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Article: Beirut was once known as the Paris of the Middle East. It was a party capital, a place of hedonism and beautiful people. Now it is being torn apart . . . again FOREIGN EDITOR DAVID PRATT ON THE FALL AND RISE AND FALL OF BEIRUT
- Article from:
- The Sunday Herald
- Article date:
- August 13, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2006 The Sunday Herald. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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WHERE I grew up, people knew all about Beirut and its volatile
reputation. Not the real Beirut, you understand. Instead, just a
troublesome local neighbourhhood nicknamed after the war-torn
Lebanese city and inhabited by neds, chancers and hardmen. This
Beirut was a place where being on the dole, or having persistent run-
ins with the police, was virtually a badge of honour. Rarely did a
weekend pass without some booze-fuelled incident - a stabbing or gang
fight - that added to its notoriety.
Along with other virtual no-go zones dubbed The Jungle and Wine
Valley (after the local teenage predilection for drinking fortified
wine), "Beirut", was just one of many infamous run-down housing ...