Hippodrome of Berytus
Location | Beirut, Lebanon |
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Coordinates | 33°53′49″N 35°29′59″E / 33.89694°N 35.49972°E |
The hippodrome of Berytus was a
.History
The
During the 6th and the 7th centuries of the
Its stone was later mined and reused in the construction of other buildings, according to archeologist Lee Levine. Its outline remained sufficiently clear in the 20th century for identification as a hippodrome by the archaeologist Robert du Mesnil du Buisson.[3] Its groundworks were partially excavated in 1988. An approximately 90-meter section of wall has been uncovered, alongside the straight, and the foundations of seating tiers at the semi-circular end.[4]
The
Preservation
In 2009, the site was officially listed in the general inventory of historic buildings, and the Culture Minister
According to an article appearing in the French daily, L'Orient-Le Jour, Gaby Layoun, the Culture Minister at the time, approved in March 2012 plans for a luxury residential complex to be built over the ruins of Beirut’s Roman Hippodrome, bypassing the recommendations of three of his predecessors: Tarek Mitri, Salim Wardé, and Tammam Salam.[5][6] The Association for the Protection of the Lebanese Heritage (APLH) organized protests as an attempt to reverse the Culture Ministry's decision to allow the building over the hippodrome.[7] Following the litigation brought by APLH, the court suspended on May 31, 2012 the Culture Ministry's decision, N˚ 849, to dismantle the Roman Hippodrome that would have allowed for the construction of a building project on the site.[8] The site was protected until 2015 when construction began again.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Save Beirut's Heritage: The Roman Hippodrome To Be Demolished". A Separate State of Mind. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- OCLC 8826280.
- OCLC 8826280.
- ^ a b Alkantar, Bassam (13 March 2012). "Minister of Culture "Dismantles" Beirut's Roman Hippodrome". Al-Akhbar English. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- ^ "L'hippodrome romain de Beyrouth englouti par les promoteurs". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 16 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- Now Lebanon. 11 May 2012. Archived from the originalon 14 May 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
The three previous Culture Ministers, Mitri, Wardé, and Salam criticized Layoun's move and reiterated the importance of protecting and preserving the archeological site
- ^ "Protest called to protect Lebanese ancient ruins". Al-Akhbar English. 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- ^ Redaction (31 May 2012). "Hippodrome Romain de Beyrouth: La Justice suspend la décision de démantèlement suite au recours de l'APPL". Libna News (in French). Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.