The Grand Serail (Arabic: السراي الكبير, al-Sarāy al-Kabir; also known as the Government Palace) is the headquarters of the Prime Minister of Lebanon. It is situated atop a hill in downtown Beirut a few blocks away from the Lebanese Parliament building. The Grand Serail is a historic building, the most important of three Ottoman monuments on the Serail Hill, the others being the Council for Development and Reconstruction and the Hamidiyyeh clock tower.
History
The barracks
After its victory over the Ottomans in 1831, an Egyptian military contingent, led by Ibrahim Pasha set up camp on the western slope of the strategic extramural hill overlooking Beirut. The hill overlooked Suq-al Munajjidin (the weavers' bazaar), now replaced with Banks Street, and skirting Tal’at al Amrican and the city gate Bab Yaacub. In his book "Taqwim al-Ikbal" Sheik Abdel Basit al-Unsi describes the hill as being "well situated, west of the city, away from the population and overseeing the sea and Beirut". Beirutis customarily referred to the hill as Al-Thakanat.
The garrison
In 1840, the Ottoman Empire with the support of the Prussian, Russian, and British navies, recaptured Syria from Ibrahim Pasha and set up its military base there. The building was first used as the headquarters of military and civilian departments and, after expansion, became the headquarters of Ottoman governors. Beirutis referred to it then as Al-Quishleh (modern Turkish: Kışla), a Turkish word for "Garrison". The fortification of the barracks began in 1853, and it was further expanded during the Crimean War. The building consisted of a single floor until 1856, when a second floor was added and the ground floor repurposed as the cavalry stables. Between 1877 and 1894 major structural modifications were made which gave the Serail its final form.
The Hospital and the Courthouse Sultan Abdülaziz (ruled 1861–1876) ordered the building of a hospital (Hastahane in Turkish, usually shortened to Hastane in current modern Turkish), which was built in 1865, people referred to it as the military infirmary. The hospital building included two wings. Its northern wing housed a pharmacy (ajzah). When the French entered the city in 1918, they turned the hospital into a courthouse. Later the courthouse was moved to another location and the building became the Institute of Fine Art of the Lebanese University. however the war that raged through Beirut destroyed most parts of the courthouse and turned them into ruins until prime minister Rafik Hariri donated the sum needed for its reconstruction and renovation. Since its inauguration in 1992, the building serves as the headquarters of the Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction.
The Hamidiyyeh Clock Tower In 1897, a clock tower was built near the Grand Serail to celebrate the anniversary of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's coronation and to make up for the absence of a public clock indicating mandatory Muslim prayer times especially that many foreign institutions had built western style clock towers. The construction of the clock tower was approved by the Sultan following a letter of supplication from Beirut's governor Rashid Bey. The ceremonial laying of the first stone took place on 9 January 1897 (the birthday of the Sultan) in the presence of high officials, military representatives and members of the municipality of Beirut.
The High Commission In 1918 after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World war one, the Flag of the Arab Revolt was briefly hoisted over the Grand Serail until the arrival of the allied forces who entered Lebanon by land and from the sea and occupied Beirut and the entire Lebanese coast on 8 October 1918. French colonel Depiepape was appointed by the commander of the allied forces General Allenby, he took control of the grand Serail and became the military governor of the country. With the removal of the Flag of the Arab Revolt, the Grand Serail was turned into the headquarters of the French Governor, who was granted the title of high commissioner of the French Government in the Levant. From then on the Grand Serail was referred to as the High Commission. In 1926 the French introduced changes to the northern facade of the Grand Serail. Thus a lobed arch balcony above the decorated entrance replaced the northern arched gate, which was moved to the southern entrance. The new balcony became a loggia for high commissioners and prime ministers' speeches. The French also removed a crown from over the arch of the northern entrance because it contained an engraved marble tablet showing the symbol of the Ottoman Empire.
The Presidential Headquarters Sheik Bechara El Khoury, who was the first post-independence President of Lebanon, holding office from 21 September 1943 to 18 September 1952, turned the Serail into the presidential headquarters before moving it to the Qantari Palace in Beirut.
The Prime Minister's Headquarters The Grand Serail became the headquarters of the Lebanese prime minister Riad as-Solh who was the first Prime Minister of Lebanon (1943–1945), after the country's independence and has been used as the Office of the president of the council of ministers headquarters ever since. The 2020 Beirut explosions occurred about 2 km (1.2 mi) away from the palace, which sustained some damage. Prime Minister Hassan Diab's wife and daughter sustained minor injuries, while his health advisor, Petra Khoury, was taken from the palace to the hospital for cuts that required stitching.
Architecture and renovation
The Grand Serail
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