Profile of Lebanon: History

Altitude: 930 m
Distance from Beirut: 56km

Getting there: From Beirut, take the Damascus Road. Upon reaching the Bekaa Valley, there is a sign-post to the left 10 km after Chtoura. The ruins can be seen from the main road.

Aanjar is a relatively new civilization compared to what is found at other historic sites in Lebanon. It is exclusively one period, that of the Umayyads, which goes back to the eighth century A.D. The Umayyads were the first hereditary dynasty of Islam. They are credited with the Arab conquest that created an Islamic empire stretching from the Indus Valley to Southern France. The empire prospered for about 100 years, until its rivals, the Abbasids, took advantage of the Umayyad’s decadence and defeated them two miles from the city

Baalbek

Altitude: 1050 m
Distance from Beirut: 86km

Getting there: Take the main international Damascus Highway winding up Lebanon's mountains, pass villages like Aley, Bhamdoun, Sofar, Dahr el-Baidar, Chtoura, Zahle, Riyak and then to Baalbek.

Baalbek is nested in a plain between the parallel ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. It is one of the world's greatest historical sites, the most gigantic complex of Roman temples ever built, its columns are the tallest ever erected, its stones the largest ever used. The Acropolis of Baalbek is the largest and best preserved corpus of Roman architecture left to us. Its temples, dedicated to Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus (larger than Parthenon in Athens), were built in the second and third centuries A.D. The ruins present a majestic ensemble: two temples, two courtyards preceded by propylaea (ceremonial entrances), and huge blocks particularly the three of which each measure between 19-20m. by 4.5m by 3.6m., and a boundary wall upon which Arab architecture has left its traces. Six immense columns (20m.) still soar upwards from the holy place where the Temple of Jupiter once stood.

Baal-Bek, or town of Baal (who was a Phoenician god) gave the name to the town that still is in use.

For a number of years Baalbek's mercurial columns presided over the annual renowned international festival which featured theater groups, orchestras, ballet troupes and performers from all parts of the world. .

Beirut

Beirut: Approaching Beirut either by sea or air promises an unforgettable sight. The mountains rising behind the city are bathed in sunlight 300 days of the year and in winter, when they glisten under a blanket of snow. The destroyed town center is once again active. Its former reputation as a crossroads between three continents and gateway to the East has been restored and modernized. The new city planners hold computer-rendered plans that show an extended coastline, a new residential area, and a touristic recreational zone built around the Central park.

Beirut’s history dates back over 5,000 years. Under the city’s downtown area lie remnants of Ottoman, Mamluke, Crusader, Abbassid, Omayyad, Byzantine, Roman, Persian, Phoenician and Canaanite Beirut. Its name first appeared in cuneiform as early as the 14th century B.C. In the first century B.C., it became a Roman colony, only to be destroyed later by a triple catastrophe of earthquake, tidal wave and fire in 551A.D. Arab control then dominated until the Crusaders took over in 1110. Following the Crusaders were the Mamlukes and the Turks. After World War I there was a French mandate period, and in 1943 Lebanon gained its independence.

A tour of the old downtown should include the Omari Mosque, the Municipality Building, the Assaf and Amir Munzir Mosques, the Arcaded Maarad Street, the Parliament Building, the Roman columns on Nejmeh Square and the historic Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches opposite the Parliament. Beirut's commercial and cultural life has been mended. The city has 80 banks, countless import-export firms, port and airport as well as a free exchange market.

The best way to see Beirut is on foot. A good place to rest is the area of Raouche, where Beirut's famous Pigeon Rocks stand tall and proud in the sparkling sea. Area restaurants serve local and foreign cuisine and cliff-side cafes offer a good range of snacks.

Sundays afford a special opportunity to those who appreciate the best in horse racing. Beirut's race track run pure bred Arabians. Fans of this sport can change their dollars, sterlings, etc... on the spot to place bets.

Beiteddine

This palace was built by Emir Bechir Chehab II in the early 19th century. The palace remained the emir’s residence until his forced exile in 1840, when the Ottomans used it as the government residence. It was declared a historic monument in 1934, and then began a restoration process. Since 1943, it has been the summer home of the president.

Byblos

Altitude: 10 m
Distance from Beirut: 38km

Getting there: From Beirut, take Tripoli Highway north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, pass Dog River tunnel, Jounieh, Tabarja and then to Byblos (Jbeil).

Byblos: The name originated from 'biblion', that is book. The word 'bible' is derived from the Greek 'ta b blia', which means 'the books'. Byblos is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. According to Phoenician tradition, Byblos was founded by the god El who surrounded his city with a wall. The massive Early Bronze Age city walls (2800 B.C.) on the site reflect this early religious belief. Thus, Byblos was considered, even by the ancient Phoenicians, to be a city of great antiquity.

