29 July 2016

TYRE, Lebanon: Perched atop a mound, meters from the shore, is a beached wooden ship that looks like it would be more at home on the high seas. However on closer inspection, the ship reveals itself to be a restaurant serving famous fish dishes from the town of Naqoura, on the southern coast of Lebanon.

The project was conceived in the hopes of revitalizing a flagging tourism sector in a region ravaged by decades of Israeli occupation and war. What is perhaps most remarkable is that the project is not the only one of its kind in the region.

On another hill in Shamaa in the district of Tyre, Mohammad Srour, originally from Aita Shaab, undertook what locals called a harebrained scheme: building a restaurant just 7 km from the border.

It is a daring idea in a place that has seen so much war, Srour said. We are unable to tear ourselves from our communities.

As citizen of southern Lebanon, I am exercising my right to persevere, he told The Daily Star. For Srour, it is also an act of resistance; he believes that to stay on his land and build his restaurant is to challenge the enemy.

However, he also believes the area has a bad reputation. The area is gorgeous, but it lacks resources. The south stands for peace and beauty I dont exaggerate when I say it is the safest part of the Middle East.

Safina Restaurant and Park is not a traditional restaurant. Srour calls it a work of art. The concept and design are entirely my own. I worked for five months on it, he explains of the 4,000 square meter, 55-meter long, 15-meter wide and 9-meter tall ship. The restaurant contains a lower hall and a terrace. A future project aims to develop chalets and a beach resort.

The restaurants interior has just as much character as its exterior. The insides are furnished in the nautical fashion and staff wear sea-themed costumes. Gevara Aknan, a shipwright, constructed the restaurants front like a ships bow, taking more than 15 days to complete.

Srour says that the Army and UNIFIL units scattered throughout the region are more than welcome at the restaurant, which he said also attracts many foreigners. He calls on all Lebanese from the north to the mountains and the coast to visit the south. The south today isnt like the south of yesterday, he explained.

The ship feels like its almost about to set sail, local Mahmoud Safieddine said. Its a beautiful project in a region that has seen much neglect.

Copyright The Daily Star 2016.