2020 Beirut explosion in the context of "Lebanese liquidity crisis"

Beirut (/beɪˈruːt/ bay-ROOT; Arabic: بيروت, romanised: Bayrūt) is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As of 2014, Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the twelfth-largest city in the Levant region and the sixteenth-largest in the Arab world. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast. Beirut has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.

Beirut is Lebanon's seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy, with many banks and corporations based in the city. Beirut is an important seaport for the country and region, and rated a Beta- World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Beirut was severely damaged by the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2020 massive explosion in the Port of Beirut, and was subsequently rebuilt after each of these events. Its architectural and demographic structure underwent major change in recent decades.

The Port of Beirut (Arabic: مرفأ بيروت) is the main port in Lebanon on the eastern part of the Saint George Bay on Beirut's northern Mediterranean coast, west of the Beirut River. It is one of the largest and busiest ports on the Eastern Mediterranean.

On 4 August 2020, a large explosion, caused by improperly stored ammonium nitrate, occurred at the port, killing at least 218 people, injuring more than 7,000 and rendering 300,000 others homeless. Large sections of the port and its infrastructure were destroyed, including most of Beirut's grain reserves, and billions of dollars in damages were inflicted across the city. The Port of Beirut was forced to close, due to the large-scale damage caused by the explosions, with cargo being redirected to smaller ports, such as Tripoli and Tyre. Prior to the disaster, about 60 percent of Lebanon's imports came through the port, according to an S&P Global estimate.

MV Rhosus was a general cargo ship that was abandoned in Beirut, Lebanon, after the ship was declared unseaworthy and the charterers lost interest in the cargo. The 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which the ship was carrying was confiscated and brought to shore in 2014, and later caused the catastrophic 2020 Beirut explosion. The vessel's owner at the time of abandonment was Cyprus-based Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin. The ship sank in the Port of Beirut in 2018.

The Maghen Abraham Synagogue (Arabic: كنيس ماغين أبراهام, romanized: Kanīs Mā'ghīn Abrā'hām; Hebrew: בית הכנסת מגן אברהם, romanized: Beth HaKenesset Magen Avraham) is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Jewish district of Wadi Abu Jamil in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.

Established in 1925, the synagogue was damaged by Israeli bombardment during the Lebanese Civil War. Restoration of the synagogue began in May 2009. In August 2010, renovations neared completion, with finishing touches made to the interior of the building. Haaretz reported that "synagogue restored to glory" and "has been renovated beautifully". The synagogue reopened in c. 2014, and was slightly damaged in the 2020 Beirut explosions.

Beirut (/beɪˈruːt/ bay-ROOT; Arabic: بيروت, romanised: Bayrūt) is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As of 2025 Greater Beirut has a population of 2.4 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the twelfth-largest city in the Levant region and the sixteenth-largest in the Arab world. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast. Beirut has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.

Beirut is Lebanon's seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy, with many banks and corporations based in the city. Beirut is an important seaport for the country and region, and rated a Beta- World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Beirut was severely damaged by the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2020 massive explosion in the Port of Beirut, and was subsequently rebuilt after each of these events. Its architectural and demographic structure underwent major change in recent decades.