Lebanon is a complex country of charm, chaos and contradiction. Beirut, it’s capital, is the wild child of the Middle East.
Lebanon is famous for its exquisite beauty, diversity, glamor, European flavor, and hospitable people. Its rich culture and history have placed it on the “must see” list of every world traveler. Lebanese cities are among the most famous names in ancient history and majestic ruins still stand today as a testimony to the greatness of people who lived in this land.
The nature of Lebanon makes it the only country in the Arab world that embraces four seasons yearly. No matter what the season, there is always something special to enjoy. In the winter season, ski resorts offer tourists slopes that are comparable to even the best resorts in Europe. In the summer, international festivals all over the country – in Baalbek, Byblos, Beiteddine, Batroun, and Jounieh – bring together Lebanese and foreign artists to perform in stunning archaeological and historical sites. These events have given Lebanon an enviable place on the cultural map of the Middle East.
Visitors to Lebanon enjoy outstanding service in world-class hotels and resorts, restaurants, casinos, theaters, cinemas, and nightclubs and luxury shopping centers along with advanced communication and transportation services. Lebanon also offers access to cutting-edge medical centers.
Lebanon is famous for its exquisite beauty, diversity, glamor, European flavor, and hospitable people. Its rich culture and history have placed it on the “must see” list of every world traveler. Lebanese cities are among the most famous names in ancient history and majestic ruins still stand today as a testimony to the greatness of people who lived in this land.
The nature of Lebanon makes it the only country in the Arab world that embraces four seasons yearly. No matter what the season, there is always something special to enjoy. In the winter season, ski resorts offer tourists slopes that are comparable to even the best resorts in Europe. In the summer, international festivals all over the country – in Baalbek, Byblos, Beiteddine, Batroun, and Jounieh – bring together Lebanese and foreign artists to perform in stunning archaeological and historical sites. These events have given Lebanon an enviable place on the cultural map of the Middle East.
Visitors to Lebanon enjoy outstanding service in world-class hotels and resorts, restaurants, casinos, theaters, cinemas, and nightclubs and luxury shopping centers along with advanced communication and transportation services. Lebanon also offers access to cutting-edge medical centers.
The must-see cities to Visitor in Lebanon
Beirut
Beirut sets against breathtaking Mount Lebanon, the deep blue Mediterranean Sea stretching out before it, Beirut teems with a tangible vitality and energy. Every neighborhood of the ancient city boasts its own distinct flavor, and locals will tell you their manakeesh bakeries are the best in the city. They’re right.
Walking the streets of the 5,000-year-old city, one senses the ancient presence of Canaanites, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and more recently the French. In May 2015, Beirut was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities
The city has been rebuilt several times, with modern architecture sharing space with Ottoman and colonial French buildings. Beirut is an endlessly multifarious blend of histories, cultures, languages and foreign influences.
Beirut is a thriving hotspot for shopping, socializing and sightseeing, despite many wars and unrest. Bustling streets such as Hamra and Ashrafieh provide hopping nightlife while the National Museum and the Gibran Museum give visitors a taste of the city's history. The Corniche is the place for activities like jogging and biking.
The modern cosmopolitan city of Beirut is home to more than 1 million people, and is the very heart of the country's economic and cultural life.
Walking the streets of the 5,000-year-old city, one senses the ancient presence of Canaanites, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and more recently the French. In May 2015, Beirut was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities
The city has been rebuilt several times, with modern architecture sharing space with Ottoman and colonial French buildings. Beirut is an endlessly multifarious blend of histories, cultures, languages and foreign influences.
Beirut is a thriving hotspot for shopping, socializing and sightseeing, despite many wars and unrest. Bustling streets such as Hamra and Ashrafieh provide hopping nightlife while the National Museum and the Gibran Museum give visitors a taste of the city's history. The Corniche is the place for activities like jogging and biking.
The modern cosmopolitan city of Beirut is home to more than 1 million people, and is the very heart of the country's economic and cultural life.
Baalbek
Baalbek is Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, it can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. These are not only the largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, but they are also among the best preserved. Towering high above the Beqaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome.
The gods worshipped here, the Triad of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, were grafted onto the indigenous deities of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design. Over the centuries Baalbeck's monuments suffered from theft, war and earthquakes, as well as from numerous medieval additions, fortunately, the modern visitor can see the site in something close to its original form thanks to work in the past hundred years by German, French and Lebanese archaeologists.
