Bachoura, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
Bachoura, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
Bachoura, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
Bachoura, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi

Behind the glitz and glamour: Lebanon's capital stripped bare in 'Beirut, Naked City'


  • English
  • Arabic

Seen from above, Beirut is a sprawling mass of cheap concrete apartment blocks and soaring glass skyscrapers, which dwindle in height as they approach the suburbs, where the city begins to eat away at the mountains. Seen from within, Lebanon’s capital city is an overwhelming maze of narrow alleyways and looming overpasses, abandoned dwellings falling into ruin and yawning chasms of construction sites primed for new foundations. Seen from afar, it is a puzzle with no internal logic, chaotic yet fascinating in its meandering lines and jumbled architecture.

Portrait of Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi, photographer behind 'Beirut: Naked City'
Portrait of Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi, photographer behind 'Beirut: Naked City'

Beirut, Naked City, a new book of photographs by Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi, published by Alexandre Medawar, reveals the city's expanse and drama, its internal workings and hidden corners. Saudargaite Douaihi's photographs are atmospheric and meticulously composed. Together, they present a systematic, unsentimental documentation of Beirut's urban fabric and raw materiality. Beirut, Naked City conveys the capital as a many-layered palimpsest, in which new buildings smother old, concrete is king and nothing is ever permanent.

There are so many photos where you only see the beauty or the pretty side. That is there already, we don't need to add to it

In consultation with the photographer, Medawar selected more than 150 images to include in the book, dividing them into four chapters: Overview, Artefacts, Neighbourhoods and Future. Three introductory texts by Medawar, and Lebanese essayists Dominique Edde and Jad Tabet, delve into the history of Beirut and the importance of Saudargaite Douaihi’s contribution to documenting the ever-changing city.

In her beautiful yet sparse photographs, Saudargaite Douaihi lends equal weight to a spectacular panorama of the city and a close-up of rubbish dumped beside the highway. She captures the overpasses and the car parks, the ephemeral shapes of informal shelters, the timeless permanency of graveyards, the sleek high rises and the tangled electrical wires draped across streets like industrial bunting. In her images, the city is at once ugly and beautiful, familiar and strange.

Furn Al-Hayek, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
Furn Al-Hayek, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi

Taking photographs is a way of charting how the city changes and evolves, archiving the constant cycle of destruction and construction.

“It’s always going to be ahead of you in some places,” says Saudargaite Douaihi, who has been documenting the city since 2013 and intends to continue indefinitely. “I can’t be everywhere at the same time, although that is my wish. I always want to know what is happening in every part of the city – what’s changing, what’s being destroyed, what’s popping up, where people are moving to, where everything is happening.”

Born in Lithuania, Saudargaite Douaihi grew up in Abu Dhabi, where she went to school, before moving to Beirut in 2007. She did not immediately take to the city.

“It took me five or six years to find my place, find my friends and to discover the city on my own terms, and I found it very exciting,” she says. “After that I became really interested in cities that are more organic in their organisation. When I go to Europe or North America I’m kind of bored after a few days because it’s just all the same – it’s all predictable.”

One of the images of a building under construction captures a man asleep on a makeshift bed. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
One of the images of a building under construction captures a man asleep on a makeshift bed. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi

Her photographs convey the beauty and indefinable charm of the city without masking the dirt and the poverty, something she believes is easier for her as an adoptive resident.

“There are so many photos where you only see the beauty or the pretty side. That is there already, we don’t need to add to it,” she says. “Some people might feel like, ‘If we show the ugly part then it means we are ugly.’ I don’t see it that way. It’s not ugly because of the people, it’s ugly because of all the unfortunate events that have happened over so many years, and the government is the responsible party.”

A trained architect, Saudargaite Douaihi takes an approach to photography that is at once intuitive and academic. As she walks the streets of Beirut, camera in hand, she attempts to decipher and catalogue the thousands of decisions and accidents that have shaped the city over the centuries.

“I read the city in a different way, perhaps, because I’m informed through my studies and my knowledge of architecture,” she reflects. “I read all the layers – the political, judicial, economic, environmental … I try to capture that so other people can also read it.”

Achrafieh, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
Achrafieh, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi

One element of continuity throughout the diverse series of images is how few of them contain human figures. Taken on overcast or smoggy days, her photographs capture a grey city, atmospheric and haunted, as though peopled by memories and ghosts. Saudargaite Douaihi’s preference for shooting in diffuse light is aesthetic, but she stresses that the lack of human figures in her work is not deliberate.

“I don’t remove them. Most of the time they’re not there,” she says. “I really felt a big difference when the revolution happened and I went out to take photos because suddenly the city is full of people. But most of the time they are in their cars, stuck in traffic. Very few walk … I often like to see people in the window or in the shop – to have these figures inside the city – but my focus is obviously not people themselves, it’s where they live. The city is there to serve the people and they’ve built it, so I’m showing the result of their existence.”

Yet it is telling that both her favourite images do contain human figures. One captures a building under construction. The blank concrete facade is pitted with oblong holes, windows without glass. Inside the rooms, heaps of scaffolding, piles of breezeblocks and stacked sandbags demonstrate the ongoing development. In the bottom right opening, which is partially covered, a man can be glimpsed, asleep on a makeshift bed.

“I love that I came across almost a secret moment, of this man taking a nap in the middle of the day because he’s tired from working or he’s sick,” she says. “I love those moments where you look into somebody’s life for a split second and you can recognise yourself. Who doesn’t take a nap in the middle of the day when they can? So it’s the more human side of the city.”

Ouzai, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi
Ouzai, Beirut. Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi

The images in Beirut, Naked City are grouped under titles that are perhaps slightly satirical. The chapter entitled Neighbourhoods opens with a series of photographs of graveyards, rare spaces that are cut off from the day-to-day pulse of the city, undisturbed by the constant cycle of destruction and construction. In a sense, these spaces for the dead reflect the make-up of the living city, Saudargaite Douaihi says. "They could be all together, but they are still divided by sect, which reflects how our neighbourhoods, percentage-wise, are still somewhat concentrated by certain groups … We thought it was interesting to include the dead as well as the living."

The book closes with a series of images entitled Future. Each captures greenery and trees that have spouted amid the concrete of the city, finding cracks, forgotten spaces and abandoned lots that miraculously sustain life.

“I’m always surprised in Beirut. No matter where I go, there is always some kind of lot overgrown by trees,” Saudargaite Douaihi says. “There are some species that grow very quickly, so even if a building has been destroyed recently, in two or three years the lot will be covered in grass and you might have a few trees that have popped up. It doesn’t take that long for nature to take over the space.”

The message of the chapter is both optimistic and apocalyptic. “No matter how far we damage what we have, eventually, when we disappear, nature will take over.”

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMascotte%20Health%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMiami%2C%20US%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bora%20Hamamcioglu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOnline%20veterinary%20service%20provider%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.2%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Community Shield info

Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)

Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

Referee Bobby Madley

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)

QUALIFYING RESULTS

1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.

Eliminated after second session

11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.

Eliminated after first session

15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

In numbers

Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m

Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’  in Dubai is worth... $600m

China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn

The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn

Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn 

if you go

The flights

Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return. 

The trek

Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required. 

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8 
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Brown/Black belt finals

3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA

2.0

Director: S Shankar

Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films

Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.