The Guardian
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Not so long ago, the historic downtown of Beirut was a wasteland of scorched buildings and rubble. Lebanon's civil war, which ended in 1990, destroyed an area known for its picturesque Mediterranean vistas and Roman and Mamluk ruins. Now, after a multibillion-dollar reconstruction project, the city centre features plush apartments and posh cafes, refurbished Ottoman-era buildings and boutiques by Burberry and Versace.