Baalbeck is located on two main historic trade routes, one between the Mediterranean coast and Syrian interior and other northern Syria and northern Palestine. Today the city, 85 kilometers from Beirut, is an important administrative and economic center in the northern Beqaa valley.
The gods worshipped here, the Triad of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, were grafted onto the indigenous deities of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design. Over the centuries Baalbeck's monuments suffered from theft, war and earthquakes, as well as from numerous medieval additions, fortunately, the modern visitor can see the site in something close to its original form thanks to work in the past hundred years by German, French and Lebanese archaeologists.
Baalbeck is located on two main historic trade routes, one between the Mediterranean coast and Syrian interior and other northern Syria and northern Palestine. Today the city, 85 kilometers from Beirut, is an important administrative and economic center in the northern Beqaa valley.
Byblos
Byblos figures on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.and for a good reason. Extensive archaeological investigations, begun in 1921, indicate that Byblos is one of the eastern Mediterranean cities that claim to have been continuously inhabited longer than any other city in the world, with remains of civilizations dating from about 5000B.C. According to Phoenician tradition it was founded by the god El, and even the Phoenicians considered it a city of great antiquity. Although its beginnings are lost in time, modern scholars say the site of Byblos goes back at least 7,000 years
Byblos was named the 2016 Arab Tourism Capital by the Arab Council of Tourism. Green Prophet was here to salute Erbil and Sharjah as the Arab Tourism Capitals of 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Although thousands of tourists visit Lebanon every year, with Byblos as the top of their to-see lists, municipal leaders say they expect an increase in tourism by up to 30 percent, in the foreseeable future. There are plans to inaugurate Five Stars international hotel chains and, well, keep up the good work with the Lebanese cooking.
Archaeologically, Byblos is fascinating. It is home to Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Greek and Roman ruins, including a Church of St. John the Baptist and a restored 12th century Crusader castle.
The Byblos International Festival is an annual summer music festival and the biggest public event in Lebanon. Musicians and singers from all over the world, including but not limited to the Middle East, fill the air with everything from classical sounds to pop tunes. For the last few years, the municipality has projected a brief 3D animation movie showing historical highlights of Byblos on tower walls in the fishermen’s harbor.
Byblos was named the 2016 Arab Tourism Capital by the Arab Council of Tourism. Green Prophet was here to salute Erbil and Sharjah as the Arab Tourism Capitals of 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Although thousands of tourists visit Lebanon every year, with Byblos as the top of their to-see lists, municipal leaders say they expect an increase in tourism by up to 30 percent, in the foreseeable future. There are plans to inaugurate Five Stars international hotel chains and, well, keep up the good work with the Lebanese cooking.
Archaeologically, Byblos is fascinating. It is home to Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Greek and Roman ruins, including a Church of St. John the Baptist and a restored 12th century Crusader castle.
The Byblos International Festival is an annual summer music festival and the biggest public event in Lebanon. Musicians and singers from all over the world, including but not limited to the Middle East, fill the air with everything from classical sounds to pop tunes. For the last few years, the municipality has projected a brief 3D animation movie showing historical highlights of Byblos on tower walls in the fishermen’s harbor.
Jeitta Grotto
Jeita Grotto is the jewel of tourism in Lebanon offering to its visitors qualified modern services and accommodation in harmony with a fascinating nature. It creates a magical trip which enables them to spend a day of wonder-filled adventure by being carried away from a tangible world to a wonderland where are found 2 fabulous grottoes full of an unimaginable beauty and of a magical fascination!
The 6200m long cavern was discovered back in 1836.The are plenty of grottoes with stalactites and stalagmites in the world, but it would appear that none of them even approach the astounding wealth or the extent of those of Jeita.
Over a distance of 650 meters, at two levels, the lower one in a boat and the upper one on foot, following perfectly made cement gangways, the tourist picks his winding way through darkly forbidding caverns.
The subterranean river:
The lower grotto is full of the noise of water, through which you pass in a boat managed by a mariner skilled at sliding through the maze rocks. From the lower grotto, where you arrive by car, you can take the teleferic to the entrance to the upper grotto for an Alice’s tour through Wonderland.
The upper galleria:
The most striking, the most spell-binding, is the upper grotto, where there is only occasional drop of cold water which is the result of niggardly drippings which have gone on for thousands of years.
