A Lebanese flag with chalk is trying to get into the "Guinness"
The painter Giovanni Bassil draws his country's flag in Martyrs' Square.
AFP
A young Lebanese painter is trying to enter the Guinness Book of Records, by drawing the Lebanese flag with chalk in the center of the capital, Beirut, on an area of 200 square meters, in a move that aims to send a message of "hope" to his country mired in an unprecedented economic and social crisis.
Painter Giovanni Bassil, 24, from Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut, explained that the idea of this initiative came to him by chance, after he was informed on the Internet of the previous record, achieved by a Uruguayan, who drew his country's flag with chalk on an area of 168 square meters.
In this task, which he began carrying out on Saturday, and is expected to finish today, Bassil uses 3,000 chalks of the three colors that make up the Lebanese flag, red, white and green, after a topographic survey of the site, in accordance with the conditions set by the Guinness Book of Records, which also notes the capture of Pictures of work with drones, to ensure that the drawing is completed according to the required specifications.
He added, "I wanted the record to come out of this historic square in central Beirut," and "I am proud of what I do despite everything the country is going through," explaining, "I am trying to be a face of hope for all Lebanese," in light of the stifling economic crisis that hits various aspects. living in the country.
Since the summer of 2019, Lebanon has been facing an unprecedented economic collapse, considered one of the worst in the world since the mid-19th century, according to the World Bank. More than half of the population has fallen below the poverty line, while the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its value against the dollar.
The Lebanese painter dedicated this work to the victims of the Beirut harbor explosion, less than two weeks before the first anniversary of the tragedy that left more than 200 dead and thousands injured, destroyed large parts of the Lebanese capital, and caused a political earthquake in the country, whose frequencies are still continuing today.
• A young Lebanese painter draws the flag on an area of 200 square meters.
• The move aims to send a message of "hope" to the Lebanese people.
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