page_title: Beirut Central District
section_title: Civic institutions
hierarchical_section_title: Beirut Central District / Civic institutions
caption_attribution_description: Beirut city hall
context_page_description: The Beirut Central District or Centre Ville is the historical and geographical core of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Also called downtown Beirut, it has been described the “vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country.” It is an area thousands of years old, traditionally a focus of business, finance, culture and leisure.
  It is situated on the city's northern coast and is easily accessible from all parts of the city. This includes the adjacent Beirut Seaport and Rafik Hariri International Airport. Major roads converge on it or from boundaries to the east, south and west, or line its 1.5 km long seafront to the north.
  After the devastation of the city center by the Lebanese Civil War, it underwent thorough reconstruction and development, which restored its cultural and economic position in the region.
context_section_description: After the reconstruction, the city center regained its role as the focus of civic life in Lebanon. Several key institutions have relocated there including the Parliament and its related offices, the Government's headquarters, and the Beirut Municipality. The BCD also has a dense concentration of public agencies, important ministries, and governmental offices, some of which are:
  Ministry of Culture and Higher Education
  Ministry of the Displaced
  Lebanese Customs
  Investment Development Authority (IDAL)
  National Economic and Social Council
  Council of Reconstruction and Development (CDR)
  Ministry of Finance
  Ministry of Transportation
  National Statistics Bureau
  Post and Telecommunications
  Ministry of State of Administrative Reform
  Public Audit Court
caption: Facade of the Beirut City Hall
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