Hamra StreetIf Beirut is indeed the 'Paris of the East', then Hamra Street
is surely its version of the Champs Elys?Šes. Known as the 'centre
of intellectual activity' in Lebanon during the 1970s, Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Borzou Daragahi described the area of
Hamra back then as 'a bastion of liberalism, [embracing] multiple
religions and political views amid sectarian conflict'. These days,
Hamra remains a wonderfully cosmopolitan, open-minded area - full
of shops, pavement cafes and trendy bars, and thick with tourists
and students from nearby universities. There are also some great
accommodation deals to be found in Hamra - ranging from budget to
five-star establishments. Visitors to Beirut who want to experience
'authentic Lebanon', but who also don't want to miss out on the
sybaritic comforts that really make a holiday abroad, would do well
to make Hamra Street their home base. |