Yet, Byblos was inhabited even earlier. About 7000 years ago a small fishing community settled there. Several monocellular huts with crushed limestone floors can be seen today on the site.

Long before Greece and Rome, this ancient town was a powerful, independent city-state with its own kings, culture and flourishing trade. The kings of Byblos used hieroglyphics and adopted the Egyptian cartouche for their names and titles. Thus an alphabetic phonetic script was developed at Byblos, the precursor of our modern alphabet. The inscription on the sarcophagus of King Ahiram of Byblos (in the period 1200-1000 B.C.), presently in Beirut National Museum, is the earliest form of the Phoenician alphabet yet discovered.

One of the earliest attempts at city planning was conceived in Byblos. The city was surrounded by massive walls, a narrow winding street led from the center, secondary lanes branched off taking irregular paths among the houses. In 2800 B.C. a large temple was built to Baalat Gebal, the 'Lady of Byblos', the city goddess. Another temple was erected in 2700 B.C. to a male god, called the 'Temple en L', this large construction faces that of Baalat Gebal.

During the Roman period large temples and civic buildings were built, a street colonnade surrounded the city. There are few remains of the Byzantine and Arab period. Byblos fell to the Crusaders in A.D. 1108. They came upon the large stones and granite columns of the Roman temples and public buildings and used them to build their castle and moat.

Excavations over the past fifty years have made Byblos one of the unique archeological sites in the world with a history that spans seven thousand years.

The four main places of interest to visit in Byblos are the Castle, built by the Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries: the Egyptian temples, the earliest of which dates back to the 4th millenium: the Phoenician royal necropolis, and the Roman amphitheater.

The Cedars

Altitude: 1850m

Distance from Beirut: 130km Getting there: Take the autostrada to Chekka, south of Tripoli, and then turn up towards Amioun. From there the road passes along the side of the Kadisha Gorge through Kousba, Tourza, Hadet, Hasroun, Bazaoun and Bsharri. The journey from Beirut takes 2 1/2 hours.

Al-ARZ (The Cedars), named after the ancient unique trees which form a forest in the heart of the village. Hundreds of young Cedar trees have been planted around the area over the last 30 years, but since they only grow at a rate of 1cm every year, it will be many generations before these saplings reach the impressive size of those in the heart of the forest. In addition to the Cedar forest, there are a number of sites of interest in the area. The town of Bsharri is best known as the birthplace and resting place of Khalil Gibran, Lebanon's most famous mystic, poet, artist and novelist. The Gibran Museum, a converted monastery, houses his paintings, drawings, and personal effects, as well as his casket. The town also has three churches and a waterfall.

The resort of the Cedars had its first ski lift installed by the government in 1953. The high altitude of Al-Arz means that it generally has a slightly longer season than the other resorts, sometimes beginning as early as November, and often lasting until mid or late April. The number of skiers on the slopes at weekends often reaches between two and three thousand. Since it is a fair distance from Beirut, the resort boasts a number of excellent hotels, as well as about 300 chalets available for rental. The main pistes are equipped with four lifts, one of which is lit at night. There are great opportunities for cross-skiing, and snowboarding. There are also ski schools as well as creche facilities where activities are arranged at the Kid's Club for children aged between five and twelve years.

Eshmoun

The visit is just minutes from Sidon

Eshmoun: This historical site is traced back to the myth of the young hunter Eshmoun. The goddess Astarte fell in love with him, but to escape her advances he mutilated himself and died. He was brought back as a god, and is now seen as the god of healing and considered Eshmoun to be a very important god. A temple was erected in his honor during the reign of Eshmounazar II, and existed until the middle fourth century B.C., when it was destroyed. The site, although littered by debris and crumbling, remained popular until the end of the third century A.D.

Sidon

Altitude: 10m
Distance from Beirut: 43km

Getting there: From Beirut, take Khalde Highway South passing through Khalde, Damour, Naame, Saadiat, along the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean sea.

Sidon (Saida) is said to mean "fishing", and even today fishermen moor their boats in the small picturesque port. Sidon was the third great Phoenician city-state, rivaling Byblos and Tyre as a naval power. In Darius' time, towards the end of the 6th century B.C., it was the capital of the fifth Persian satrapy and a showplace of buildings and gardens. The town was conquered by the Crusaders after a famous siege lasting 47 days, then retaken by Saladin 70 years later. Sidon is known as the capital of the South. It is surrounded by beautiful orchards of orange, lemon, banana and loquat trees. The city's northern harbor is graced by Castle of the Sea, erected in the early 13th Century by the crusading Knights of St. John of the Hospital of Jerusalem on an islet at the mouth of the harbor.

