Martyrs' Square
Martyrs’ Square is the heart of the downtown district of Beirut, Lebanon (see Beirut Central District). Its central statue commemorates Lebanese nationalists who were hanged during World War I by the Ottomans.
In the 19th century, the square was known as Place des Canons. During World War I, Lebanon was under Ottoman rule. In 1915, Beirut suffered a blockade by the Allies, which was intended to starve the Turks out. The effect was a famine, followed by plague, which killed more than a quarter of the population. A revolt against the Turks broke out which resulted in hanging of many nationalists on 6 May 1916 in the renamed Martyrs’ Square. Among them were Abdul Karim al-Khalil, Abed al-Wahab al-Inglizi, Father Joseph Hayek, Joseph Bishara Hani, Mohammad and Ahmad Mahmassani, Omar Hamad, Philip and Farid el-Khazen, and Sheikh Ahmad Tabbara. Interesting for city vacations.
GPS travel coordinates: 33° 53′ 46.86″ N, 35° 30′ 25.31″ E
Popularity: 5%
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