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This article deals with the representations of Beirut through the writings of Lebanese intellectuals, writers, and journalists who, in the 2000s, were the protagonists of a public sphere structured by the print media. Their discursive production, which dealt with the identity of the city, its cultural role, and its division into political-sectarian territories, is directly linked to the political context and the violent events that occurred in the city after the assassination of Rafic Hariri in February 2005.