The scent of incense hangs heavy in the air. A poignant memory. This is Le Liban. Not the country but a poignant echo of it in Marseille.
Le Liban in Marseille. It’s a name that whispers of history and connection. A link between France and Lebanon a story etched in the lives of its people.
Marseille has long been a crossroads for the Lebanese diaspora. A vital port for those seeking new lives in the Americas or Africa. Lebanese families ran establishments like the Hotel Bompard. They specialized in welcoming fellow countrymen. After the French mandate ended in Syria and Lebanon many soldiers from those regions chose France. Many chose Marseille. There established trading families like the Dahers carved out influential positions. In 1947 the new Lebanese state established a consulate here.
The Maronite Christians formed the largest group among Marseille’s Lebanese community. They established the Notre-Dame du Liban parish in 1952 on Avenue du Parc Borély. Further waves of immigration between 1965 and 1975 brought young Lebanese students. Many studied medicine at Marseille’s universities. The Lebanese civil war starting in 1975 and the subsequent Syrian occupation led many to settle permanently.
A 1990 census counted 2870 Lebanese in Bouches-du-Rhône. That number underestimates the reality. It doesn’t capture the strength of the Lebanese network in Marseille. Their strong ties to Lebanon persisted. In the late 1980s these Lebanese-Marseillais watched with anxiety as conflicts resumed. Tensions escalated with Michel Aoun’s appointment as head of the provisional government. He was fiercely anti-Syrian. In March 1989 he launched the “liberation war” against Damascus. This event highlighted the powerful bonds between those who left Lebanon and those who stayed.
Even though Maronites were the majority support transcended communal boundaries. The Lebanese in Marseille showed solidarity through public demonstrations prayers sending aid and helping hospitalized war wounded. Two days earlier Bernard Kouchner the Secretary of State for Humanitarian Action requested the French Navy dispatch a medical ship from Toulon to aid victims.
The Taef Accords signed in Saudi Arabia in October 1989 ended the major fighting. It created a new power balance among factions. A so-called “national unity” government was formed under Syria’s tight control. Syria continued its occupation. Rafik Hariri a Sunni became Lebanese prime minister in 1992. He tried to loosen Syria’s grip. He was likely assassinated on February 14 2005. Le Liban in Marseille stands as a quiet testament to this vibrant history. A reminder of the enduring human connections that transcend borders and conflicts. A place where the spirit of Lebanon lives on.