No matter how much I love you

In their book, "However You Are, I Love You," author Zaven Kouyoumdjian and photographer Ali Shehadi document the rise and fall of several iconic Beirut landmarks before, during, and after the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s, up to the October 17, 2019 revolution, and extending to the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, and the era of the coronavirus pandemic. Kouyoumdjian and Shehadi trace a circular map of Beirut, starting from the grain silos at the port, passing through the Lorient building, the Saint George Hotel and the Holiday Inn, the Murr Tower, the Theatre, the Martyrs' Square monument, the Fist, the Egg, the "Communication" graffiti, Beit Beirut, and ending with the National Museum. This area witnessed Beirut's golden age and was ravaged by war. The book interprets this through rich and rare photographs dating from the early 20th and 21st centuries and beyond. Last but not least, the book has added value in the form of behind-the-scenes details of these buildings and unexpected information about each Beirut landmark mentioned, which arouses the curiosity and interest of every reader.