20th century modernization and traditional styles created an attractive low - rise city . ` Despite the dust and the traces of looting , despite the U.S. Army and the disorder , I fell in love with the modern city , '' said Pieri , now head of the Urban Observatory at the French Institute of the Near-East in Beirut . Some great buildings -- and some bad ones -- were erected under Saddam Hussein . Concrete debris , pollution and neglect have damaged the city in recent years .
20th century modernization and traditional styles created an attractive low - rise city . Some great buildings -- and some bad ones -- were erected under Saddam Hussein . Concrete debris , pollution and neglect have damaged the city in recent years .