The destruction of Bint Jbeil was immense,
especially with regards to the central part of town, the old city,
that peaceful hilltop neighborhood that stood for hundreds,
and perhaps thousands of years,
overlooking the outlying valleys and farms of its inhabitants.
It saw countless generations come and go.
especially with regards to the central part of town, the old city,
that peaceful hilltop neighborhood that stood for hundreds,
and perhaps thousands of years,
overlooking the outlying valleys and farms of its inhabitants.
It saw countless generations come and go.
It's old stones stand witness, as do the memories of the people,
and the valiant will of its children.
and the valiant will of its children.
I have heard about the much more ancient types of ruins sitting beneath people's homes. People have talked about arches and other older rooms beneath the homes that they live in. I have never had the opportunity to see any. Pictures 1, 2 and 3 below offer glimpses.
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Picture 4 below shows the interior of the "Jami3-el-Kabeer," or "Grand Mosque," after the war. A pre-war picture of the exterior is visible in post #2.
04.
Picture 5 shows, in the distance, a view of the old "Diwan" of Haj Mohammad Said Bazzi (building with arcade,) also mentioned in post #2, as it appears next door to the green dome of the Grand Mosque.
05.
Pictures 6, 7, 8 and 9 below, as well as pictures 1, 2, 4, 10 in post #1, show a curious use of a blue-green pigment on wooden window shutters, doors and iron railings that is prevalent throughout the town.
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Dome of the "Husseiniyeh," a religious congregational building that I mentioned in post #2.
13.
Another dome below. I don't know if this is the site of a tomb that people visit. I know that there are such sites in the area, namely a place called "Sahet el-Nabiyeh," which translates to "Square of the Prophetess." It is one of the town's various squares, located near the tomb of a nameless holy woman of long ago. Could this be it?
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A relatively more recent mosque in pictures 22 (minaret in the distance) & 23.
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3 comments:
How sad... Every quarter, town, village and city in Lebanon speaks for its very old heritage. They say stones don't make a home or a country. I would agree in theory because human life is what matters. Everything else follows. However, these stones reflect the different layers of human life and these stones are a representation of an evolving culture that mirrors the pride and joy of a people. I will discuss this in my following post.
IBJ,
I looked into my Architecture book on Lebanon bought in 1982. Surprise surprise ! The photos were assembled by a diplomat Camille Aboussouane with the financial backing of the Hariri foundation. Most of it is devoted to the big feodalities architectural heritage, the Gemmayels, Mukhtara, the big families in beyrouth, Saida. very little is found on everyday architecture in villages and towns. But it is a testimony to lebanon's architecture anyway.
On another note, the destruction in Bint Jbeil is mentioned by Walt and Mearsheimer as an exemple of Israeli indicriminate shelling of Lebanese villages. I am reading their book now and there is a chapter devoted to the 2006 war opn Lebanon. It is the last chapter in the book and it is worth reading by all those who want to document this war.
very very sad stuff to see all this damage, i wish the israelis see this... and learn more about consequences.
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