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 Historic
Highlights ! |
| Attractions |
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known as the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut really took a beating
during the 17-year war in Lebanon. The city hasn't really recovered
from the bombardments and the influx of refugees, and the destruction,
rebuilding, overcrowding and chaos are often a shock to new arrivals.
Situated smack in the middle of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast, Beirut
is a city of contrasts: beautiful architecture exists alongside
concrete eyesores; traditional houses set in jasmine-scented gardens
are dwarfed by modern buildings; winding old alleys turn off from
wide avenues; and swanky new cars vie for right of way with vendor
carts. Although there's not much to see here anymore, it's still
a city of vibrancy and charm.
The Hamra area, in the north-west
of the city, is now home to the city's banks, hotels, restaurants,
cafes and post office. It's also a great place to window shop
and soak up the atmosphere. North of Hamra, the American University
of Beirut has a small museum of archaeology, although it's not
as impressive as the National Museum which re-opened, post-reconstruction,
in 1999. The museum's collection of Phoenician figurines is particularly
interesting. The Sursock Museum in east Beirut is housed in a
splendid Italianate style 19th century villa. The interior is
also très stylish, and exhibits include Turkish silverware,
icons, contemporary Lebanese art and a small but interesting library.
A visit to Beiru Central District
(known colloquially as 'downtown') will give you a good idea of
what the city went through during the war. Parts of the area are
being restored, others have been bulldozed and others are an apocalyptic
landscape of burnt-out shells. The centre of Downtown, the Place
des Martyrs, has been almost completely bulldozed (only the emotive
Martyrs Statue still stands), and a huge billboard has been erected
to show what the city has in mind for the area. The Omari Mosque,
sometimes known as the Grand Mosque, is one of the few historic
buildings still standing: built in the Byzantine era as a Crusader
church, it was converted to a mosque in 1291.
Pigeon Rocks are the most famous
natural feature of Beirut. These offshore rock arches are a lovely
complement to Beirut's dramatic sea cliffs, and locals tend to
congregate here to watch the sunset and get away from the traffic
noise. It's a delight to wander along the Corniche, Beirut's coastal
road, and just take in the sea air, stop to drink a coffee served
from the back of a van or sample some produce from a push-cart
vendor.
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| Byblos |
The ancient city of Byblos, about 40km (25mi) up the coast from
Beirut, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the
world. Byblos was populated during the Neolithic period 7000 years
ago. In the third millenium BC it became the most important trading
port in the area and sent cedar wood and oil to Egypt. It was the
major Phoenician centre until the 10th century BC, and developed
an alphabetic phonetic script which was the precursor of modern
alphabets. Invaded by Persians, Alexander the Great, Romans, Byzantines
and Arabs, Byblos fell into obscurity after it was taken then abandoned
by the Crusaders.
Before the civil war Byblos was
a mandatory stop on the jet-set circuit, and the historic harbour
and picturesque old town remain unspoilt. The ruins, to the south
of the old town, are entered through the remains of the Crusader
castle which dominates the city's medieval ramparts. There are
remains of huts from the 5th millennium BC, the temple of Baalat
Gebal from 2800 BC, an L-shaped temple from 2700 BC, two royal
tombs and a temple from the early 2nd millenium BC, and an amphitheatre
from the Roman period.
Other things to see in Byblos
include the Wax Museum, which portrays the history and culture
of Lebanon in a series of rather bizarre and sometimes creepy
tableaux. Nearby is St John Church, built by the Crusaders. The
local souq is lively, and Byblos has a great beach with some underwater
ruins. There are only a couple of hotels in Byblos, but plenty
of places to eat.
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| Tripoli |
Tripoli, 86km (53mi) north of Beirut,
is Lebanon's second-largest city and the main port and trading centre
for northern Lebanon. Although more modern than the rest of Lebanon,
Tripoli's drawcards are its medieval history and Mameluk architecture.
It survived the civil war better than most Lebanese cities and retains
an air of Arab charm, with its narrow alleys, souqs, slow pace and
friendly people. Tripoli is also famous as the sweet capital of
Lebanon, and any trip to the city would be incomplete without a
visit to one of its lusciously sticky sweet shops.
