Martyrs' Square, Beirut

Initially named Sahat al-Burj, the Municipality of Beirut modernized the square in 1878 as the main meeting place of the city.

Beshara Effendi designed a garden with fountain and kiosks, overlooked by the Petit Serail – the seat of Beirut's governor general – as well as public buildings and souks.

Martyrs' Square became Beirut's bus and taxi terminus and a popular venue for cinemas, coffee-houses, modest hotels and the red-light district.

Beshara Effendi designed a garden with fountain and kiosks, overlooked by the Petit Serail – the seat of Beirut's governor general – as well as public buildings and souks.

However, the statue by Youssef Hoyek – which became known as Les Pleureuses or the weeping women – was deeply unpopular after independence for its depiction of grieving Christian and Muslim mothers joining hands over a cremation urn.

Martyrs' Square became Beirut's bus and taxi terminus and a popular venue for cinemas, coffee-houses, modest hotels and the red-light district.

During the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the demarcation line that divided Beirut into east and west ran through Martyrs' Square.