The Pine Residence (, ''Qasr al-snawbar'', literally "the palace of the Pines"), located in the
Horsh district of
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
, is the official residence of the
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
ambassador to
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
. The palace holds particular historical importance since General
Henri Gouraud
Henri Gouraud (17 November 1867 - 16 September 1946) was a French army general. He played a central role in the colonization of French Africa and the Levant. During World War I, he fought in major battles such as those of the Argonne, the Dard ...
declared the creation of the state of
Greater Lebanon
The State of Greater Lebanon (; ), informally known as French Lebanon, was a state declared on 1 September 1920, which became the Lebanese Republic (; ) in May 1926, and is the predecessor of modern Lebanon.
The state was declared on 1 Septembe ...
on September 1, 1920, from its porch.
Background
The 19th century witnessed a considerable rise in seafaring traffic with the introduction of steamships and completion of the Suez Canal in 1869.
Annual goods shipping weights rose from 40,000 tons to 1,700,000 tons between 1830 and 1914, and the first steamship arrived in Beirut in 1836.
The
Port of Beirut
The Port of Beirut () is the main port in Lebanon on the eastern part of the Saint George Bay on Beirut's northern Mediterranean coast, west of the Beirut River. It is one of the largest and busiest ports on the Eastern Mediterranean.
On 4 Augu ...
was developed by a French company to better handle the increasing amount of transported goods, and Beirut became a highly prominent port city in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
after centuries of being reduced to a trifling walled town. The brief
Egyptian rule from 1832 to 1840 was responsible for important urban planning and sanitation developments; it also opened up the city to foreign trade and influence. In 1888 Beirut was once again under Ottoman rule, it was elevated to a new status and became the capital of the
Vilayet of Beirut
The Vilayet of Beirut (; ) was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire. It was established from the coastal areas of the Syria Vilayet in 1888 as a recognition of the new-found importance of its then-booming capital, ...
.
The urban and architectural fabric of the until-then typical medieval Islamic walled city was changed by the Ottoman Ebniye and Turuk Regulations that were enacted in 1848 and 1864 as a part of the
Tanzimat reforms
The (, , lit. 'Reorganization') was a period of liberal reforms in the Ottoman Empire that began with the Edict of Gülhane of 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. Driven by reformist statesmen such as Mustafa Reşid Pasha, ...
and that would serve as a scheme for the development of Beirut until after the French mandate over Lebanon. The reforms resulted in greater city autonomy through the creation of municipalities and the development of the urban space. The municipality of Beirut was created in 1863.
[The municipality was known by the Turkish name of ''Meclis al-Baladi'']
Starting from 1860 and for twenty years, the Tanzimat impacted the transformation of the Beirut space heavily. The period was marked by the restoration of the ancient
souk
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets that have doors ...
s, the creation of new commercial spaces and the establishment of infrastructures on a big scale and the building of large public and private building such as the
Grand Serail
The Grand Serail (, ; also known as the Government Palace) is the headquarters of the Prime Minister of Lebanon. It is situated atop a hill in downtown Beirut a few blocks away from the Lebanese Parliament building. The Grand Serail is a histo ...
and its annexes and the Pine residence. The movement catalyzed by the Tanzimat reforms set the foundation of a new framework for buildings characterized by works inspired from several European styles such as
neo-Baroque Neo-Baroque may refer to:
* Neo-Baroque music
* Neo-Baroque painting, a painting style used by Christo Coetzee and others
*Baroque Revival architecture
* Neo-Baroque film
*the Organ reform movement
The Organ Reform Movement or ''Orgelbewegung'' ...
and
neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
. The former architectural tradition declined progressively.
The new status of the city was in tandem with the accumulation of riches by a number of its inhabitants. The affluent Beirutis were heavily influenced by the western way of living; they moved out of the old city and built their villas on the hills surrounding Beirut and sought to create a recreation center away from the bustling and crowded city center. The Pine Park was chosen for its scenic greenery and its distance from the busy downtown area; a racecourse and a casino similar the ones being built in European capitals were envisioned.
