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Beirut’s Lost Cinemas: When Going to the Movies Was a City Ritual

Beirut’s Lost Cinemas: When Going to the Movies Was a City Ritual

Beirut once had cinemas everywhere, from the grand movie palaces surrounding Martyrs’ Square to the dense concentration of theaters that turned Hamra into one of the Arab world’s great cultural districts.

Lebanon Before Refrigerators: How Families Preserved Food for an Entire Winter

Lebanon Before Refrigerators: How Families Preserved Food for an Entire Winter

Before refrigerators, Lebanese families relied on mouneh to survive winter: an entire system of drying, fermenting, salting, pickling and storing seasonal food.

Why Do So Many Lebanese Speak a Mixture of Arabic, French and English?

Why Do So Many Lebanese Speak a Mixture of Arabic, French and English?

Why do Lebanese effortlessly switch between Arabic, French and English, sometimes within a single sentence?

The Orchards and Agricultural Land That Once Surrounded Beirut

The Orchards and Agricultural Land That Once Surrounded Beirut

Before Beirut became a dense urban capital, much of today’s city was farmland. Ras Beirut, Achrafieh, Mousseitbeh, Saifi, Raouche and even areas around Hamra were once covered with orchards, vineyards, mulberry plantations and vegetable fields.

Lebanon Before Electricity: How Homes Were Lit, Heated and Cooled

Lebanon Before Electricity: How Homes Were Lit, Heated and Cooled

Before electricity reached Lebanese homes, families relied on oil lamps, candles, wood fires and portable charcoal braziers for light and heat.

Why Do Lebanese Homes Have a Salon Reserved Almost Entirely for Guests?

Why Do Lebanese Homes Have a Salon Reserved Almost Entirely for Guests?

Why did so many Lebanese families keep one of the nicest rooms in their home almost completely unused?

This Is Beirut and i24NEWS Move Toward Open Media Cooperation

This Is Beirut and i24NEWS Move Toward Open Media Cooperation

This Is Beirut and Israel’s i24NEWS are increasingly appearing within the same media and political ecosystem, with Lebanese and Israeli journalists, analysts and officials engaging more openly across platforms.