Beit Beirut, Museum and Urban Cultural Center

Beit Beirut is the City of Beirut's museum and urban cultural centre, housed in the Barakat building at Sodeco on Damascus Road. The building was designed by Youssef Aftimus in 1924, with two floors added by Fouad Kozah in 1932. During the civil war it stood on the demarcation line and was used by snipers. The municipality expropriated it in 2003 and commissioned the architect Youssef Haidar in 2009 to restore it. It opened as a museum on 28 April 2016.

The museum focuses on the history and memory of Beirut, particularly the civil war. The ground and first floors keep the bullet holes, sniper positions and belongings left by the dentist Fouad Chemali, who lived there from 1943, and a permanent display covers the city's history from the 19th century. Its upper floors are also used for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.