Jeita Grotto is a source of attraction for whole the families wishing to discover a mysterious world in the heart of the earth.
The 6200m long cavern was discovered back in 1836.The are plenty of grottoes with stalactites and stalagmites in the world, but it would appear that none of them even approach the astounding wealth or the extent of those of Jeita.
Over a distance of 650 meters, at two levels, the lower one in a boat and the upper one on foot, following perfectly made cement gangways, the tourist picks his winding way through darkly forbidding caverns.
The subterranean river:
The lower grotto is full of the noise of water, through which you pass in a boat managed by a mariner skilled at sliding through the maze rocks. From the lower grotto, where you arrive by car, you can take the teleferic to the entrance to the upper grotto for an Alice’s tour through Wonderland.
The upper galleria:
The most striking, the most spell-binding, is the upper grotto, where there is only occasional drop of cold water which is the result of niggardly drippings which have gone on for thousands of years.
Jeita Grotto is a source of attraction for whole the families wishing to discover a mysterious world in the heart of the earth.
Harissa
Harissa Hill is situated at a distance of 25 kilometers from Beirut, and at a 600m altitude in the heart of Kesrwan.
A huge, 15-ton bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Lebanon or Notre Dame du Liban/Harissa, with her arms outstretched adorns the bluff high aboe Jounieh is one of the famous attraction in Lebanon. It was made in the late 19th century in Lyon, France, and inaugurated in 1908.
Inside the statue's base there is a small chapel. Among other churches of various denominations, it is worth mentioning the Byzantine-style, Melkite Greek Catholic Basilica of St. Paul, located to the south. The Papal Embassy, as well as the residences of four Eastern Catholic cardinals church, are in the vicinity of Harissa and Our Lady of Lebanon.
The site was visited by both Pope Jean Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
A huge, 15-ton bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Lebanon or Notre Dame du Liban/Harissa, with her arms outstretched adorns the bluff high aboe Jounieh is one of the famous attraction in Lebanon. It was made in the late 19th century in Lyon, France, and inaugurated in 1908.
Inside the statue's base there is a small chapel. Among other churches of various denominations, it is worth mentioning the Byzantine-style, Melkite Greek Catholic Basilica of St. Paul, located to the south. The Papal Embassy, as well as the residences of four Eastern Catholic cardinals church, are in the vicinity of Harissa and Our Lady of Lebanon.
The site was visited by both Pope Jean Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
Beiteddine
Beiteddine is the crown jewel of Mount Lebanon. After the Maani dynasty died out in the 17th century, their relatives, the Chehab emirs, inherited the land, which included Beiteddine. Beiteddine Palace was built by Emir Bechir Chehab II, who ruled over Mt Lebanon for over half a century.
It took 30 years to build, served as a Druze hermitage, and is a prime example of 19th-century Lebanese architecture. The Ottomans put an end to the emirate reign in Lebanon, turning Beiteddine Palace into a house of government and administration.
In 1934, the palace was declared a historic monument and returned to its former glory. It has become something of a tradition for presidents to summer in Beiteddine Palace. Its iconic lion-head stonework, magnificent gardens dotted with glazed pottery and vaulted dars, antique weapon rooms, and museums of Roman relics, rich mosaics, and Arabic calligraphic paintings are open for visits and guided tours that are most rewarding in the summer.
Take a leisurely stroll through the palace grounds and glance around the courtyard at the ornate balconies that overlook lush gardens.
In order to reach Beiteddine, you’ll have to pass through Deir al-Qamar and drive past Mousa Castle for about six kilometers (four miles) on the main road.
It opens daily (except Monday) from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM between November and March.
It took 30 years to build, served as a Druze hermitage, and is a prime example of 19th-century Lebanese architecture. The Ottomans put an end to the emirate reign in Lebanon, turning Beiteddine Palace into a house of government and administration.
In 1934, the palace was declared a historic monument and returned to its former glory. It has become something of a tradition for presidents to summer in Beiteddine Palace. Its iconic lion-head stonework, magnificent gardens dotted with glazed pottery and vaulted dars, antique weapon rooms, and museums of Roman relics, rich mosaics, and Arabic calligraphic paintings are open for visits and guided tours that are most rewarding in the summer.
Take a leisurely stroll through the palace grounds and glance around the courtyard at the ornate balconies that overlook lush gardens.
