Vintage Rue 61 Ibn Sina

There are lots and lots of streets in Beirut, and (from what I've seen) they're all numbered. Some of them also have a name. Of the streets that are named, only a few are famous enough that people generally know and use the street's name. Because street names really aren't in use, directions rely on other things--you'll be told that your destination is near this or that business or restaurant, near thus and such square, plaza, or major round-about.

So I was intrigued by this old street sign, from the collection of photos of Beirut taken in 1965 that I linked to last time.

I decided to track this place down.

It took me a very long time to find the street, frankly, much longer than it should have. Ibn Sina is a major route that connects the Corniche with downtown and major highways that lead to other parts of the city. It's a one-way road at least six lanes across. People double park on both sides of it, which can reduce this thoroughfare to a mere one or two lanes. I'm almost never on foot here, because it's not really a destination. Honestly, I didn't even know this stretch of road had a name or a number.

These days, though, there isn't a single sign that actually lists the name 'Ibn Sina'. Instead, this is what you'll find:

And there aren't many of these either. I really hoped I'd be able to track down the exact place in the vintage photo, but I wasn't. But at least I found the street. At least it is still there.