Beirut, Twenty-Five Years After I Never Left

I never moved abroad during the war, and I never parted ways with my home city. I never grew up in a foreign country, and I never missed Beirut or felt wistfulness towards it. The old buildings never represented the house I grew up in and left, and the ruins of the war never reminded me of a bittersweet childhood I gave up. I always passed by its streets, buildings and monuments, and they remained mostly unnoticed, for I was almost always on the go. I revisited Beirut, the city I never left, looking for the places that stir up the past and bring back its memories to those who have left it. I became an intrigued traveler, touring around and looking for the places that trigger nostalgia, the way visitors look for recommended tourist attractions by trip advisors. The photographs were kept on film, only to be revealed after my journey was done.