Art shows and mansions pair up to revitalise Beirut - in pictures

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  Mansion, in Zoukak el-Blatt, is an elegant three-storey villa, which dates from the 1930s, serves as studio space for around 20 artists, as well as hosting regular public performances, workshops and events. Courtesy of Ghassan Maasri

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  After years of searching for a space, he managed to meet Mansion’s owner, who agreed to allow Maasri to use the building rent-free for a period of five years. In return, the artists who work in the villa are gradually restoring it. Courtesy of Ghassan Maasri

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  La Maison Rose, perhaps Beirut’s most iconic Ottoman villa. Courtesy Tom Young

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  The Rose House was opened to the public for the first time in its nearly 150-year history. Courtesy Tom Young

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  British artist, Tom Young, has produced a series of paintings he is exhibiting in La Maison Rose. Courtesy Tom Young

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  Tom Young convinced the new owner to restore La Maison Rose and turn it into a museum. Courtesy Tom Young

The historical houses in Beirut that have found new leases of life as cultural spaces.