‘The Paris of the Middle East’: Remembering the Lebanese Jet Set
Forget Gstaad or St Tropez — in the 1960s, Lebanon was the real place to see and be seen, learns Chris Cotonou
- Words by: Chris
Forget Gstaad or St Tropez — in the 1960s, Lebanon was the real place to see and be seen, learns Chris Cotonou
Forget Gstaad or St Tropez — in the 1960s, Lebanon was the real place to see and be seen, learns Chris Cotonou
It seems a world away now, but from 1955 until the outbreak of civil war in 1975, Lebanon was experiencing a period of glamour and optimism known as the Lebanese Golden Age. As with St. Tropez and Gstaad, Beirut and its environs attracted the European and American jet set, with hotels, restaurants, and clubs built for the purpose of entertaining the foreigners and an emerging middle-class. While St. Tropez and Gstaad were immortalised by the likes of Slim Aarons and Gunter Sachs, the Lebanese moment has been largely forgotten — blighted by the state’s ensuing war and sectarian strife.
It seems a world away now, but from 1955 until the outbreak of civil war in 1975, Lebanon was experiencing a period of glamour and optimism known as the Lebanese Golden Age. As with St. Tropez and Gstaad, Beirut and its environs attracted the European and American jet set, with hotels, restaurants, and clubs built for the purpose of entertaining the foreigners and an emerging middle-class. While St. Tropez and Gstaad were immortalised by the likes of Slim Aarons and Gunter Sachs, the Lebanese moment has been largely forgotten — blighted by the state’s ensuing war and sectarian strife.
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| Clubhouse Membership | |
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| Two Magazines per yearDelivered to your door | |
| Full Access to Paywall contentAccess to all member-only online features | |
| Membership Cardto redeem all the perks. | |
| Members Invites to Exclusive Eventsto private Clubhouse events | |
| Weekly newsletter Straight to your inbox | |
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