Rafik Al Hariri Memorial, Beirut

Rafic Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, was assassinated on this spot in 2005 in a car bomb attack which also took the lives of 22 civilians and several Hariri's bodyguards.

The Cedar Revolution which followed Hariri's assassination partly carried out his wishes for a free and independent Lebanon. The Memorial to the late Prime Minister, who symbolized the possibility of unity in the country and paid the ultimate price for that, is set near Saint George's Hotel. It features a statue of Rafik Hariri, a sculptural piece, and a torch.

The nearby commemorative garden, situated on a steeply sloping triangular site below the Grand Serail (Government Palace), pays tribute to Hariri's vision and achievements. Its steps symbolize gradual rebuilding of Beirut and an open invitation to the city; the granite planes represent sobriety and perseverance; the flowing water mirrors embody continuity; and a row of flowering Jacaranda trees evokes life’s constant renewal.