Beit Beirut, also known as The Yellow House or Barakat Building, is an authentic Lebanese apartment building that was affected by the civil war.
It was built in 1942 by the architect Youssef Afandi Aftimos. In 1932, the architect Fouad Kozah added two floors.
Located on the former Green Line, Beit Beirut is now a museum that commemorates the Lebanese Civil War.
Although it was threatened with demolition at the end of the nineties, the civil society was able to save Beit Beirut which will be restored to accommodate:
- a museum
- a cultural area
- a facility for archiving research and studies on Beirut
- an urban planning office for the City of Beirut
- an underground parking lot
Beit Beirut not only offers a glimpse of the civil war, but it’s also a place that highlights the importance of preserving the Lebanese heritage.
This house was occupied by snipers during the civil war. Now, it’s a peaceful place where Lebanese people from different backgrounds meet and reflect on the past which divided the nation.
Beit Beirut is a symbol of overcoming the struggles of the past by offering a common understanding of the civil war to the visitors.
