The Project
Routes of Memory: Beirut As You’ve Never Seen It Before – The World’s First Memory Tour
Routes of Memory: Beirut as You’ve Never Seen It Before – the world’s first memory tour, is a unique, globally pioneering experience that offers a dual journey through the city. Through a live Hop-On Hop-Off tour aboard an international sightseeing bus and a digital platform routesofmemory.org, the project invites you to rediscover Beirut’s collective memory in depth. This is not a traditional tourist experience. It is an open invitation to younger Lebanese generations, as well as visitors and tourists, to explore the living history of Beirut. As the bus moves across the city’s streets, it stops at key locations where audio narratives recount pivotal events that took place there, from the civil war to the Beirut port explosion. The “Routes of Memory” platform serves as an interactive space that mirrors the tour’s narratives through a dynamic map showcasing the sites and their related historical events. It provides references, sources, and suggested readings for anyone wishing to dig deeper. Born out of the need to preserve memory and bridge the knowledge gap for tourists and post-war generations, this project brings together field exploration and immersive digital storytelling. It blends on-the-ground experience with digital engagement, shedding light on Beirut’s layered history and its impact on the fabric of the city’s collective memory. Routes of Memory” is more than documentation. It is a living dialogue between past and present. It contributes to building a shared collective memory that honors the victims of the past while opening space for critical conversations about the future. This project was implemented by Act for the Disappeared, in partnership with the Socio-Economic Justice Initiative – MAAN, both of which work on issues of memory and justice in Lebanon. It would not have come to life without the valuable network of partners who supported it. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Viviane Nassar, Director of City Sightseeing Lebanon, for her essential role in the success of this project. We also express our deep gratitude to the French Cultural Centre and the Cervantes Institute for their collaboration, which enabled us to present these narratives in French, Spanish, and English.
Beirut
It is wonderful to have you join this journey through the neighborhoods of Beirut, to see its contemporary history and listen to stories from its memory . Beirut , which first emerged in the Stone Age when the sea receded slightly, has remained like a boat in a sea that sometimes calms and sometimes rages. Despite the wall that the Canaanites built around it, which was destroyed and was rebuilt many times, and its map changing but remaining until the late Ottoman period , Beirut did not remain isolated. Its port became active in transporting goods, and more importantly, it served as a point of connection between the peoples of the world. After it was declared the capital of the State of Greater Lebanon (on 1 September 1920), and despite the series of political and security events it witnessed, both interior and exterior, along with demographic, social, economic, and cultural transformations, Beirut became the story of a nation. Therefore, this tour is a journey into that story. And within the story, you will find how revival intertwined with crises, peace with war, construction with destruction, openness with isolation, unity with fragmentation, the state with chaos, independence with dependency, sovereignty with occupation, prosperity with misery, truth with concealment, memory with oblivion, and the past with the present and the future. And because the stops on our tour witnessed events during the war (1975-1990), we have been careful not to take sides with any of the parties that fought, nor to adopt one narrative over another. Regardless of whether we have succeeded in that or not, because the matter is relative, we repeat, with historian Kamal Salibi , the call for the Lebanese to clear their homes of cobwebs and to rewrite their history using scientific methodologies, away from grudges, justifications, and condemnations. We also add Georges Corm’s call to free ourselves from prejudices and to transcend the “culture of discord,” in pursuit of a “national culture.” And as we crossed minefields, checkpoints, and frontlines, we made sure to preserve what is positive, bright, and beautiful in our society, our culture, our values, our capital, and in our past, future, and present. The hope, as always, remains in knowledge and awareness.
