Mapping Beirut

We don’t use street names in Lebanon. Instead, we move around based on landmarks. People live near the SNA building, around the corner from the Patchi store. Or they live near the Chevrolet building, the Cola bridge, the AUB Medical Gate, above the pet store in the building facing the alleyway next to the Philips building or near the Unesco (building). That’s how we find places; through landmarks

And since we don’t use street names, we don’t need maps either. But some courageous souls have taken it on themselves to map Beirut. I got this video sent to me (bedankt Dimphy!), and though it very funny. If you know Beirut, this is very recognizable.


If you want to buy the book, here are some more details.

Landmarks find home among street names in Beirut guide

BEIRUT: Ask for directions in Beirut and you're likely to get something like this: "Turn right at that bank and then turn left at the pharmacy and then across from it is a big white building with a shop under it that sells sweets."

"I grew tired of always seeing the Lebanese commuters stopping in the middle of the street to ask for directions, causing traffic chaos everywhere, and not always getting reliable answers," said Bahi Ghubril, the man behind the newly released "Greater Beirut Atlas."The A5-sized "Atlas" covers 100 kilometer square of Beirut and it suburbs, incorporating 34 municipalities and including 4,000 entries of streets and landmarks.

It retails for L.L.15,000."It is not just for tourists, but also for Beirutis themselves, especially the young drivers, who will find it easier to find places with the "Atlas" and save some time," said Ghubril.Inspired by London's A-Z and Rome's Tutto Citta, Ghubril began his research two years ago compiling street names from local municipalities and residents. B

ut this wasn't always easy as "some streets just had no names.""We decided to resort to landmarks such as public buildings, places of worship, shopping centers, or private businesses that have existed for so long they have now become landmarks," said Ghubril. GIS Transport Ltd., topographical experts based in Bourj Hammoud, then created the illustrated maps from satellite images.Around 10,000 copies will be available in bookstores, kiosks, and newsstands throughout Lebanon starting Wednesday.

"The next step for us will be to contact the travel agents, car rental, and Taxi services," added Ghubril.Soumar Dakdouk, 22, said she would get a copy of the "Atlas," as she likes to "discover places as she walks.""It is useful as there are a lot of roads in Beirut that I would like to know, and there are many new roads. So many times I end up accidentally taking some huge detour before reaching my final destination," said Dakdouk."It has been a while since we had a good or representative map of Beirut," she added. However, she did have one suggestion for the "Atlas": "I wish it would indicate which streets have a lot of traffic so we could avoid them," she laughs.As for 50-year-old Saleem Sukari, he felt there might be "some language problems" with the "Atlas.""I was looking for the Masarif Street in Downtown Beirut in the "Atlas" index and couldn't find it, and then thought of translating it to English, "Banks Street" and then I found it in the "Atlas."

Not everyone will know the English translations of the streets," said Sukari.Sukari nonetheless liked the fact there is an updated comprehensive map of Beirut available, and said he would opt for buying one once it becomes available in the book stores."I like to be independent and just look up places, but most of my friends say they would rather just ask around and not bother looking through an 'Atlas,'" said Sukari. (Source of article)