Useful Information about Lebanon

Beirut: City of Contrasts

The capital of Lebanon, Paris of the Middle East, is today a lively and cosmopolitan metropolis. Many times destroyed and rebuilt, it is a city of many facets- all accented by a charming mix of East and West. Dynamic, congested, elegant and ostentatious, Beirut shows a different aspect at every turn.

Jounieh: The bay

Was once just a quiet fishing village, but today it is a glitzy and fun loving place. A five km strip bursting at the seams with restaurants, night clubs, hotels, and beach resorts. The legendary Casino du Liban, playground of the rich and famous is located at the Northern end. The famous tourist attraction is the 20 tons bronze statue of Virgin Mary at Harissa.

Baalbeck : City of the Gods

(Heliopolis: City of the sun): Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world, the largest and most noble temples ever built and among the best preserved.

Beiteddine Palace: The Palace of Emirs

The Beiteddine Palace is a masterpiece of 19th century Lebanese architecture. Built during the reign of Emir Bechir El Chehabi II, who ruled Mount Lebanon for over half century.

Anjar: City of the Ommayads

Anjar, one of the rare Ommayad vestiges in Lebanon, located on the Silk Road is the first hereditary dynasty held sway in the region during 7th and 8th century. It has been the center for rest and recreation for the Caliph Al- Walid Ibn Abdel-Malik and a resting point on the trading route from Sidon to Damascus.

Jeita: Mystery beyond Imagining

Fashioned by million of years of erosion, the Jeita grotto is a spectacle that defies description. A visit to these caves is an emotional experience, for their variety lends them an air of supernatural mystery. Stalagmites and stalactites meet one another in a fantastic décor where mirages of the rocks are reflected in the clear water of the subterranean basin.

Byblos: Crossroads of Civilizations

Celebrated as the city where the Phoenician linear alphabet was discovered, Byblos’ history goes back to at least 7000 years. One of the top contenders for the “oldest inhabited city” award, it is the belief that this coastal city gave its name to the Bible. Byblos shared its Mediterranean setting not only with Phoenicians but Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and Ottomans.

Tripoli: Fragrance of the Orient

This is a city where modern and medieval blend easily into a lively and hospitable metropolis. Known as the capital of the North, Tripoli is Lebanon’s second largest city. There are Forty five buildings in the city, many dating to the 14th century. Mosques, hammams (Turkish Bath), madrassas( Schools), khans( Caravansaries) and souks still survive from the Mamluke and Ottoman times.

Qadisha: The Holy Valley

One of the deepest and most beautiful valleys in Lebanon is indeed a world apart. At the bottom of this wild steep-sided gorge runs the Qadisha River whose source is in the Qadisha Grotto at the foot of the Cedars. And above the famous Cedar grove stands Qornet Es Sauda, Lebanon’s highest peak (3,088 Meters).

Sidon: The city of Gardens

Sidon is considered to be Lebanon’s most Mysterious city, for its past has been tragically scattered and plundered. There is evidence that Sidon was inhabited as long ago as 4000 BC. The challenge for today’s visitor to Sidon is to capture a sense of this city’s ancient glory from the intriguing elements that still survive.

Tyre: Queen of the Seas

Mentioned often in the Holy Bible, Tyre was probably founded at the start of the third millennium BC. The wealth of Roman and Byzantine remains here is unparalleled. Tyre was a thriving seaport, important not just to the Romans but also to Phoenicians and the Greeks, as well as the Byzantine rulers. Phoenicians, who extracted the purple dye from murex mollusk and sold it for a fortune to their colonies and trading partners, established one of their main commercial bases in the city.