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Beirut in stained glass: Rebuilding a broken city

Over a 30-year career, Maya Husseini created stained-glass windows in dozens of buildings across her city and abroad. Then the 2020 explosion destroyed almost everything.

After a 30-year career, Maya Husseini had planned to retire. She was Lebanon’s first female master glazier, she’d worked through civil wars and overcome sexism to create masterful stained-glass windows in churches and buildings across her city and abroad. Then the 2020 explosion in the Beirut port shattered almost everything. Retirement plans were shelved and Maya got back to work, bringing together a team of women to rebuild, and restore her beautiful creations.

The Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, is home to more than 60 carousels but one man keeps them in fine form: Leonel Bajo Moreno. Outlook’s Colm Flynn went to meet him. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen

Producers: Olivia Lynch-Kelly and Helen Fitzhenry

Interpreter: Olivier Weber

Voice-over: Mounira Chaieb

The clip of the explosion is courtesy of the Associated Press and Alaa.H Saad.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Maya Husseini working on one of her stained-glass windows. Credit: Courtesy of Maya Husseini)

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41 minutes

Last on

Thu 22 Feb 2024 03:06GMT

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  • Wed 21 Feb 2024 12:06GMT
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  • Thu 22 Feb 2024 03:06GMT

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