Beirut (AFP)

In his traditional house whose arcades were blown away by the explosion of August 4 in Beirut, Bassam Bassila says he is resisting pressure from the owner of a neighboring tower, determined to buy this historic building inherited from father to son.

“He wants me to sell him the house to demolish it” and build another tower, says the 68-year-old man in his gutted house in the Monot district (north).

The explosion caused by a huge amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the capital has killed more than 180 and devastated entire areas of Beirut, whetting the appetite of real estate sharks.

Like Mr. Bassila, other residents of the stricken streets, especially in the districts of Mar Mikhaël, Gemmayzé and Monot, and local officials, deplore the greed of those who seek to "take advantage" of the tragedy to make their business grow.

A tempting offer had already been made to Mr. Bassila by the same investor, who acquired the lower floor of his house in the hope of appropriating the rest.

"He told me + you will end up deserting +", says the taxi driver.

To push it towards the exit, the promoter refrains from now on according to him to "consolidate the ground floor", weakened by the explosion.

"I risk falling!", Denounces Mr. Bassila. But "I was born in this house, and my father was born there before me (...) I cannot live elsewhere", he says.

The man also deplores the absence of the State: "Without help, we cannot restore anything!"

- "Beirut is not for sale" -

Of the 576 historic buildings inspected by the Ministry of Culture in Beirut, 44 are at risk of collapse and 41 are at risk of partial collapse.

After the explosion, as residents flocked to report the damage to their homes, Béchara Ghoulam, the mayor of Rmeil district, in north Beirut, said he received an unexpected visit from one of these "brokers" of the city. shadow, offering to buy back the properties on behalf of individuals who do not want to be identified.

"He expressed his wish to buy houses damaged by the explosion and his willingness to + pay any amount + that the owners would demand. I replied that we will not sell," said Mr. Ghoulam.

The temptation is however strong in a context of serious economic crisis in Lebanon, which plunged many inhabitants into poverty.

Political and religious bodies have warned of the lurking "vultures", while the ministries of culture and finance have banned the sale of damaged goods until the restoration work is completed.

Banners bearing the inscription "Beirut is not for sale" appeared in the streets. Several heritage preservation associations are at work.

"We are receiving information from owners who have been contacted by brokers affiliated with politicians," laments Naji Raji, founder of the NGO "Save Beirut heritage" ("Save Beirut's heritage", editor's note).

Investors only aspire to "financial profit in a tourist region par excellence and seek to disfigure it", he denounces, rejoicing however that "the inhabitants refuse to sell".

- "This is our story" -

In rue Gemmayzé, Rita Saadé inspects her home inherited from her great-grandparents.

In a room with light green walls, topped by a traditional chandelier, the floor sagged after the pillars were damaged.

"It is a heritage and it must be restored", pleads the 23-year-old architect, who is seeking funding from NGOs.

The United Nations Organization for Culture and Education (Unesco) will organize two international conferences to raise funds for the benefit of the architectural heritage of Beirut and the cultural world.

The reconstruction of the city center after the civil war (1975-1990) by Solidere, the real estate company of the former Prime Minister and billionaire Rafic Hariri, had been criticized for failing to preserve the soul of the city.

Still in Gemmayzé, Alain Chaoul contemplates his home and wonders: "The cost of repairs is $ 200,000 but I don't have a penny. What should I do?"

However, he refuses to succumb: "It's our story. I won't sell it!"

© 2020 AFP