-standing challenges.

Intrigued? Click on to discover more about Beirut's complex journey.

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A city well-known for its vibrant cultural offerings and incredible seaside views holds thousands of years of history that have shaped it into a treasured cosmopolitan masterpiece.

▲Known as Berytus during the Phoenician era, Beirut was a thriving center of trade and culture.

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Famous Lebanese author Gibran Khalil Gibran once wrote about his native country nearly 12 years after exile: "My Lebanon will endure forever." In many ways, Lebanon has endured the test of time, and Beirut is a testament to its resilience.

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Famed for innovative maritime activities, Phoenician seafarers fostered a vast cultural exchange through their networks. Various forms of craftsmanship and artistic traditions drew merchants from around the world to the cosmopolitan hub.

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The government's lack of response to rising tensions eventually lead to violence that would last for decades, namely the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990).

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Phoenician rule was followed by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman rule. Each period carried specific cultural and intellectual contributions that weaved together their influences and laid the groundwork for Beirut's rich contemporary composition.

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Beirut experienced a 'Golden Age,' which gave way to its nickname of the "Paris of the Middle East." Following Lebanon’s independence in 1943 from 23 years of French mandate rule, the city cemented itself as a modern hub for people across the region and world.

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Exiles from other Arab countries were swept into Beirut to imagine their futures as intellectuals and artists.

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Sectarian tensions that drove the Lebanese Civil War led to the emergence of militant political movements in response to the concerns of society's marginalized groups. Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political party closely aligned with Iran and Syria, was formed in the 1980s during the Lebanese Civil War.

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Indeed, the vibrancy of the city during its Golden Age gave way to economic prosperity. But for many, this period was an illusion of inclusivity that masked deeply-rooted inequalities that contributed toward the degradation of the national social fabric. While Beirut experienced rapid development, the rest of the country did not, provoking asymmetrical influence on the country's politics and access to resources.

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Artists, writers, and intellectuals flocked to Beirut, contributing to its cosmopolitan reputation. Different to European capitals, the attraction to Beirut was not its wealth or influence, but its artistic and cultural attributes, as well as its political possibilities.

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Due to investments from Western nations and wealthy states in the region, the economic boom that Beirut experienced created a flow of wealth primarily to its middle and upper classes, mostly composed of its Christian and Sunni Muslim communities.

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Lebanon's political system is based on a model that divides power between religious sects. Pictured here is Lebanon's first female deputy Mirna Bustani, representing Maronite Christians. Below her is former Lebanese President Rene Muawwad and former Prime Minister Rashid Karami.

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The country's more vulnerable social groups experienced reduced influence in governance, while also experiencing greater economic strife and reduced access to and development of its public resources.

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Beirut's reputation as the cultural hub of the Arab world was inaccessible to most of the city's native population, most of whom were excluded from the glamorous image that marked the city's growth.

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These tensions were further exacerbated with the influx of refugees from neighboring nations in conflict. Following the 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israel wars, Palestinian refugees flooded the city, living in informal encampments under impoverished conditions. The social contradictions and divisions that enveloped the city were made further evident between its impoverished locals and desperate newcomers.

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In addition to the loss of human life and infrastructure that left Beirut in shambles, the war also furthered existing societal divisions, much in opposition to the progressive spirit of the Golden Age.

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The tensions that have led to the violence between Israel and Lebanon today are heavily tied to the conditions that emerged from the Golden Age.

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While initially emerging as a militant group, Hezbollah's integration into mainstream politics was marked by the election of eight of its members to parliament in 1992. Hezbollah largely controls areas with Shiite Muslim majority, including Beirut.

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In 1997, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and its allies following a series of deadly guerilla militant actions across the world focused primarily on Israeli embassies, as well as civilian and military targets.

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The current violence taking place between Israel and Lebanon dates back to the 1980s, during which the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon captured and occupied parts of southern Lebanon.

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These ongoing tensions culminated in the 2006 Lebanon War following Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. In response, Israel launched a campaign in an attempt to weaken Hezbollah military capacities and to destroy Lebanese civilian infrastructure in retaliation.

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Beirut's civilian population suffered casualties as result of Israeli bombardments. Similarly, today's violence often results in civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, including cultural sites.

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The most recent escalations between Israel and Lebanon began following Israel's targeting of Hezbollah's communication devices in September 2024. Explosives were placed in thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies, the main tools of communication used by Hezbollah, killing 12 and injuring thousands. By targeting these rudimentary tools, Israel sought to effectively destabilize Hezbollah's military capacities.

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The use of these largely outdated communication tools offers a reflection of many of the contradictions that emerged during Beirut's Golden Age. Despite the city's advanced infrastructure, the political and sectarian divisions that bubble under the surface reflect deep sectarian fractures, political fragility, and economic vulnerability.

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Israel's military campaign continued with Israel's assassination of several Hezbollah commanders, as well as Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in September 2024 following an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

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Over the course of the last several weeks, more than one million civilians have been displaced in Lebanon and thousands of civilian casualties have been reported as bombardments continue, largely concentrated in Beirut and parts of southern Lebanon. Eight Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Lebanon.

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Just as during the Golden Age era, Beirut remains a focal point for regional conflicts, caught between external actors and internal divisions. Today's Beirut remains a city of contradictions. Its past legacy as a glamorous, cosmopolitan city remains evident in its thriving art and cultural scene, but it exists simultaneous to significant political instability, economic degradation, and deep societal divisions.

Sources: (DW) (The New York Times) (Human Rights Watch)