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Ahwet El Ezez to shutdown by the end of 2010

By on December 19, 2010 in Lebanon

2010 is parting in a few days and it seems like it is taking away one of Gemmayze’s landmarks with it!

According to this article from The Daily Star, Ahwet El Ezez will soon shut its doors after losing a legal battle with the building owners regarding the continuation of pre-civil war rents.

The premises will now return to the building owners, who have been embroiled in legal disputes with the café for years over the continuation of pre-Civil War rents.

What will become of it now remains unknown. Building owners have assured conservationists that the site will not be demolished but speculation is rife over what will become of one of central Beirut’s last traditional cafés, with rumors circulating it will be turned into a new snazzy bar, maybe even a Starbucks or a bank branch.

Do you think it is time for us to finally accept that those small pieces of Beirut’s heritage are not meant to last forever or at least survive the real estate boom in the city?

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Bank Audi, I apologize

By on October 11, 2010 in Lebanon

On October 1st I published this blog post criticizing Bank Audi for planning to buy Ahwet El Ezez in Gemmayze and turn it into a new branch,  and I based my post back then on a couple of blog posts that I saw here and here.

But according to Tarek, a fellow blogger from Waja3Ras.com who sent a complaint letter to Bank Audi about the matter, the whole thing turned to be a rumor, and below is the comment he left on my post:

From Banque Audi after I wrote a complaint email:

“We would like to assure you that Bank Audi has not bought and has no intention to buy ”Ahwet El Ezez” to establish a branch in Gemmayze. Please note that we already have a branch in that area.

On the other hand, Bank Audi is committed to preserve national and cultural heritage and has in the past shown its commitment. For example, the old villa in Achrafieh-Sursock has been preserved and turned into a cultural center/ museum.”

Therefore, and based on Bank Audi’s reply, I would like to apologize to them for the post. I should have double checked the news before writing about it.

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