From day one in Beirut, and I couldn’t help but notice the magnificent street art. At first, it felt good for my eyes, seeing those vibrant colors adorning the buildings of Beirut. But then, I learned that there’s more to it. The street art of Beirut, that you can find all over Hamra district, has a story that I believe is worth telling.
I was staying at Hamra Urban Gardens, a hostel in the heart of Hamra. As I went for a walk on my first day, a gigantic mural of the Lebanese legend, Sabah, caught my attention. The mural was as big as the building it was painted on, the Assaf building on Hamra street. The portrait of the iconic singer and actress was filled with Arabic calligraphy details, carefully drawn with love four years ago by artist Yazan Halwani. It’s ironic, because the ‘Eternal Sabah’ mural was, in fact, not just the first one I lay my eyes on in Beirut, but it’s also where it all began.
‘Eternal Sabah’ was the very first mural by Ahla Fawda, an NGO that uses joy as a tool to make a change. Later on, this year, Art of Change would come into the picture, adding more murals to Hamra’s skyline.
Art of Change is an initiative that aims to shed light on the art scene and the positivity it could bring. The project is the birth of a collaboration between Ahla Fawda and Where Theres Walls, an international collective of artists.
In only three months, Art of Change added nine more murals, also in Hamra, and more is yet to come.
Check out my favorites, and the stories behind them, below:
This mural of Salvador Dali is courtesy of an artist that goes by the name Simple G. You can find it at the entrance of the Assaf building.
The next one celebrates women in leadership in colorful ways. It was, in fact, painted in support of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections’ (LADE) campaign for women empowerment.
The masterpiece is a collaboration between Eli Zaarour, who goes by his street name Zed40, and Lea Bou Habib. Zed40 has been a muralist for 10 years, who’ve painted all over Europe, and this mural is his second in Hamra. As for Lea, this is actually her very first mural. Not just that, but the mural’s size, makes it the largest and highest one to be ever painted by a woman in Lebanon. You can find the mural on Makdessi street.
Moving on to my personal favorite, this one is a tribute for the late Chehab men, the very last brass pan polishers in the Ras Beirut. Dedicating a mural to the lost craftsmanship documents a cornerstone of the Lebanese culture, preserving it in the form of art. You can find the mural at the end of Hamra street, where there’s a crossroad between Kuwait and Tannoukhiyen streets.
Check out more of the street art of Beirut below:
You might like:
If you like my content and would like to see more of it, subscribe to my newsletter here.
Nadine is an Egyptian curly-head who decided to quit the norm because it just doesn’t suit her. She ditched her 9-5 as a magazine editor to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time digital nomad and to inspire aspiring travelers to embark on their own solo adventures.
