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Beaufort

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Beaufort Castle, Lebanon, November 2005: The Crusader fortress of Beaufort Castle- constructed in the 12th century- has been the focus for countless battles and the home of many occupiers over the centuries…

Beaufort (French for “beautiful fortress”) sits atop a 300 meter cliff which declines steeply to the Litani River. Its commanding location, with views over of much of southern Lebanon and northern Israel, is still of strategic value today.

In fact, Beaufort is one of the few cases where a medieval fortress has also proven to be of strategic military value, in the age of modern warfare…

When I visited in late 2005 the place was in ruins- but there was no mistake who held the high ground here…

Hezbollah’s AK47 emblazoned flag fluttered in the breeze- along with their allies and former rivals, AMAL.

Seven months later… the IDF once again invaded Lebanon- blitzing their way up to Beirut- laying south Lebanon to waste and cluster bombs in the July War …

The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) held the castle from the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War in the mid 1970′s, untill the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) finally evicted the PLO and occupied and fortified Beaufort- controlling south Lebanon for the next two decades…

Upon their withdrawl in 2000, the IDF set explosives and destroyed most of the structure. In 2007 an Israeli film- Beaufort- was released about an IDF unit stationed at the fortress…

Cedars of God

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Bcharre, Lebanon, Nov 2005:  One of the few remaining groves of Cedar trees (Lebanon’s national symbol) are on Mount Makmel near the town of Bcharre. One of the trees has been carved with religious icons such as the crucifixion of Jesus. Bcharre’ most famous son is Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer Khalil Gibran, born here in 1883. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. In 1998 the “Cedars of God” were added to the list of World Heritage Sites.

Holiday In Beirut

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Beirut, Lebanon, November 2005: While holidaying in Beirut in 2005- my first venture downtown inevitably ended under the towering, war ravaged hulk of the Holiday Inn…

The Holiday Inn was just one of the many hotels that became infamous during the conflict known as the Battle of the Hotels or (Front des Hotels)- a brutal conflict in central Beirut (1975-77) that occured early on in the Lebanese Civil War...

This was the first full scale confrontation between the leftist Muslim Lebanese National Movement(LNM)- plus the PLO militia…. versus the Christian Lebanese Front phalanges.

The battle was for control of the strategic hotel district of central Beirut- it rapidly spread to other areas, as did the war in general…

It began in October 1975 when Muslim fighters of the INM occupied the Murr Tower- and the Christian phalange KRF retaliated and occupied the Holiday Inn, St George’s and the Phoenicia Hotels.

Most of the hotels were then occupied- and over the next few years a tit-for-tat barrage of gun, mortar and sniper fire obliterated the downtown hotel area into a jigsaw…

The Holiday Inn was the only war ravaged hotel left standing when I visited 20 years later…

And as far as I’m aware the ruined skyscraper is still standing…

Canon EOS 1N/Canon EOS D30

Narguileh

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Sidon, South Lebanon, 2005: A Narguileh goes by many names; Hookahs, Narghile, Shishas, Chillum, Argilah, Nargeela…bongs! … Its variations and use spread from India and Nepal, through to Persia and the Middle East; North Africa, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans; Spain.. the USA…             Canon EOS D30/Sigma 17-35





UN United

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UN Base, South Lebanon, November 2005: This UN base on the South Lebanese border sat squarely between an Israeli border post on one side, and a Hezbollah bunker on the other. The UN in-residence at the time was the Indian Assam Regiment One Five (8-33)-  they were busy playing basketball  at the time… The next month a major altercation occured- and the ensuing kidnap of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah sparked the Israel-Hezbollah war half a year later…    Canon Eos D30 (3.2mp) & Sigma 17-35mm