If you are interested in Lebanon’s main Shia party and you happen to be in Beirut, make sure to check out the main cemetery of martyrs in Beirut. In Arabic it’s called „روضة الشهيدين„, which means „Place of two martyrs“ in English. Many of the party’s fighters have died during the 2006 war with Israel, and since secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah decided to send his troops to battle in Syria alongside with Al-Assad’s troops, the number of martyrs quickly increased. The whole cemetery is quite big, yet these photos only show the roofed main hall, where many prominent members of Hezbollah, including the secretary general’s son, Hadi, are buried.
On weekends and high Islamic holidays, the families usually return to the final resting place of their sons/brothers/etc. and pay their respects. One of many reasons, why I’m so interested in Shia Islam is the fact that Shia muslims take great care of their martyred family members and especially when they died during political conflict, both families and the party are very proud of their martyrs.
If you visit, ask kindly if you are allowed to take photos. Usually no one denies you that request, but you should always ask before taking any photos at this place.
