History
In 1921, the Viscount Philippe de Tarrazi (1865-1956) donated more than 20.000 books and 3.000 rare manuscripts to the Lebanese state.
Thus began the Lebanese National Library.
In a unique and exceptional initiative, de Tarrazi donated his own private collection of rare books, manuscripts, and some of the earliest printed journals, chronicling the history of the Arab and Middle Eastern press. That collection represented the original core of what is today "The National Library". De Tarrazi was appointed general secretary of the nascent library, and then a trustee who employed all his resources in the effort to develop it. The library grew and its collections expanded. By the year 1940, the library was experiencing its golden age, as it became a Mecca for intellectuals from Lebanon and the entire region.
However, in 1975, the long civil war of Lebanon began. The National Library was forced to close down, received its share of damage and destruction, was vandalized; its rare collections were looted, and its halls fell into darkness, as the library was located within the premises of the Lebanese parliament.
The rare books and manuscripts collections, or rather, what was left of this national legacy, were gradually transferred to other locations, hastily-packed into boxes, and were left to deteriorate in lamentable circumstances, buried in warehouses, in a state of complete abandon, exposed to rot and insects.
In 1999, Beirut was named "The Cultural capital of the Arab world”. The Ministry of Culture seized the occasion and asked a number of sponsors to organize an exhibition entitled: "The National Archives. A Collective Memory".
A catalogue was published, containing rare valuable collections from the heritage of the National Library. Simultaneously, a documentary was produced chronicling the tragic state of this national treasure. Thus, the exhibition, and, especially, the documentary film produced a strong reaction among the national authorities, energizing the project of the rehabilitation of the National Library, which was announced soon after.