In order to reach Beiteddine, you’ll have to pass through Deir al-Qamar and drive past Mousa Castle for about six kilometers (four miles) on the main road.
It opens daily (except Monday) from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM between November and March.
Der Elkamar
Deir El Kamar, an authentic piece of Lebanon’s cultural history, Deir al-kamar, or Monastery of the Moon, is an exceptionally well-preserved traditional town tucked away in the evergreen Chouf forests and perched on a mountainside. Its beautiful, narrow cobblestone streets, outdoor stone benches, and fragrant gardens blossoming with roses and jasmine are but a few of the town’s scenic attractions.
From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Deir el kamar was the residence of the governors of Lebanon, and the town is home to several historic and cultural sites, including the public Midan Square, its 15th-century Fakhreddine Mosque, Fakhreddine II Palace, and the 17th century Deir el Qamar Synagogue, which has been restored and entrusted to the French Cultural Center. Other interesting sites are the Marie Bazz wax museum, an old shoe market, and Al-Qaysariyya, a silk trading market.
The town is also known for its religious landmarks, such as Saydet at-Tella (Our Lady of the Hill), dedicated to the Miraculous Virgin. It was constructed on the ruins of a Phoenician temple for the goddess Astarte (Venus). At the southwestern side of the old city, you’ll come across a paved alley leading to a 17th century church called Saydet al-Wardiya, and an arched passage leading to St. Elias Church, built in 1741, for the town’s Greek Catholic community. Its altar, façade and gate are made of white and pink stones. Inside it lays the tomb of the poet Nicolas al-Turk.
From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Deir el kamar was the residence of the governors of Lebanon, and the town is home to several historic and cultural sites, including the public Midan Square, its 15th-century Fakhreddine Mosque, Fakhreddine II Palace, and the 17th century Deir el Qamar Synagogue, which has been restored and entrusted to the French Cultural Center. Other interesting sites are the Marie Bazz wax museum, an old shoe market, and Al-Qaysariyya, a silk trading market.
The town is also known for its religious landmarks, such as Saydet at-Tella (Our Lady of the Hill), dedicated to the Miraculous Virgin. It was constructed on the ruins of a Phoenician temple for the goddess Astarte (Venus). At the southwestern side of the old city, you’ll come across a paved alley leading to a 17th century church called Saydet al-Wardiya, and an arched passage leading to St. Elias Church, built in 1741, for the town’s Greek Catholic community. Its altar, façade and gate are made of white and pink stones. Inside it lays the tomb of the poet Nicolas al-Turk.
Anjar
Anjar is an entire palace-city from the Umayyad dynasty today lies in ruins. The name “Anjar” is a modification of the Arabic “Ain Gerrha,” the name of an ancient city founded in this area in Hellenistic times. In contrast with other historic cities in Lebanon that are still inhabited, such as Tyre, Saida, Beirut and Byblos, Anjar’s glory did not last long because of the Umayyad’s short-lived 100-year rule in the 8th century.
This iconic site once housed three grand palaces, Roman-inspired public baths, a residential area, a mosque and a commercial center. Its grand architectural scheme is made to be an almost perfect quadrilateral, with perpendicular streets and alleys that intersect at the city center. This tidy division into four quarters is based on earlier Roman city planning. Because Umayyad history is steeped with war and conquest, Anjar’s first people would have needed the defense and security of its tall walls and towers, which you’ll notice, are abundant features of the city’s architecture.
Most striking about the ruins are the fragile and slender columns that stand in sharp contrast to the massive and bulky anti-Lebanon mountain range. The city also lies near gushing springs that feed the Bekaa’s most vital water source, the Litani River.
Anjar has a special beauty, it has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNISCO.
There are a number of restaurants close to Anjar that offer fresh trout plus a wide array of Lebanese and Armenian dishes. Some of the restaurants are literally built over trout ponds. Anjar has no hotels, but lodging can be found in Chtaura 15 kilometers (nine miles) away.
It stands unique as the only historic example of an inland commercial center. The city benefited from its strategic position on intersecting trade routes leading to Damascus, Homs, Baalbeck and to the South.
