When the fighting is over, the Lebanese like to let the good times roll. Following last month’s street battles, downtown Beirut has reopened after 18 months of confrontation, seeing celebrations which resembled a street carnival. And 10 days ago, the Buddha Bar night club in the city centre, a symbol of Lebanese excess that had closed during the protests, was relaunched, signalling that Beirut is once again open for business.

Many in Lebanon like to boast that the country always comes roaring back from its periods of instability. And indeed, the crucial tourism and real estate sectors are expecting a post-conflict boom, if all goes well and money and visitors pour into the country over the summer months.