Beirut al-Marfa’ examines the deep and often fraught relationship between Beirut and its port, a space that once fuelled the city’s prosperity but later became the site of its devastation on August 4, 2020. Since the nineteenth century, city and port have evolved side by side, their fates intertwined within a limited geography where growth often came at mutual expense. Reimagining the port today is therefore not just a question of reconstruction but of reconciliation, an attempt to restore a bond that once shaped Beirut’s identity as a Mediterranean hub.
Through the lens of Beit Beirut’s Urban Observatory, the exhibition unfolds across three thematic imperatives: Preserve, Repair, and Share. Each serves as a framework to understand the physical, social, and emotional dimensions of rebuilding the port. Historical maps, photographs, and records – many drawn from the Bibliothèque Orientale at Saint Joseph University – trace the port’s development from the 1830s to 2020, alongside an interactive map and a video essay by Chérine Yazbeck with historian Christine Babikian.
Preserve reflects on memory and material traces, reminding visitors that preservation extends beyond ruins to the intangible histories that allow a city to remember itself. Repair calls attention to deeper fractures, those of governance, trust, and collective vision, urging reflection on how Beirut might heal both structurally and socially. Share opens the conversation to public voices: citizens, students, and artists imagining a future for Beirut’s harbour.
Curated by Hala Younes, Mona El Hallak, and Hadi Mroué, Beirut al-Marfa’ is part of Hkeeli’s initiative that reopened Beit Beirut in April 2025. It invites visitors to consider not only what was lost, but what might still be rebuilt between the port, the city, and the memory that binds them.
Location: Beit Beirut Urban Observatory, Lebanon
Date: 5 November 2025 until 8 February 2026