The Jesuit Garden, also known as Geitawi Garden and sometimes also as Jesuits' Garden, is a public park in the Remeil District of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. It is located in the Moscow Street, covering around 44,000 square meters. The garden was given to the city in the 1960s by the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. The Jesuits opened schools in the area around an ancient Byzantine church in the 1600s. The garden houses the remains of an ancient temple and includes features such as Roman columns and

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

s. It also is the home to a small public library with 7,500 books donated by the Jesuits, which sits amongst one-hundred-year-old pine trees.Anderson, Brook., Protest over parking garage plans at Beirut Jesuit Garden, Daily Star (Lebanon), June 15, 2013.
/ref> Its proximity to the Greek Orthodox hospital and Getaoui hospital make it a popular destination for people visiting relatives and friends at the hospitals. In 2013, the garden was selected for

demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...

by the Beirut Municipality in order to create a new underground car park as part of a motorway extension project.Karam, Michael., Green space losing out to the obsession to drive everywhere, The National, Jun 14, 2013
/ref> The parking lot project has caused uproar amongst local residents and heritage activists who staged a protest on Saturday 15 June 2013. Over three hundred people attended to voice their anger at the Municipality planners and the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) *Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

. Various different groups and non-governmental organisations attended and voiced concern, including Green Line, Biladi,

Save Beirut Heritage Save Beirut Heritage (also known as Save Beirut's Heritage) is a cultural heritage organization based in Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, w ...

and the

Association for the Protection of Lebanese Heritage The Association for the Protection of the Lebanese Heritage or APLH is a cultural heritage, non-governmental organization based in Zouk Mosbeh, Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon, Lebanon. The association was originally formed in March 2010 by ...

. Guided tours were given of the ruins and it was explained how the planned construction work would irreparably damage the trees, Byzantine church and one of the few green spaces left in Beirut.

References

External links

Beirut.com - Protest to Protect the Jesuit Garden

{{coord, 33.893422, N, 35.525835, E, dim:5000_region:LB_type:landmark, display=title Gardens in Lebanon Parks in Lebanon Urban public parks Parks and gardens in Beirut