Partners
ACT for the Disappeared is a Lebanese human rights organization founded in 2010 that works on dealing with the past and addressing the legacy of political violence to advance peacebuilding in Lebanon. It focuses on fostering social cohesion, promoting acknowledgment, and strengthening public responsibility for the past. Its work tackles the consequences of conflict, including the issue of missing and forcibly disappeared persons, as part of a broader effort to support affected communities and promote collective engagement with historical injustices. ACT engages in documentation, advocacy, memorialization, and dialogue-based initiatives, all aimed at reshaping how Lebanese society engages with its past. Since its founding, the organization has established one of the most comprehensive databases in Lebanon on enforced disappearances and events related to the Lebanese war, providing a strong foundation for justice, uncovering the fate of the missing, and promoting sustainable reconciliation. ACT has also developed initiatives across multiple fields, including advocacy with families and civil society to establish a national mechanism for investigating the fate of the missing. The organization provides psychosocial support and memorialization programs for affected communities, helping them process trauma while preserving collective memory. ACT has developed several digital platforms, including “Waynoun”, which provides accurate and reliable information on missing and forcibly disappeared persons, and “Fushat Amal”, which shares personal stories of each missing individual alongside an interactive “Map of memory” documenting the locations and checkpoints where people were abducted during the war. The organization has also contributed to a specialized study on trauma-sensitive approaches to truth-seeking, ensuring the psychological impact on families is carefully considered. ACT’s public outreach extends to village visits, university events, podcasts, and intergenerational dialogue sessions, especially with youth, to foster deeper engagement with the legacies of political violence. The organization’s work demonstrates a sustained commitment to making the past a matter of collective responsibility and public concern. By centering victims, engaging communities, and bridging generations, ACT seeks to transform how Lebanon confronts its history, advancing a more just and peaceful society.
The Socio-Economic Justice Initiative MAAN is an independent, Lebanese, non-profit non-governmental think and act tank working across all Lebanese territories, established in 2018. MAAN aims to bridge inequalities within Lebanon through the promotion of a culture of citizen accountability, the production of qualitative and quantitative evidence- based research, and advocacy for stronger institutions and social protection. With this, MAAN aims to reform socio-economic policy through a rights-based approach and acting as a catalyst between grassroots groups and policy makers. MAAN born at a time where international organizations are directing their attention to social equality, accountability, and governance, our Socio-economic Justice Initiative (acronymed MAAN for the Arabic term meaning “together”), will target Lebanese citizens, and in specific youth, to build a popular and public movement advocating for socio-economic changes through policy development. This document introduces the relevance and need for MAAN as an active organization, as well as the benefits and necessity of youth engagement. Furthermore, MAAN presents its early strategy to obtaining socio-economic justice by offering its mission, vision, and pillars of action that will be reflected through all of MAANs initiatives from the outset. View MAAN’s Portfolio
City Sightseeing Lebanon is the official franchisee of City Sightseeing Worldwide, the world’s leading open-top bus tour operator present in over 140 cities. We operate our official Hop On Hop Off Beirut tour, offering visitors and locals a unique way to discover the capital’s historical and cultural landmarks. In addition to Beirut, we also organize tours all over Lebanon, from the North to the South and the Bekaa Valley. Our services include: Private tours for families, students, embassies, and corporate groups Custom experiences: Birthdays, team-building, school outings, and themed celebrations Advertising opportunities: Eye-catching branding on our iconic red double-decker buses and digital exposure through our platforms. City Sightseeing Lebanon is proud to partner with MAAN & ACT for the disappeared to launch a Special Beirut Tour highlighting the main historical stops that shaped Lebanon’s history.
The French Institute in Lebanon’s mission is to promote the French language and culture throughout the country. It fosters ongoing intercultural exchange, notably through education, university partnerships, and a rich program of cultural events. Its ambition is to spark and promote unique artistic encounters between Lebanese and French creators, to host bold and original projects, and to explore the rich, long-standing ties between two nations with vibrant artistic and intellectual traditions.
Instituto Cervantes is a public institution founded by Spain in 1991 to promote and teach the Spanish language and to spread the culture of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. Instituto Cervantes de Beirut is located in the Beirut Digital District (Bechara El Khoury) and in Kaslik. In addition to offering a wide range of courses for all levels and ages, and being an official DELE examination center, Instituto Cervantes de Beirut has a library open to the public with Spanish and Latin American bibliographic collections, and it organizes a cultural program throughout the year, open to both students and the general public.