This iconic site once housed three grand palaces, Roman-inspired public baths, a residential area, a mosque and a commercial center. Its grand architectural scheme is made to be an almost perfect quadrilateral, with perpendicular streets and alleys that intersect at the city center. This tidy division into four quarters is based on earlier Roman city planning. Because Umayyad history is steeped with war and conquest, Anjar’s first people would have needed the defense and security of its tall walls and towers, which you’ll notice, are abundant features of the city’s architecture.
Most striking about the ruins are the fragile and slender columns that stand in sharp contrast to the massive and bulky anti-Lebanon mountain range. The city also lies near gushing springs that feed the Bekaa’s most vital water source, the Litani River.
Anjar has a special beauty, it has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNISCO.
There are a number of restaurants close to Anjar that offer fresh trout plus a wide array of Lebanese and Armenian dishes. Some of the restaurants are literally built over trout ponds. Anjar has no hotels, but lodging can be found in Chtaura 15 kilometers (nine miles) away.
It stands unique as the only historic example of an inland commercial center. The city benefited from its strategic position on intersecting trade routes leading to Damascus, Homs, Baalbeck and to the South.
Qadisha Valley
Qadisha Valley is one of the deepest and most beautiful valleys in Lebanon is indeed a world apart. At the bottom of this wild-sided gorge runs the Qadisha River whose source is in the Qadisha River at the foot of the Cedars. And above the famous Cedar grove stands Qornet es Sawda, lebanon's highest Peak.
In the heart of the Mount Lebanon range, below red-roofed villages that dot the mountainside, lays the Qadisha Valley. Cut deep into the mountainous rock, the Qadisha Valley has a unique landscape of steep walls and dizzying cliffs. Its quiet, tree-lined pathways and softly gurgling streams and waterfalls make it a true haven for visitors escaping the bustling sounds and sights of the city.
The word Qadisha comes from a Semitic root meaning "Holy" and Wadi Qadisha is the "Holy Valley". Filled with caves and rock shelters inhabited from the 3rd Millennium BC to the Roman Period, the valley is scattered with cave chapels, hermitages and monastries cut from rock. Since the Early Middle Ages generations of Monks, hermits, ascetics and anchorites found asylum here. These religious men, who belonged to the various confessions that grew out of medieval controversies over the nature of Christ, included the Nestorians, Monophysites, chalcedoniansand Monothelites. Even Moslem Soufis were found in this valley. They prayed in many languages: Greek, Arabic, Syriac and Ethiopian.
Qadisha has been a place of refuge for those fleeing religious persecution since the 5th century, and it houses some of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Rock-cut chapels, grottoes, and hermitages, many painted with frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, are tucked into the steep walls.
Among the important monasteries located in the valley is Deir Qannoubine, the seat of the Maronite patriarchs from 1400-1790 A.D. Seventeen Maronite patriarchs are buried in a chapel near the monastery, their names carved in Syriac script on a marble plaque identifying the site. Other notable Qadisha monasteries include Deir Mar Antonios Qozhaya, home to Lebanon's first printing press.
In the heart of the Mount Lebanon range, below red-roofed villages that dot the mountainside, lays the Qadisha Valley. Cut deep into the mountainous rock, the Qadisha Valley has a unique landscape of steep walls and dizzying cliffs. Its quiet, tree-lined pathways and softly gurgling streams and waterfalls make it a true haven for visitors escaping the bustling sounds and sights of the city.
The word Qadisha comes from a Semitic root meaning "Holy" and Wadi Qadisha is the "Holy Valley". Filled with caves and rock shelters inhabited from the 3rd Millennium BC to the Roman Period, the valley is scattered with cave chapels, hermitages and monastries cut from rock. Since the Early Middle Ages generations of Monks, hermits, ascetics and anchorites found asylum here. These religious men, who belonged to the various confessions that grew out of medieval controversies over the nature of Christ, included the Nestorians, Monophysites, chalcedoniansand Monothelites. Even Moslem Soufis were found in this valley. They prayed in many languages: Greek, Arabic, Syriac and Ethiopian.
Qadisha has been a place of refuge for those fleeing religious persecution since the 5th century, and it houses some of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Rock-cut chapels, grottoes, and hermitages, many painted with frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, are tucked into the steep walls.
Among the important monasteries located in the valley is Deir Qannoubine, the seat of the Maronite patriarchs from 1400-1790 A.D. Seventeen Maronite patriarchs are buried in a chapel near the monastery, their names carved in Syriac script on a marble plaque identifying the site. Other notable Qadisha monasteries include Deir Mar Antonios Qozhaya, home to Lebanon's first printing press.
