Martyrs' Monument, Beirut

Martyrs' Monument was built to honor the hanging of a cross-confessional group of Lebanese Patriots on May 6, 1916, who had spoken against Turkish rule by Ottoman General Jamal Pasha.

In 1930, during the French Mandate, the first commemorative sculpture was erected on the square in memory of Lebanese nationalists who were hanged during World War I by the order of Ottoman military ruler Djemal Pasha.

Hoyek carved on their chests stylized shahada (لا إله إلا الله) and a small cross respectively.

The current four-meter-high statue of the Martyrs that adorns the square was created by Italian artist Marino Mazzacurati and cast at Ahmad & Saeddine Abbas Foundry in the Saifi district.

Due to damage inflicted during the Civil War (1975-1990), the Martyrs’ monument was dismantled in 1996 and restored by the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik.