Preservation of the Old

I had written this a while ago for a thesis, which I later changed to a different topic for many reasons not particular to our topic here. However, it dealt with the preservation of certain monuments and especially in wartorn areas.

Since architecture is a manifestation of political, economical, social and cultural circumstances and conditions, monuments are built within the confines of representations specific to different periods of time. The town, village or city and its architecture are among the most imperative indications to the evolving circumstances of its people and their culture. They are always in a parallel relationship with the people and the prevalent conditions. The continuous transformation of the people and the social, political and economical conditions necessitate that the city and its architecture adjust to these changes. For example, Bint Jbeil although existing geographically in the same place, is a composition of different time periods, each with characteristics that are inherited generation after the other. This is what creates the concepts of "memory" and "recollection" and thus gives way to the concept of "belonging". It is this link between a city and its objects and the people who inhabit it and carry in their consciousness their "belonging" to the city - past and present.

After the independence, Lebanon had been undergoing a series of urban developments. In light of these developments, many issues arise regarding the already existing buildings of its cities: many of them remain unpreserved and many of them were brought down to make way for newer buildings. This leads to the idea of what constitutes a city's collective architectural past and what criteria symbolize and characterize a "past" worth preserving.

In light of all this, many questions and speculations unravel. To what extent can a past be preserved or forgotten and to what extent can a city be reconstructed in agreement with its local and collective past and whether this creates scope for the people to relate to this modern space. In other words, in reconstructing and rebuilding Lebanon, many issues surface around whether to build a Lebanon loyal to its architectural heritage (in many instances, with a pristine aesthetic) or depart to a modern approach, which incorporates Lebanon into the global and modern world; thus, serving Lebanon's political and economical needs to keep up with the global markes. When discussing the reconstruction of a certain city, its past and its people's relationship with the old and modern should be taken into consideration. The nature of the inhabitants should be taken into consideration as they tend to travel more often and are in constant contact with different spaces and thus, this may result in less association to the city and its collective past or on the contrary, may result in a nostalgic attachment with things of the past. This is especially applicable for Lebanon, which in its post-Independence years and onwards underwent a series of canges in its social structure. A great percentage of Lebanon's pre-Independence monuments were demolished with the exception of some houses, Mandate buildings and others "deemed worthy of preservation". If you examine cities in Lebanon, one would learn of many monuments that were brought down in favor of a modernization scheme and this is especially applicaple for residential spaces in comparison with public buildings such as mosques and churches.

Today, Lebanon lives an identity crisis. As a result of the civil war and the many wars with Israel, most Lebanese cities and villages are those whose inhabitants are torn between confessions, political affiliations and ethnic groups and this reflects on the architecture. Thus, another question would involve the effect the civil war and the wars with Israel had on Lebanon. During the civil war, many cities, such as Beirut, were divided and broken up into different zones, which resulted in wartorn spaces and changes in the demographic of these spaces. Thus, most of the post-war construction focused on redefining torn spaces in light of these changes of demography. How much of Lebanon's past should one be reminiscent of in the reconstructon of its cities or should one depart from the past in an attempt to rebuild a space faithful to its changes?

Very much related to the above, the legislative laws of Lebanon should be looked at in light of the series of modernization and preservation attempts it is undergoing. What is the reality and the shape of the protective laws and legislations directed towards the preservation of monuments of historical worth and how could these laws act as protective measures against physical tampering by privatized companies with ulterior/fiscal motives? What role does the public play through conventions and demonstrations? Unfortunately, I know of many historical monuments in villages and cities throughout Lebanon that were demolished in the abscence of any protective legislation and in the abscence of renovation funds provided by the government and thus, they are demolished in favor of other financial benefits.

After the Independence and after every war Lebanon has witnessed, while there was an effort directed towards preservation, many monuments were either demolished or altered or left defective. I am not very informed on how the Department of Antiquities works in Lebanon. When I last checked with a few lawyers, it was explained to me that the laws are very old and that many monuments in Lebanon are in danger as their value and importance, after going through a long set of procedures, is dependent upon the decision of the President. In addition, many of the old souqs in Lebanon and many other religious monuments that were built during the Ottoman and Mamluk era are in great need for attention, which is impossible with the lack of funds. Not to forget all the important architectural/artistic periods and dynasties Lebanon has known, monuments belonging to the late 18th century and onwards are in most danger of being neglected or demolished.

I wonder what will be happening to Bint Jbeil. I leave the answer to Ibn Bint Jbeil, who would be able to give a better picture of his hometown.