Ksara
In the heart of the Beqaa valley lies the Ksara Estate so named because at the time of the Crusaders it was the site of a fortress.
In 1857 the Jesuit Fathers acquired the property when it was already a thriving vineyard and the Jesuits continued the tradition of fine wine making, selling and, I assume, tasting!
Today Ksara produces wines which achieve a rare balance of fruitiness, delicacy and robustness. The Lebanese are justly proud of the very fine wines they produce with many vintners having won gold medals at international tastings including those having taken place in France.
In 1857 the Jesuit Fathers acquired the property when it was already a thriving vineyard and the Jesuits continued the tradition of fine wine making, selling and, I assume, tasting!
Today Ksara produces wines which achieve a rare balance of fruitiness, delicacy and robustness. The Lebanese are justly proud of the very fine wines they produce with many vintners having won gold medals at international tastings including those having taken place in France.
Maghdouche
Maghdouche, is a town in the South Governorate in Lebanon. It is located 50 km south of Beirut and 8 km southeast of Sidon. where Jesus often preached. It is a cozy village of private gardens, orchards, olive trees and vineyards. It’s well-known for its orange blossom and rose waters. At the entrance of the village, there is a high tower with a statue of the Virgin on the top. This is the sanctuary of “Our Lady Of Mantara”.
The main place of the sanctuary is a natural cave, where according to tradition, Virgin Mary waited for her son Jesus Christ while he was preaching in Sidon, a pagan Phoenician town where Jewish woman could not go. The old Roman road from Jerusalem to Sidon passed through Caesarea Philippi (now called Marjayoun) and through the village of Maghdouche. That is why it was called Mantara which means “awaiting”.
The main road of Maghdouche offers sweeping vistas of the valley to the north as you move into the hinterland of the south, while the village center is knotted with traditional houses and shops.
The main place of the sanctuary is a natural cave, where according to tradition, Virgin Mary waited for her son Jesus Christ while he was preaching in Sidon, a pagan Phoenician town where Jewish woman could not go. The old Roman road from Jerusalem to Sidon passed through Caesarea Philippi (now called Marjayoun) and through the village of Maghdouche. That is why it was called Mantara which means “awaiting”.
The main road of Maghdouche offers sweeping vistas of the valley to the north as you move into the hinterland of the south, while the village center is knotted with traditional houses and shops.
Saida
It was towards the end of the 6th century BC, that Saida experienced its golden age. Made capital of the Fifth Province of the Persian Empire, Saida was an open city with many cultural influences, including the Egyptian and Greek. The crusader period, between 1110 and 1291, brought Saida new prestige as the second of the baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Today the ruins of the Crusader Sea Castle and the Castle of Saint-Louis can still be seen in Sidon. From the Mamluke and Ottoman periods there is the Great Mosque, built on the foundations of a Crusader church and the khan-el-Franj built by Fakhreddine II.
Saida’s old town easily rivals its counterparts across the region. Extraordinarily well preserved, the cool, winding streets of the souk retain their ancient origins while functioning as an actual market where locals still go to buy household goods. You’ll find bakers and sweetshops, green grocers and butchers, and a whole host of other goods, including, of course, souvenirs.
Today the ruins of the Crusader Sea Castle and the Castle of Saint-Louis can still be seen in Sidon. From the Mamluke and Ottoman periods there is the Great Mosque, built on the foundations of a Crusader church and the khan-el-Franj built by Fakhreddine II.
Saida’s old town easily rivals its counterparts across the region. Extraordinarily well preserved, the cool, winding streets of the souk retain their ancient origins while functioning as an actual market where locals still go to buy household goods. You’ll find bakers and sweetshops, green grocers and butchers, and a whole host of other goods, including, of course, souvenirs.
Tyre
Although the exact origins of Tyre are unknown, it probably goes back to the start of the 3rd millennium BC.
Originally a mainland settlement with an island city a short distance offshore, in the 10th century BC King Hiram expanded the mainland and built 2 ports and a temple to Melkart, the city’s god. Towards the end of the 6th century BC under the reign of the Persian Darius, the city experienced its golden age.
Its flourishing maritime trade, its Mediterranean and Atlantic colonies and its purple dye and glass made Tyre very powerful and wealthy. But the city’s wealth attracted enemies. In the 6th century BC Alexander the Great laid siege to it for 7 months, finally overwhelming he island city by constructing a great causeway from the shore to the island.