Horse racing
Horse racing was a common practice in ancient Beirut until it was banished by the Byzantine church authority around the 5th century AD and all the hippodromes were abandoned to decay. The Roman hippodrome of Beirut which occupies 3500 m
2 near the
Maghen Abraham Synagogue
The Maghen Abraham Synagogue (; ) is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Jewish district of Wadi Abu Jamil in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.
Established in 1925, the synagogue was damaged by Israeli bombardment during the ...
in
Wadi Abu Jamil
Wadi Abu Jamil is the former Jewish quarter in Beirut, Lebanon, located in the city's central district.
History
Formerly known as ''Wadi al-Yahoud'' (meaning "Valley of the Jews"), the quarter was the center of the Lebanese Jewish community, wi ...
, the historic, Jewish quarter of Beirut, was discovered in 1988.
The Roman Hippodrome of Beirut was the second to be discovered in Lebanon after the
Tyre Hippodrome
The Tyre Hippodrome, located in the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, is an ancient sporting arena and UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the second century AD. Built during the Roman era, the hippodrome was primarily used for chariot r ...
Construction

In view of the modernization of
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
's city center, the
wali
The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...
of Beirut
Azmi Bey planned to build a high-end meeting place for the city's
privileged class in the ‘Bois des Pins’; he commissioned the building of a casino and a horse
racecourse
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...
.
The Pine Residence was built by Alfred Moussa Sursock, a Lebanese nobleman working as an official at the Ottoman embassy in Paris until the beginning of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Alfred returned to Beirut and on December 5, 1915, he obtained a 50-year concession from then mayor of Beirut Kenaan Taher Bey for the management of of the
Beirut pine forest, provided he builds the "Cercle du Parc du Bois" or "Cercle Azmi" (Azmi Club), the first casino in Lebanon. Sursock proceeded to build the casino and the horse racetrack on the plot and created the
Ottoman Casino-Club Society (''"Société du Casino-Club Ottoman"'') to that end.
The pinery where the project was set to be constructed had been exploited for
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
since the
Phoenicia
Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...
n times and up until the arrival of the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...
.
By the end of the 19th century the Beirut pine forest became a frequented
promenade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...
. The park hosted regular archery contests and a
Kiosk
Historically, a kiosk () was a small garden pavilion open on some or all sides common in Iran, Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward. Today, several examples of this type of kiosk still exist ...
where military music was played every Friday during winter.
The construction of "Qasr es-Sanawbar" began in 1916 under the supervision of the Sursock family architect Bahjat Abdel Nour and involved Amine Abdel Nour, Hussein al-Ahdab,
Youssef Aftimus
Youssef Aftimus (; 25 November 1866 – 10 September 1952) was a Lebanese people, Lebanese civil engineer and architect who specialized in Moorish Revival architecture. Aftimus was the leading Lebanese architect and urban planner during the first ...
, Maroun Ghammacheh and Gaspard Nafilyan. The two-story building was completed in 1920 it consisted of a raised basement, a ground floor with a hall and a dining area, and an upper floor with game rooms. Nevertheless, the building never served as a casino because of the ongoing world war I; it was used as a military hospital instead.
Expansion
The Pine Residence was enlarged over time under the French mandate; the Ottoman lounge was reorganized, the "Salon de Musique" and the north–south facade were extended in 1928. In 1931 the northern chambers of the ground floor were transformed to the actual "Grand Salon" and dining room and in 1932 the first floor atrium was created by French architect
Michel Ecochard
Michel may refer to:
* Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name)
* Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers)
* Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...
.
History
French mandate

After the
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
,
the Ottoman Empire was partitioned and Lebanon passed under the
French mandate
The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (; , also referred to as the Levant States; 1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire, concerning the territori ...
. The then French Adviser on Foreign Affairs
François Georges-Picot
François Marie Denis Georges-Picot (; 21 December 1870 – 20 June 1951) was a French diplomat and lawyer who negotiated the Sykes–Picot Agreement with the British diplomat Sir Mark Sykes between November 1915 and March 1916 before its signin ...
was appointed Commissioner of the Ottoman Territories of Palestine and Syria; he arrived to
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
and moved to the residence which served then as Azmy
Bey
Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...
's (then
wali of Beirut) barracks and renamed it "Residence des Pins".
On November 21, 1919, general
Henri Gouraud
Henri Gouraud (17 November 1867 - 16 September 1946) was a French army general. He played a central role in the colonization of French Africa and the Levant. During World War I, he fought in major battles such as those of the Argonne, the Dard ...
