Manouk Avedissian (1841–1925), more commonly known as Bechara Effendi (or Bechara Effendi al-Muhandis, Bechara Afandi, also Bechara Effendi el-Dob ''"the bear"'') was an Ottoman administrator and the chief engineer of the Vilayet of Syria and later of the Vilayet of Beirut. Avedissian, who is considered one of the founding fathers of Lebanese architecture and urban planning, is of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

descent.

Works

In 1887, Bechara Effendi was dispatched by order from the

Porte Porte may refer to: * Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire * Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy * John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator * Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who compe ...

to assist with the excavations conducted by Osman Hamdi Bey and

Yervant Voskan Yervant Voskan (1855, Istanbul – Istanbul 1914) was an Armenian painter, sculptor, instructor, and administrator. He is the first known sculptor in modern Turkish sculpture history and as the first sculpture teacher at the Sanay-i Nefise he ed ...

at the necropolis near

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

which unearthed the Alexander Sarcophagus among other artifacts. He is credited with discovering new burial chambers and with devising transport mechanisms and superintending the transit of the massive troves to a frigate bound for Constantinople's museum. His works marked the landscape of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

with governmental buildings and monuments. Some of his work include the

Petit Serail The Petit Serail ( ar, السراي الصغير / ALA-LC: ''as-sarāy as- ṣaghir''; literally "Little Saray") was a historic administrative Ottoman building in Beirut that housed the seat of the Wali of Syria and Beirut. It was situated to ...

, the Sanayeh school complex, the Ottoman Bank in Beirut. Avedisian worked closely with

Youssef Aftimus Youssef Aftimus (; 25 November 1866 – 10 September 1952) was a Lebanese civil engineer and architect who specialized in Moorish Revival architecture. Aftimus was the leading Lebanese architect and urban planner during the first half of the twe ...

who married his daughter Rose in 1899.

References

*DAVIE M. 2003, « Manouk Avédissian, alias Béchara afandi al-mouhandis. Itinéraire beyrouthin d'un ingénieur beyrouthin à la fin du XIXe siècle », in M. Anastassiadou-Dumont (éd.), Médecins et ingénieurs ottomans à l'âge des nationalismes, Istanbul & Paris, Institut Français d'Études Anatoliennes & Maisonneuve et Larose, p. 219-329. {{Authority control Lebanese civil engineers 1841 births 1925 deaths Armenians from the Ottoman Empire