Hicaz_Demiryolu_Foto_Albumu

Beirut / Paris in the East
Once it was accepted that Beirut was the Paris of the Middle East. This honeymoon
period lasted until 1975 and ended when many warlords turned Beirut into ruins.
The old cedar tree, the emblem on the Lebanese flag, in the local dialect means ‘tree of
the earth’, its outstretched branches embracing all times and 4000 years of Lebanon’s
past.
Throughout 4000 years of its history, she lived constantly under occupation; and
unending wars; her people are still trying to survive without losing hope. Now Beirut has
been re-built upon the ruins of their dreams.
Beirut with her demolished houses, riddled with bullets, is from pre-historic times. As we
look around with horror and helplessness, shivering and witnessing the cold and ugly
face of war, they are building a brave new world for their children, and children are
swinging toward brighter days.
Beirut Train Station has not been in use since the warlords blew up the railtracks. All the
railtracks in Lebanon have shared a similar fate. But it seems, people still maintain their
hopes and high spirits. Currently, the station is used as the Headquarters of Railtracks.
The 147 km long line between Beirut and Damascus, which was constructed by the
French DHP Company who was also responsible for management, was finished within
four years in 1894. A journey from Beirut to Damascus took 9 hours... The line was
constructed similar to the Hejaz line, which was a narrow gauge-line.
The Beirut-Damascus line was not part of the Hejaz Railway, though during the
construction of the Hejaz railtracks, materials unloaded at Beirut harbour were
transported to Damascus by train. The French who were responsible for management of
the line asked a high price for transportation, The Ottoman government decided to build a
railtrack between Haifa and Der’a. So Damascus was connected to Haifa harbour on the
Mediterranean, through Der’a in 1906. Thus the Beirut-Damascus line lost its
importance, and the French were now willing to sell the line to the Ottomans...
Each train station in Lebanon is like a mirror that reflects the ethnic mosaic. Travelling
through different lands from Beirut to Yufafa, one would be lost at the Syrian border
without a guide. But this helpless aged route, track-less, is still carrying on to usher
people on their journey.