Tenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Beirut is called the city of civilizations. Its history attests to its diversity. However, before and after independence the city has been the breeding ground for conflict. The urban scale has become both abusive and abused. Different ethnicities and identities raise claim to territories in the city as a symbolic sign of their inclusion and legitimacy. Translations of the statement ‘rest in peace’ can be heard often after having lost a loved one around Beirut and its suburbs. Yet ‘resting in peace’ in one of the city’s cemeteries is much more challenging than it seems. Where you are born, where you come from, your dictated religion at birth, and your social economic and political standing may prevent peaceful rest from happening and/or may dictate specific practices on your family. The mourning are usually surprised by the powers that control the urban cemeteries and guard it with exclusive keys. When the ceremony and condolences are over, families want to be left alone to forget and/or ignore the struggle of having prepared the burial. Death reinforces an obvious narrative of ritual and challenges difference. The notions of identity, belonging and practice are intertwined with urban and architectural forms of death. Would a multi-layered mapping of cemeteries push a sense of justice to those that differ? As cemeteries in Beirut fill up, and as the world looks at cemeteries as new possible urban gardens, could policies for cemetery expansions encourage and invite diversity instead of just burying it?