Roman Forum, Beirut

The Roman Forum is located in Beirut, Lebanon.

Overview

The façade of an ancient Roman public building was revealed in 1994, during the construction of the parliamentary offices, which indicated the presence of a Roman forum.

Next to it there was a theatre with a huge Roman hippodrome (one of the biggest five in the eastern Mediterranean shores).^[1]

...The Roman city (Berytus) spread farther S and W, with its Forum near the Place de l'Etoile. (Around the Forum) on its N side was a civic basilica 99 m. long with a Corinthian portico of polychrome materials (now in front of the "Beirut Museum"), dating from the 1st c. A.D. Some large baths have been uncovered on the E slope of the Colline du Sérail, and the hippodrome lay on the NW side of the same hill... J.-P. Rey-Coquais^[2]

In recent years there has been a confrontation on the preservation of these Roman archeological remnants, mainly for the Roman hippodrome and theatre located just on the north side of the Roman Forum.

Construction

Archaeological excavations undertaken during the construction of parliamentary offices in 1994 revealed the northern façade of a Roman public building. The colonnades and decorated façades of the Forum expressed the city’s power and prosperity. A temple precinct marked the southern limit of the Forum, while a large bath complex flanked its northern side. After the 551 Beirut earthquake, the Forum‘s public buildings were partially restored. In the early 1970s, the clock tower in Etoile Square was dismantled to permit the archaeological investigation of the site. Several Roman columns were exposed. Today, they remain intact beneath the clock tower, which was re-erected in 1998 during Beirut's post-war reconstruction.

History

During the construction of parliamentary offices in 1994, archaeological excavations revealed the northern façade of a Roman public building embellished with marble arched niches. The colonnades and decorated façades of the Forum, the central meeting place of Roman Berytus, expressed the city's power and prosperity. A temple precinct marked the southern limit of the Forum, while a large bath complex flanked its northern side. After the earthquake of 551 AD, the Forum‘s public buildings were only partially restored. Part of the bath complex remained in service well into the 10th century. The pavement of the Cardo Maximus, the city’s main street during Roman times, continued to be in use within Souk al-Najjarin until 1934. It was removed at this time to make way for the execution of the star-shaped plan of Etoile Square. In the early 1970s, the clock tower at the center of the square was dismantled to permit the archaeological investigation of the site. Several Roman columns were exposed. These remain intact beneath the clock tower, which was re-erected in 1998 during Beirut's post-war reconstruction.

Timeline

551 A.D.: Roman forum's public buildings were partially restored after the earthquake.
Roman era: Pavement of the Cardo Maximus, the city’s main street; continued to be in use within Souk al-Najjarin until 1934.
10th century: Part of the bath complex remained in service until then.
1934: Cardo Maximus removed to make way for the execution of Etoile Square.
Early 1970s: Clock tower at the center of Etoile Square was dismantled to permit the archaeological investigation of the site.
1994: Archaeological excavations revealed the northern façade of a Roman public building.
1998 Re-erection of the clock tower during Beirut’s post-war reconstruction.

Notes

^ Map showing the theater and hippodrome over a contemporary map of Beirut
^ R. Mouterde & Rey-Coquais, “L'emplacement du forum de Béryte,” MélStJ 25 (1942–43)

References

Lauffray, Jean (1944–45) « Forums et monuments de Béryte », BMB 7 : 13–81.
Marquis, Philip and Ortali-Tarazi, Renata (1996) « Bey 009 L’immeuble de la Banco di Roma ». Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises 1:148–175.
Curvers, Hans H. and Stuart, Barbara (2004) “BCD Archeology Project 1994 – 2003: issues and results” in: Claude Doumet-Serhal et al. Decade: A Decade of Archaeology and History in the Lebanon, The Lebanese British Friends of the National Museum, London; Beirut: 248–265.
Curvers, Hans H. and Stuart, Barbara (2007)” The BCD Archaeology Project, 2000–2006”, Bulletin d’Archéologie et d’Architecture Libanaises 9: 189–221.

[1] Map showing the theater and hippodrome over a contemporary map of Beirut

[2] R. Mouterde & Rey-Coquais, “L'emplacement du forum de Béryte,” MélStJ 25 (1942–43)

[1]

[2]

v t e Roman archaeological sites in Lebanon
Roman Berytus (actual Beirut)	Berytus ¹ Roman Forum of Berytus Berytus Roman Baths Cisterns of Berytus Baths Berytus Cardo Decumanus Berytus Colonnaded street Byzantine mosaics Roman hippodrome of Berytus Roman Law school of Berytus
Roman Phoenicia (actual Lebanon)	Heliopolis Temple of Bacchus Temple of Jupiter (Baalbek) Temples of Mount Hermon Temples of the Beqaa Valley Aaqbe temple Afqa Ain Aata temple Ain Harcha roman temple Amioun Monastery Arca Caesarea Augusti Pagus Bakka temple Batroumine Bziza temple Canalizations of Zenobia Dakoue temple Mansourieh Roman aqueduct Hebbariye temple Iaat column Kafr Zabad temples Khirbet El-Knese roman temples Labweh Roman temple Libbaya roman temple Monastery of Qozhaya Monastery of Saint Maron Nahle roman temple Nebi Safa temple Niha Hosn Niha Qalaat Faqra Qal'at Bustra temple Castra Chbib Castra El Banat Saraain El Faouqa Schleem roman temple Colonia Aurelia Pia "Sidon" Temnin el-Foka nymphaeum Tripolis in Phoenicia Tyrus ¹ Tyre Necropolis Roman temple to Venus in Yammoune
Related	Roman Lebanon Phoenice (Roman province) Palaestina Secunda Phoenice Libanensis Stone of the Pregnant Woman Ulpianus Marcus Valerius Probus Eudokia of Heliopolis Saint Barbara of Heliopolis Coele-Syria List of Christian cathedrals in Lebanon Christianity in Lebanon Catholic Church in Lebanon Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral 2nd century in Lebanon 3rd century in Lebanon 4th century in Lebanon 5th century in Lebanon 6th century in Lebanon 551 Beirut earthquake
¹ UNESCO World Heritage Sites ² Proposed Category:Roman sites in Lebanon