The shell of the Castle of St. Louis sits atop the Phoenician acropolis near Murex Hill, so named after the Murex shell from which the famous Phoenician purple dye was extracted. In the old town more recent buildings worth a visit are Khan as-Sabun, Khan el-Franj and the Great Mosque above the Egyptian Harbor which still retains the 13th Century walls of the fortress Church of the Hospitallers of St. John.

Tripoli

Tripoli (Trablos, 85 Km)
Altitude- 85 km. from Beirut

Tripoli: This bustling town is the north's major city and tourist site. Founded by the Phoenicians in 800 B.C., the name they gave the city has never been discovered. The city's appetite for trade was inherited by each succeeding occupier and today Tripoli is a major port town as well as the second largest city in Lebanon.

Although there is no lack of ancient ruins in the area, in Tripoli the sites of historical interest date from its Crusader and Islamic periods. Of most interest are the Great Mosque, formerly the Crusader cathedral of St. Mary, the Teylan Mosque built in 1336, and in the port area (Al-Mina) the tower of the Lions or Borj Es-Sba, a beautiful example of Mamluk military architecture.

Dominating the city is the Crusader castle of St. Gilles - rebuilt and enlarged by the Mamluks and the Turks. Begun in 1100, the castle in its present form reflects the changes made through the centuries.

Tripoli's historic souks still cater to the everyday needs of Tripolitanians and a Mamluk period Turkish bath is still open for business.

Tyre

Tyre(84km)

Tyre: This phoenician city survived a 13-year siege by Nebuchadnezzar but fell before the military ingenuity of Alexander the Great who literally bridged the gap between the fortified island city and its mainland sector. By building a causeway, Alexander was able to forward his siege machines and bring the city to its knees.

Tyre made a name for itself exporting purple-dyed textiles throughout the ancient world. The dye itself was extracted from the murex, a sea snail which continues to live along Tyre's beautiful coast, and was worth more than its weight in gold.

A walk through the quarter of Hay El-Ramel is reliving history. Here is Alexander's causeway, expanded by sand and landfill into today’s isthmus with its modern buildings.

Three areas of ruins beckon the visitor. The first is located on what was the ancient walled island city. Colonnades, mosaic streets, Roman baths, and a rectangular arena occupy this seaside site. The ruins of a Crusader church dominate the second site. The third and most extensive area of ruins includes a Roman-Byzantine necropolis and the largest Roman hippodrome ever found. Uniquely built of stone, not brick, it hosted chariot races in its heyday.

Time should also be made for a walk through the narrow, quaint streets of the Christian quarter, the little fishing port with its pubs and fish restaurants, and energy permitting, the city's souks.

In biblical times it was in Qana (Cana) near Tyre that Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast.

In 1980, modern Tyre's impressive Roman and Phoenician remains prompted UNESCO to make the town one of its world heritage sites. Despite its location in the deep south 79 km from Beirut, where conflict often occurred during the war, Tyre has become a prosperous town notable for its many high-rise buildings. At the same time the inner city has retained its industrious maritime character and its old-style houses.

Zahle

Altitude: 1010m

Distance from Beirut: 52km

Getting there: From Beirut, take the Damascus road which passes through Bhamdoun, Sofar, Mdeirej, and Chtoura and then to Zahle. .It is about one and a half hours from Beirut.

Zahle, the capital of the Beqaa, is known as "Arouss El-Beqaa", the bride of the Beqaa, and is much appreciated for its healthy climate and good food. It is also the seat of government for the Beqaa. All amenities are available there, with hotels, good shopping and souvenir shops. Zahle's many beautiful old houses can be appreciated on a leisurely walk around the town. The main attraction, however, is the Bardaouni river, which flows out of Mount Sannine through a wooded gorge shut in between tall perpendicular rocks. Along this branch of the Litani river, there is one open-air restaurant after another. All are protected from the sun by awnings and leafy trees, while streams, fountains and pools cool the air.

Zahle is the town of the mezze which is a variety of more than thirty different dishes, and of arak, the aniseed alcohol. Here, one can enjoy a typically Lebanese pastime: the long leisurely lunch. The Bardaouni is just as popular in the evenings where dinners can become quite festive.

A walk in the hills overlooking Zahle leads you to Iron and Bronze age tombs. In Wadi El Arayesh are Byzantine and Roman sarcophagi.