, the French High Commissioner in Syria and Lebanon arrived in Beirut and laid the groundwork for the acquisition of the Pine Residence buildings and was inspired by the
Residence Lyautey in
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
to develop the Beiruti residence's rudimentary installation.
On September 1, 1920, General Gouraud proclaimed from the porch of the Pine Residence the establishment of the
State of Greater Lebanon
The State of Greater Lebanon (; ), informally known as French Lebanon, was a state declared on 1 September 1920, which became the Lebanese Republic (; ) in May 1926, and is the predecessor of modern Lebanon.
The state was declared on 1 Septembe ...
( ''Dawlat Lubnan Al-Kabir''; ) with its current boundaries and with
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
as its capital.
On September 28, 1921, the Sursocks reached an agreement by which the family yielded the property to the French state for a sum of 1.85 million French Francs. The French State became the owner of the buildings and tenant of the Beirut municipal forest ground which was adjacent and separated from the
Beirut Hippodrome
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, is home to two hippodromes, a historic one from the Ancient Rome, Roman era and a modern one that was built in the late 19th century.
Roman Hippodrome of Beirut
The Circus (building), Roman Hippodrome, which occup ...
by a simple wooden fence.
The high commissioners who resided in the Pine residence were:
During his first stay in Beirut between 1929 and 1932, Commander
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
lived in Achrafieh but he stayed at the Pine Residence when he returned to Lebanon as Head of the
Free French Forces
__NOTOC__
The French Liberation Army ( ; AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (; FFL) during World War II. The military force of Free France, it participated ...
in July 1941 and August 1942.
The ambassador's residence
After the
Lebanese Independence in 1943, the Pine Palace became the official residence of the
Ambassadors of France to Lebanon
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
.
The Embassy's land lease expired in 1964 and negotiations were undertaken so that France could acquire the symbolic premises. Talks ended in 1972 and on October 7 of that year, then-ambassador Michel Fontaine signed the agreement with the administrator of the Mohafazat of Beirut Chafic Abou Haïdar. It wasn't long before the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon.
The religious diversity of the ...
began and ambassador Argod was compelled to evacuate the embassy premises in May 1975 only to return by the end of 1976 until the Pine Residence was occupied by armed militias in 1978. Argod returned to the residence in late 1978 until the arrival of his successor ambassador Delamare in 1979. Delamare who lived in the Pine Residence with his family was assassinated a few meters away from the embassy by the Syrian government on November 4, 1981.
[Olivier d'Ormesson, « Le rôle de l'Union européenne et de la France en Méditerranée passe par le Liban », in ''La revue de politique indépendante'', n° 13, Paris, January 1993.]
Until the beginning of the
1982 Israeli bombardments, Ambassador Paul-Marc Henry still lived in the palace which was situated on the front-line of the Lebanese battlefield. The Pine Residence served successively as a field hospital for the French Army then as headquarters to the international observers.
The premises were finally abandoned on February 4, 1984, and the guardianship of the building was passed to the special forces of the Lebanese internal Security forces as of April 8, 1986. At the end of the hostilities, the French state recuperated the heavily bombarded and pillaged edifice the security of which was entrusted to the
French Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie ( ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, with ad ...
from May 25, 1991, until February 1995.
The decision to rehabilitate the residence and to regroup all the services of the embassy in its proximity was taken during the service term of ambassador Jean-Pierre Lafon who arrived in May 1994. The rehabilitation works were inaugurated by then president
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...
during his official visit to Lebanon in April 1996. The works which were overseen by Ambassador Daniel Jouanneau were done in May 1998 and the Pine Residence were inaugurated in an official reception headed by President Chirac on May 30, 1998.
The Pine Residence was classified as a historic monument by the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities.
See also
List of Ambassadors of France to Lebanon
References
Notes
Further reading
* {{cite book , title=La Residence des Pins - Beyrouth , publisher=Art Creation Realisation , author=Fournie, Pierre , year=1999 , isbn=2867701279 , author2=Amoun, Denise
Diplomatic missions in Lebanon
Palaces in Lebanon
Diplomatic missions of France
France–Lebanon relations