Ain el Mreisseh is an old seafront neighborhood in Beirut. In the last few decades new tall buildings and a thoroughfare along the shore blocked views and sounds of the of sea for most of the neighborhood’s residents. In 2019, a new urban design project created a set of pipes to carry sounds from the sea up a historic staircase leading towards the interior of the neighborhood. The goal of the project is to reconnect the area’s residents with the sounds of the sea that only a few years ago were a constant backdrop of the community.
Lebanese Arabic English Transliteration English Translation
1
مرحبا وأهلا وسهلا فيكن بحلقة جديدة من لانغويج ويف. أنا نعيم، واليوم حخبركن عن منطقة ببيروت إسما عين المريسة. بهيدي المنطقة في درج عمومي. هالدرج بيحكي عن علاقة سكان هالمنطقة مع البحر.
Hello, and welcome to a new episode of language wave. I am Naim, and today I will tell you about an area in Beirut called Ain El Mreisseh. In this area there is a public staircase. This staircase talks about the relationship of this area’s residents with the sea.
2
طول عمرن سكان بيروت يشوفو البحر من بيوتن، وخصوصا سكان المناطق القريبة من الشط، متل منطقة عين المريسة يلي عم نحكي عنا. بس من حوالي 20 سنة لليوم، صارت تصعب شوفة البحر تدريجياً، بسبب العمران العشوائي والبنايات الضخمة.
Residents of Beirut have always seen the sea from their homes, especially those living in areas close to the shore, such as Ain El Mreisseh. But from about 20 years till today, viewing the sea became harder gradually due to the random urbanization and huge buildings.