It's been just about six months since the devastating August 4 blast at the Port of Beirut. And as Lebanon struggles with many national crises, the capital's famed Sursock Palace remains in dire need of repairs and funds after suffering severe damage.
"It was as if a hurricane had blown into each and every room," owner Roderick Sursock Cochrane tells The National. "Even now, when I enter the house five months later, there are a lot of things that were damaged that I did not notice before."
Overlooking Beirut's harbour, Sursock Palace is one of the city's most well-known historical landmarks. Originally completed in 1860 by Moussa Sursock, the grand residence has served as the family's home for more than 150 years.
The palace displays many features typical of Lebanese Ottoman-era architecture, including its sweeping towers and beautiful arching windows, surrounded on all sides by lush gardens. Until recently, the estate served as the family's primary source of income as a venue for weddings and other functions. It also houses an extensive private collection of priceless antiquities and cultural artefacts.
I feel this house totally belongs to the family – and to me in particular – but it also belongs to Lebanon
This is not the first time Sursock Palace has been struck by catastrophe. During the Lebanese Civil War, Lady Yvonne Sursock Cochrane – a philanthropist, patron of the arts and founder of the Association for the Protection of Natural Sites and Ancient Buildings in Lebanon – personally protected the breached building from intruders and looters, despite the conflict engulfing the country around her. "She looked after [the house] like a treasure for many years, but my mother was also a pioneer of [cultural preservation] here in Lebanon," says Sursock Cochrane. "She fought for many years to protect old houses in Lebanon, beautiful places and things like that. She was obviously very proud of that."
Lady Yvonne died in August last year at the age of 98, after sustaining injuries from the port blast. She was posthumously awarded the National Order of the Cedar, the highest state order of Lebanon.
Now, with the help of the RestArt Beirut fund, Sursock Cochrane hopes to continue his mother's legacy of conservation by turning their ancestral home into a museum, opening Sursock Palace and its collection to the public for the first time.
The fund was created under the aegis of the King Baudouin Foundation in Brussels, with the aim of driving economic and social revival in Lebanon by revitalising the country's rich cultural heritage – beginning with Sursock Palace – through crowdsourcing and donations.
Joseph El Hayek, co-founder of RestArt Beirut, was put in touch with the Sursock Cochrane family through Anne-Marie Afeiche, director-general of the General Council of Museums in Lebanon. "Sursock Palace is an iconic place in Beirut and it is very fascinating, both to the Lebanese and to those who come to visit Lebanon," El Hayek says.
If renovations go as planned, the aim is to convert the palace into a museum that would open to the public by 2025.
“I feel this house totally belongs to the family – and to me in particular – but it also belongs to Lebanon,” Sursock Cochrane says.
Despite Sursock Palace’s pre-eminent position in Lebanon’s cultural heritage, obtaining the necessary financial aid to restore the ravaged building and its collection has proven difficult.
Lebanon remains in the grip of a financial crisis, the Lebanese pound has depreciated and the central bank has frozen accounts held in US dollars, in an attempt to prop up the struggling banking sector. Meanwhile, foreign investors remain hard to come by because of concerns over misappropriation and transparency.
"The problem is that the administration in Lebanon is very difficult," Sursock Cochrane says. "People are wary of giving money to Lebanon, about how it's going to be spent and so on."
Among the daunting list of tasks set out for the restorers, how to go about salvaging and safeguarding Sursock Palace's collection is perhaps the most challenging aspect of the project. "The know-how exists," says El Hayek. "The craftsmanship exists, but this demands a lot of expertise and this is unfortunately not something that is being taught in Lebanon, so that's why we are inviting international experts to come. There are more than 15 paintings that are very heavily damaged and need to be fully restored.
"Porcelain, ceramics, everything is completely scattered and in very small pieces, but we didn't throw anything [away]. We are just going to try to repair the items and bring them back to life in the same state as they were before."
Early funds raised for the palace restoration have gone towards covering the damaged roof with temporary corrugated iron sheets and sealing the broken doors and windows against the harsh winter rains, to prevent further harm to the building’s main structure.
However, a lot more money needs to be secured before the museum project can be completed. "The building itself will require something around $6 million to restore because everything has to be redone," says Sursock Cochrane. "Everything has to be restored in a state-of-the-art fashion, and the same with the paintings and the carpets. Everything has to be done very carefully and thoroughly."
Despite work having temporarily stopped owing to the current Covid-19 lockdown in Beirut, Sursock Cochrane insists the restoration effort for the palace must continue.
"I have to feel optimistic or else I would emigrate, but I can't do that because I've got too many responsibilities here, so I have to have a positive outlook towards things," he says.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been taken hostage by people like Hezbollah. I’m really worried about where Lebanon is going, politically and on the whole.
“Ours is not only a question of restoring the house. It’s also a bit of a cultural resistance, which is important at this time. We can’t surrender. We have got to carry on.”
Leaderboard
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66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
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69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Honeymoonish
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Pathaan
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5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
