Reclaiming the City: Strategies for Inclusive Urban Development in Beirut's Central District Beirut’s Central District, specifically Martyr’s Square, has always been a physical and symbolic center for the city of Beirut, representing the city’s historical and socio-political changes. During the Ottoman era, it became a place to remember the martyred Lebanese nationalists of 1916. Since then, it has served as a public space for the city’s gatherings, a transportation hub, and a place for citizens to protest. However, during the Lebanese Civil War (1975 - 1990), Beirut was physically split in two: East and West Beirut. This left Martyr’s Square in the middle of the divide.