There are two main parts to Tripoli:
Al-Mina (the port area), which juts out into the sea; and the
city proper. The centre is Sahet et-Tall, a large square where
you'll find the bus stand and places to stay and eat. The Old
City sprawls to the east and is a maze of narrow alleys, colourful
souqs, hammams, khans, mosques and theological schools. It's a
lively place where craftspeople continue their work as they've
done since the 14th century. It's also home to some fabulous Mameluk
architecture, including the 14th century Taynal Mosque, the Qartawiyya
Madrassa and the intricate mihrab of the Burtasiya Mosque &
Madrassa.
Originally built in 1103 by Crusaders,
St-Gilles Citadel towers above Tripoli. It was badly burnt in
the 13th century, partly rebuilt in the 14th, and has been altered
many times since then, but it's still an imposing monument. In
Al-Mina, it's worth checking out the Lion Tower, the only surviving
example of a group of structures built by the Mameluks to
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| Tyre |
Ancient Tyre, on the coast in the
south of Lebanon, was founded by the Phoenicians in the 3rd millennium
BC. It originally consisted of a mainland settlement and an island
city, but under Hiram in the 9th century BC the island was connected
to the mainland by a narrow causeway. When Alexander's troops arrived
in the 4th century, he severed the old causeway and built a 'mole'
or breakwater. The mole was much larger then the old causeway and
it is this which caused the island to become a peninsula. In Phoenician
times Tyre was famous for its purple dye and glass industries; these
days it's known for its Roman ruins.
The old part of Tyre is on the
peninsula, while the modern town is slightly inland. Further south,
you come to the ruins of Roman-era Tyre. The Roman ruins include
a well-preserved road which passes through a monumental archway.
It's lined on one side by an aqueduct, and on both sides there
are hundreds of ornate, intricately-carved stone and marble sarcophagi.
The ruins' hippodrome, built in the 2nd century AD, is the largest
and best=preserved in the world today. A festival is held in the
hippodrome every summer.
Tyre is only 20km (12mi) north
of the Israeli border, and at times of tension the surrounding
area attracts special interest from Israeli gunners. It's wise
to avoid the area if tension is high; at other times a visit to
the city is considered to be safe.
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| Bcharré |
The trip to Bcharré and the
Cedars, about 30km (19mi) inland from Tripoli, passes through some
of the most beautiful scenery in Lebanon. The road winds along mountainous
slopes, gaining altitude and winding precipitously above spectacular
gorges. Villages of red-tile roofed houses perch atop hills or cling
precariously to the mountainsides and there are vistas of olive
groves, vineyards, lush valleys and mountain peaks at every turn.
The village of Bcharré
is home to the Gibran Museum - the famous author/artist was born
here and is buried in an old monastery overlooking the town. The
museum has a large collection of his oil paintings, drawings and
gouaches, as well as many of his manuscripts. You can visit his
coffin in the monastery's former chapel: in the same room are
a table, chair and other things he owned.
Above Bcharré the road
climbs to Lebanon's last remaining forest of Biblical cedars,
known locally as Arz Ar-rab (God's cedars). This is only a small
forest - although the tree once grew throughout the country, it
has been heavily exploited. Some of the trees here are 1500 years
old, and the site is classified as a national monument. Below
Bcharré, the spectacular Qadisha Gorge holds the tombs
of the early Maronite patriarchs, as well as rock-cut monasteries.
The gorge is a hiker's paradise, with paths along the top and
bottom.
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| Baalbek |
Baalbek, 86km (53mi) north-east of
Beirut, was originally named after the Phoenician god Baal. The
town was renamed Heliopolis by the Greeks and still later it was
made a centre of Jupiter worship by the Romans. During its Roman
era, Baalbek was the premier city in Roman Syria. In more recent
times, the anti-Western Islamic fundamentalist Hezbollah made its
headquarters here, and the town has only reopened to tourists in
the last couple of years. The modern town is very small, but its
Roman ruins are probably the best archaeological site in the country.
Baalbek's temple complex is one
of the largest in the world. The complex is about 300m (984ft)
long and has two temples with porticoes, two courtyards and an
enclosure built during the Arab period. The Temple of Jupiter,
completed around 60 AD, is on a high platform at the top of a
monumental staircase; only six of its colossal columns (22m/72ft)
remain, giving an idea of the vast scale of the original building.
The nearby Temple of Bacchus, built around 150 AD, is pretty well
preserved. Outside the main area is a tiny, exquisite Temple of
Venus, a gorgeous circular building with fluted columns.
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