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Sites of Memory in Lebanon: The Hariri Mosque in Martyrs Square

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The Social Life of Memory

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict ((PSCHC))

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Abstract

This chapter explores the spatial dynamics of memory in Lebanon by focusing on the Muhammad al-Amin “Hariri” mosque in Beirut’s Martyrs Square. By examining the circulation of everyday memories around the Square and mosque, Hamdan advocates an approach to the politics of memory grounded in the everyday production of space in Lebanon. He argues that although Beirutis do not evoke a common counter-memory, their many memories are otherwise united in a critique of elite politics in the country and their perceived reliance on sectarian categories of identity. This produces a fragile kind of unity and, somewhat paradoxically, hope, in the nation-building project of Lebanon. This chapter further contributes to methodological discussions of the site of memory as both lieux and milieux.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Los Angeles, USA

    Ali Nehme Hamdan

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  1. Ali Nehme Hamdan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, Germany

    Norman Saadi Nikro

  2. Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, Germany

    Sonja Hegasy

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Hamdan, A.N. (2017). Sites of Memory in Lebanon: The Hariri Mosque in Martyrs Square. In: Nikro, N., Hegasy, S. (eds) The Social Life of Memory. Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66622-8_6

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