Rue Monnot Explained

Rue Monnot (Arabic: شارع مونو), is a street in Beirut, Lebanon. It is located east of Beirut Central District, in the Sodeco neighborhood of the Achrafieh district, and named after Father Ambroise Monnot, a French Jesuit who founded the Saint Joseph University of Beirut in 1875.[1]

Rue Monnot is a one-way cobblestone street that runs on a south–north axis, starting at Avenue de l'Independence and ending at Rue Charles Debbas. Attractions include a multitude of restaurants, shops, bars, and nightlife venues, and the street is alive with music every single night of the week.[2] [3] In 2004, Travel + Leisure named Rue Monnot as the best in the Middle East due to the dozens of bars and moody nightclubs lining both its sides.[4] However it has today lost its post-Civil War prominence as the center of Beirut's Western-themed nightlife due to competition from other areas, such as Mar Mikhaël, Gemmayzeh, Hamra Street, Uruguay Street, and Badaro.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Kassir, Debevoise, and Fisk. Beirut, page 183
  2. Carter, Dunston, and Thomas. Syria and Lebanon, page 261
  3. News: Rediscovering Beirut's Charms. Wall Street Journal. 24 September 2010. Anderson. Brooke.
  4. Web site: Beirut is Back.
  5. //www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/19/travel/where-to-go-in-beirut.html New York Times-Badaro