© Joseph Khoury
Vocabulary:
- skirt /skurt/
[verb] – to go around the edge of something
No worries, we won’t go in. We’re just going to skirt the abandoned school.
- aftermath /AF-ter-math/
[noun] – the period that follows an unpleasant event or accident, and the effect that it causes
The aftermath of the earthquake left about 50 structures destroyed and 30 families homeless.
- showcase /SHOH-keys/
[verb] – to show the best qualities of something
The film showcased the good side of white lies depending on the situation.
- safeguard /SEYF-gahrd/
[verb] – to protect someone or something so that they are not harmed, damaged, or lost
Our top priority is to safeguard the rescue animals until they find new owners.
- suffer the same fate /SUHF-er thuh seym feyt/
[idiom] – to go through the same situation as the other, usually negative
Leena is already fired from work, so don’t be late so you won’t suffer the same fate.
- do the trick /doo thuh trik/
[idiom] – to achieve the desired result
Try some herbal medicines to relieve your aching muscles. Maybe they’ll do the trick.
“We didn’t even know what we were going to end up doing. It was just on the way that we said, ‘Okay, we have the postcards here and it looks so different, let’s just leave them, and maybe people will remember how they looked,’” Gabriela Cardozo said. An architect from Venezuela who moved to Beirut six years ago, she and her husband Joseph Khoury, a photographer, skirt the rubble of the explosion’s aftermath. With 30 postcards on hand, the couple head off to two historic neighborhoods near the center of the explosion in Beirut: Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael.
They are “fashionable areas” famous for their cultural spaces, artists’ studios, boutiques, and popular restaurants. Khoury and Cardozo began the Bouyout Beirut (Houses of Beirut) project in 2016. Here, they feature a three-series photograph of historic houses in Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael. Prior to the blast, the cities already have faded buildings showcased in the couple’s photographs. “We usually see postcards from Beirut that are the same… Everything is very nice and neat. But we felt the need to show Beirut as it is. It’s raw. Sometimes it’s messy. It’s just very real – full of contrasts,” says Cardozo.
Since the explosion at Beirut’s port on August 4, many are growing worried about safeguarding the remains of the city’s architectural heritage. Many historic buildings have been taken down and replaced by modern ones since the end of the civil war, and the citizens fear that the damage caused by the explosion may be used as an excuse for the remaining buildings to suffer the same fate. Now, 1,500 of these citizens have been sharing Khoury and Cardozo’s photographs of them holding up postcards from Bouyout Beirut in front of the shattered buildings.
Multiple threats are circulating, including those planning to abandon the buildings due to lack of funds. However, volunteers have expressed their desire to help and reassured the owners and tenants of the buildings. Saving the buildings is one thing, but saving them for the purpose of preserving their historical value is another. And perhaps, sharing Khoury and Cardozo’s powerful message through photographs might just do the trick.
Comprehension Questions:
- How many postcards did Khoury and Cardozo carry with them to Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael?
- What does Bouyout Beirut feature?
- Where was the center of Lebanon’s explosion on August 4?
- What are Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael famous for?
- Since when have the historic buildings been taken down and replaced?
Discussion Questions:
- How do you think the destruction of historic buildings can affect Lebanon’s tourism moving forward?
- In your opinion, how can we or the government preserve the historical values of architectural heritage?
- Do you agree that photographs convey powerful messages? Please explain your answer.
- Should people feature only the beautiful aspects of a place in their photographs? Why or why not?
- For you, what is a “beautiful” place?
[verb] – to go around the edge of something
No worries, we won’t go in. We’re just going to skirt the abandoned school.
[noun] – the period that follows an unpleasant event or accident, and the effect that it causes
The aftermath of the earthquake left about 50 structures destroyed and 30 families homeless.
[verb] – to show the best qualities of something
The film showcased the good side of white lies depending on the situation.
[verb] – to protect someone or something so that they are not harmed, damaged, or lost
Our top priority is to safeguard the rescue animals until they find new owners.
[idiom] – to go through the same situation as the other, usually negative
Leena is already fired from work, so don’t be late so you won’t suffer the same fate.
[idiom] – to achieve the desired result
Try some herbal medicines to relieve your aching muscles. Maybe they’ll do the trick.
They are “fashionable areas” famous for their cultural spaces, artists’ studios, boutiques, and popular restaurants. Khoury and Cardozo began the Bouyout Beirut (Houses of Beirut) project in 2016. Here, they feature a three-series photograph of historic houses in Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael. Prior to the blast, the cities already have faded buildings showcased in the couple’s photographs. “We usually see postcards from Beirut that are the same… Everything is very nice and neat. But we felt the need to show Beirut as it is. It’s raw. Sometimes it’s messy. It’s just very real – full of contrasts,” says Cardozo.
Since the explosion at Beirut’s port on August 4, many are growing worried about safeguarding the remains of the city’s architectural heritage. Many historic buildings have been taken down and replaced by modern ones since the end of the civil war, and the citizens fear that the damage caused by the explosion may be used as an excuse for the remaining buildings to suffer the same fate. Now, 1,500 of these citizens have been sharing Khoury and Cardozo’s photographs of them holding up postcards from Bouyout Beirut in front of the shattered buildings.
Multiple threats are circulating, including those planning to abandon the buildings due to lack of funds. However, volunteers have expressed their desire to help and reassured the owners and tenants of the buildings. Saving the buildings is one thing, but saving them for the purpose of preserving their historical value is another. And perhaps, sharing Khoury and Cardozo’s powerful message through photographs might just do the trick.