I found this in the WC of a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai.
I assume that it depicts a scene from old Beirut. Probably from the 1930’s.
What jumped at me was the fact that there was an electrical tramway there. The tramway car even has a number.
It seems that, in the early 20th century, the beginning of modern public transportation existed in the Arab levant. Then our cities became congested car cities and public transport went to hell?
Was this scene an early sign of proper urbanization. Or was this mainly an effort by colonial European powers who ruled over the area?
I really would like to know.
Comments
9 responses to “Found in a bathroom of a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai”
…or maybe it is just an artist impression and nothing of this actually existed
The Lebanese transportation infrastructure was actually laid down by the French during their mandate. Simple proof is that the Lebanese public transportation is in shambles now and Lebanon has one of the highest car per capita ratios in the world… Couple lack of options with an elevated snob factor and you get more than one car for every Lebanese over 18!
it was in Damascus since the 20’s and removed totally by the early 70’s!
Thanx for the Ba3s party
It was called: Train.
Haha.. No it actually did exist… The rails still run under some roads here and even the carts (dunno what they’re called, the train thingies) can be seen from my office window RUSTING…
By the way, the street up in the picture is (most probably) Bab Idriss and the big building is Beirut Municipality… The building has been fully renovated but these shops at the bottom aren’t there anymore… Although a huge mall called Beirut Souks with the same architecture should be opening 100 meters to its West in the next month or so!
interesting topics u mention here..
I’m syrian but i keep checkin this blog..and i have to say, u have a nice move happeinin in Amman, unlike our sellpin cities in Syria…
well.. The tram was first introduced to Damascus in 1907 then to Beirut in 1908… the tram network was well developed in Damascus and spread all over the city, while as in Beirut it connected the Carantina area to Ras Beirut area and remained more developedin ras Beirut..
Unfortuantely, they didnt know how to SMASH the development in Levant so (Thnx to Jamal abd el Nasser ) both tramway systems were removed from both cities at the end of 1950’s- early a960’s…
srry that was long.. would loveto know about Amman’s…
hehe, Amman you say! made me laugh..
hussein, don’t diss the Ba3s! haha
hello.. i’m looking for some pre-war pictures of the bab idriss area, possibly showing the building where patisserie suisse used to be. please contact me at . thanks.
It seems Beirut in the 1930’s was very well developped than 2012’s Beirut… at least they had a tramway at that time… My grandpa used to drive one…