Photo by: Roody Khalil

Numbers of years before, a very big part of what was built in Ashrafieh has been protected and classified as “historic and cultural patrimony”. With its Mar Antonios, Dagher, Gouraud, Pasteur streets, its old buildings, its stretch shaded allies and old red- tiled dens surrounded with lovely gardens, Gemmayzé quarter can not but tickle the curiosity of the visitors, even Lebanese ones. Saint-Nicolas stairs, one the most crucial historic and tourist elements of Gouraud street, was a passage for horses then for cars during the Ottoman period. They also served as a short-cut and a refuge to the outlaws. This situation urged the people in charge during the French mandate to build natural-coloured pebble stairs with patterns of sea animals. In 1960, the stares added up 250 steps. Today, they are a sort of a unique public space in Beirut. In fact, they have become a social, cultural and tourist spot since they shelter festivals, expositions and fairs. “The stairs still dominated by their past, also have to integrate the contemporary life, and be nothing but a translation of a lived reality”, says a Lebanese city planner. But that is not all about Gemmayzé quarter: the Gouraud Street has the power to attract artisans, art galleries, expositions rooms, antique dealers… Therefore, the quarter forms an attraction on all levels to all those who are in love with arts. But Gemmayzé has become recently a real fashionable phenomenon. It is true that this quarter was ignored for a lot of time from the people of Beirut, however, it has become within a few months one of the most famous destinations. After Monot and down town’s boom, the powerful restoration wave has found a new aim. Bars and restaurants are continually opening pulling towards Gemmayzé a mass of residents, tourists and night birds. These new bars and restaurants are intimate spots and a lot more alternative than the unavoidable Monot and down town. This fact promoted the prosperity of this quarter that has become one of the key places for those who are searching for the essence of the wide-ranging night life. That’s how Gemmayzé was able to capture customers thirsty for freshness and newness. Indeed, it expresses an incomparable ether, a hybrid nature mixing a lot of nationalities, and a privilege that is rare in other places of the world. This quarter offers a choice, so varied that every night resembles to a Friday or a Saturday night, and that all tourist and autochthons are transformed into expert late-nighters. Phenomenon of the year 2004, the Gouraud Street, a main street of Gemmazyé quarter, is the star of the moment. Moreover, it has inspired a lot of press articles and animated the whims of the local restaurants. The oldest is Café Gemmayzé. Today, the quarter counts up more than twenty five bars and restaurants. It is therefore, your mood that will guide you to the restaurant, night club, pub, café, or gallery where the style and ambiance you long for reigns.