Jean Lauffray, the French archeologist, revealed that Rue Weygand followed the decumanus of the ancient
Romancolonia of
Berytus (from which the modern city of Beirut grew).[2][3] While Roman and
Byzantine mosaic floors have been found, the street predates the
Roman Empire as archeological digs have also uncovered evidence that the street was a commercial hub even prior to the
Hellenization of
Phoenicia.[4]
Prior to the war, the number 2
tram ran from Terminus du Phare to Rue de Damas via Rue Weygand.[5]
Rue Weygand is a one-way street that runs east-west, beginning at Boulevard George Haddad and turning into Rue
Georges Picot that cuts through the Jewish quarter of
Wadi Abu Jamil.[6] The Municipality of Beirut is located on the street along with exclusive designer shops and hotels, such as Le Gray.[7] The
Beirut Souks are also located on Rue Weygand.
In literature
The Arms of the Mantis by Robert Charles
"Sam Terrell was at that moment prowling the rooftop of a high rise building on the Rue Weygand."
The Man in the Middle by Hugh Atkinson
"Lawrence turned right into the Rue Weygand, changed down and accelerated past a crawl of Mercedes, Buicks and Cadillacs."
Redemption: A Novel of War in Lebanon by Liston Pope
"Ligury turned left on Rue Weygand, approaching the center."
The Song of the Goldencocks by Margaret Donnelly
"The taxi drove him around blocks and piles of collapsing buildings, then back to Rue Weygand, because Hamid wanted to show him a few archeological excavations that he pointed to, explaining, “Omari Grand Mosque, built over Roman temple..."
The Tiller of Waters by Hoda Barakat
"I went out to
Rue Maarad, thinking I would go as far as Rue Weygand and from there would go home to plant the shoots before they could wilt."