Fairuz’s Beirut Home To Be Turned Into A Museum After Renovation
The family home of the esteemed Lebanese singer Fairuz is finally being renovated and will be turned into a museum honoring the national icon. Located in the Beirut neighborhood of Zokak el Blat, the nineteenth century mansion was declared a building of public interest back in 2012.
Set across two plots, only the house on plot 567 remains standing with plot 565 having been entirely demolished despite Ministerial Decision No 74 by the Ministry of Culture.
According to Annahar, a site visit by Lebanon’s minister of culture Mohammad Mourtada and Beirut governor Marwan Abboud announced plans for this renovation, with both Mourtada and Abboud stressing the importance of preserving Beirut’s traditional identity.
Quite possibly one of the most popular performers in Lebanon, Fairuz and her family reportedly lived in this home throughout much of her childhood. A classic example of 1880s Ottoman architecture, this mansion is the only surviving building on the block.
It is not entirely clear what the plans for turning the home into a museum will entail, but we hope that it manages to preserve the essence of this traditional Lebanese home, as well as the building’s fabric.