In their day the Romans built a magnificent city at Tyre. The remain of its Roman streets, arcades and public buildings, including one of the largest hippodromes of the period, are Tyre’s major attraction today.
In 1979 Tyre’s important archaeological remains prompted UNESCO to make the town a world heritage site.
Originally a mainland settlement with an island city a short distance offshore, in the 10th century BC King Hiram expanded the mainland and built 2 ports and a temple to Melkart, the city’s god. Towards the end of the 6th century BC under the reign of the Persian Darius, the city experienced its golden age.
Its flourishing maritime trade, its Mediterranean and Atlantic colonies and its purple dye and glass made Tyre very powerful and wealthy. But the city’s wealth attracted enemies. In the 6th century BC Alexander the Great laid siege to it for 7 months, finally overwhelming he island city by constructing a great causeway from the shore to the island.
In their day the Romans built a magnificent city at Tyre. The remain of its Roman streets, arcades and public buildings, including one of the largest hippodromes of the period, are Tyre’s major attraction today.
In 1979 Tyre’s important archaeological remains prompted UNESCO to make the town a world heritage site.
Tripoli
Tripoli is the second largest city in Lebanon, located 85 km north of Beirut. Forty five buildings in the city, of which some are dated from the 14th century BC, have been registered as historical sites.
Tripoli is divided into 2 parts: the old city of Tripoli and El-Mina which is closer to the Mediterranean Sea, El-Mina unlike the old part of Tripoli has modern buildings and shops. Some of the more interesting sites in Tripoli:
It holds a string of four small islands offshore, and they are also the only islands in Lebanon; Palm Island or Rabbit Island, The Bakar Island, The Bellan Island, and Fanar Island
Tripoli is divided into 2 parts: the old city of Tripoli and El-Mina which is closer to the Mediterranean Sea, El-Mina unlike the old part of Tripoli has modern buildings and shops. Some of the more interesting sites in Tripoli:
- The Citadel, known as Qual’at Sinjil (Saint Gilles). It has been renovated many times many times during its history. Its present state is largely the result of extensive restoration by the governor Mustapha Barbar Agha in the 19th century
- The Great Mosque (Al Mansouri Al Kabir Mosque).
- Taynal Mosque
- Al-Mualaq
- Al-Qartawiyyat Madrassa
- Hammam “Izz ed-Dine”
- Hammam al-Jadid
- Khan Al-Khayyatin
It holds a string of four small islands offshore, and they are also the only islands in Lebanon; Palm Island or Rabbit Island, The Bakar Island, The Bellan Island, and Fanar Island
Mleeta
Mleeta is Located in a mountainous area about 30 kilometers southeast of Saida on a hill 70 Km from Beirut in the Nabatieh region, a unique scenery.
The museum - was opened in 2010. From the first withdrawal of the Israeli occupation in 1985, until its final withdrawal in 2000, this 60,000 square meter area served as the strategic and military base of the resistance against Israel. It was the position from where thousands of military missions were conducted inside the Israeli occupation zone.
The museum was created in memory of the faith, endurance and free will of men, fighting against the Israeli occupation of their country. Symbolizing the defeat, it displays captured Israeli tanks, Jeeps, helicopter parts, bombs, weapons and other Israeli army equipment.
You can visit the caves and forest from where the resistance operated and see displays of armed tanks, rockets, bombs and guns used in the fight against the enemy
Mleeta museum is a deeply political attraction, there is nothing quite like it in the whole of Lebanon.
The museum - was opened in 2010. From the first withdrawal of the Israeli occupation in 1985, until its final withdrawal in 2000, this 60,000 square meter area served as the strategic and military base of the resistance against Israel. It was the position from where thousands of military missions were conducted inside the Israeli occupation zone.
The museum was created in memory of the faith, endurance and free will of men, fighting against the Israeli occupation of their country. Symbolizing the defeat, it displays captured Israeli tanks, Jeeps, helicopter parts, bombs, weapons and other Israeli army equipment.
You can visit the caves and forest from where the resistance operated and see displays of armed tanks, rockets, bombs and guns used in the fight against the enemy
Mleeta museum is a deeply political attraction, there is nothing quite like it in the whole of Lebanon.