Beirut’s biggest green space; Horsh Beirut, was opened in the summer of 2015, after being closed for over 20 years. Many civil society organizations worked on making that happen. However, enjoying that beautiful park comes with many limitations, unfortunately.
We asked the Governor of Beirut in a session organized by “Nahnoo” a few months ago about the reason behind banning biking, eating, sitting on the grass, and other activities in Horsh Beirut. The simplest of activities that are usually done in public parks, are banned in the Horsh.
While the governor talks about preserving that public space through putting certain limitations, there are many things behind that to criticize, and perhaps, the most important of them is giving licenses for certain people only to enter the park everyday after 1:00.
Knowing that Nahnoo, and other organizations’ efforts helped in re-opening the Horsh, that has in previous years endured the suffering of the Israeli invasion and after it, that of the Lebanese civil war, but still, the Horsh’s opening hours make it not possible for many people to enjoy it. Monday till Friday opening until 1:00, is quite impossible for employees to enjoy their lunch break at the horsh, or to visit it after work.
Visiting the Horsh a few weeks ago, the security guards, who belong to the Municipality of Beirut, forbid me and my friend from entering the Horsh. They told us: “You do not have a license, so you are not allowed to enter.” So we asked how can we get this license? “From the governor,” they replied.
Well, preserving the Horsh, does not mean closing it or choosing who can and who cannot enjoy a soft breeze inside the park, or who can sit under a pine tree there.
There is only 300,000 m2 left from a pine forest that used to be over =800,000 m2 in 1967, and over 1,250,000 m2 in 1696, according to Beirut fi’Tarikh wal’Hadara wal’Omran, (Beirut: History, Culture, and Urbanism). Beirut: Dar al-Elem lil’Malayeen. pp. 106-107.
Will the Municipality of Beirut and the Governor of Beirut provide what every Lebanese want from green spaces and public spaces in their capital?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLJRfvDwIMI
