Vol. 1 (2024)
Articles

Fashioning the Armenian City in Lebanon: Anjar as a Microcosm of Lebanese-Armenian Identity

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  • Nairi Mercadanti ,
  • Francesco Mazzucotelli
Nairi Mercadanti
independent researcher
Francesco Mazzucotelli
Università di Pavia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/asiac-2417

Published 2023-12-13

Keywords

  • Armenian diaspora,
  • Lebanon,
  • Musa Dagh,
  • Bekaa,
  • urban planning

How to Cite

Mercadanti , N., & Mazzucotelli, F. (2023). Fashioning the Armenian City in Lebanon: Anjar as a Microcosm of Lebanese-Armenian Identity. ASIAC – Studies on Central Asia and the Caucasus (SCC), 1, 103–125. https://doi.org/10.36253/asiac-2417

Abstract

The town of Anjar in Lebanon is a microcosm of Armenian-Lebanese identity. This article analyzes how the politics of space in Anjar reflects a double necessity: on the one hand, the preservation of a traumatic memory of the 1939 displacement from Musa Dagh, forced resettlement and resilience; on the other hand, the adaptation to the highly volatile political environment of the Bekaa Valley, which requires fluid alliances and negotiations with multiple local actors. The article provides a brief history of the urban development of the town with its unique design, as well as the lengthy processes of identity-building, affective investment, and memorial practices that remain relevant to this day.

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