Bourj Hammoud
Bourj Hammoud
بُرْجُ حَمُّودٍ Պուրճ Համուտ | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 33°53′37.0″N 35°32′25.0″E / 33.893611°N 35.540278°E | |
Country | Lebanon |
Governorate | Mount Lebanon Governorate |
District | Matn District |
Government | |
• Mayor | Mardig Boghossian |
Area | |
• Total | 2.5 km2 (1.0 sq mi) |
Population (2005[1]) | |
• Total | ~150,000−175,000 |
Time zone | +2 |
• Summer (DST) | +3 |
Bourj Hammoud (also spelled Burj Hammud;
Bourj Hammoud is a mixed residential, industrial and commercial area and is one of the most densely populated districts in the Middle East.[1] Bourj Hammoud has a major waterfront (river and sea) at Beirut's north gateway that, however, underwent an anarchic urban development.[2]
History
Early history
Bourj Hammoud was settled by Armenians who had survived the death marches in Deir ez-Zor (Syria) during the Armenian genocide. They arrived in Beirut after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and were given the right to construct shacks on the eastern banks of the Beirut River, which consisted of swamps and marshy lands at the time.[3][4] They were then allowed to erect houses and buildings which stand to this day. In 1952, Bourj Hammoud became an independent municipality and is currently a member of the Metn-North group of municipalities.
The founding father of Bourj Hammoud and its municipality was the Armenian Catholic Father Paul Ariss who was instrumental in laying the foundations of a bustling city and center for the Lebanese Armenian community and served as its mayor for many years. The municipality named a main street in Bourj Hammoud after him in acknowledgement of his sizable contributions to the establishment and development of the city.
During its founding and early settlement, Bourj Hammoud was also the focus of a rivalry between two Armenian political parties, the
Civil war
The Lebanese Civil War threatened the existence of Beirut's Armenian community. Armenians felt the need to stick close to each other during those turbulent times, thus, they assembled in Bourj Hammoud. Armenian presence was already evident in Bourj Hammoud by its multiple Armenian community centers and churches.
During the
2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict
During the
Geography
Bourj Hammoud is located just off of the highway and surrounded by the communities of Dora, Karantina, Sin el Fil and Achrafieh.
Most residential buildings and houses in Bourj Hammoud were built from the 1930s to the 1970s. They are usually from two to four stories high.
Demographics
While a widespread stereotype persists in Lebanon that Bourj Hammoud is an Armenian-majority location, a study by a Christian NGO in 2006 found evidence contradicting this claim. In the study, it was reported that only one district of the city was actually populated mainly by Armenians, and the city was actually composed of other Christian groups.[9]
Notable people
- Hassan Nasrallah (born 1960), Lebanese cleric and leader of Hezbollah[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Rapport Bourj Hammoud" (PDF). Euromedina.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
- ^ Sfeir, Nagi (2013). "Realurbanism: or the Urban Realpolitik. Towards a "Spatialisation" of the Realist Paradigm from International Relations Theories (Le Realurbanisme ou la Realpolitik de l'urbain. Le cas libanais)" (PDF). Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning. 4 (1): 1–10.
- ^ "Maps And The Historical Topography Of Beirut". Almashriq.hiof.no. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ^ ISBN 0-19-280130-9.
- ISBN 0-7146-3491-3.
- ISBN 0-312-10168-6.
- ISBN 1-4191-2943-0.
- ^ Azad-Hye. "Azad-Hye Middle East Armenian Portal (Turkish presence in Lebanon evokes dreadful memories )". Azad-hye.net. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- JSTOR 24426450.
- ISBN 978-1851098422.