About Lebanon

Home

  • Lebanon is not a mere country; it is a “message”! It is the crossroad of cultures, religions and civilizations.

    It is from our territory that emerged one of the most important elements of the documentary heritage, presenting a universal interest, which is the Phoenician alphabet.

    It is from our shores that sailed vessels loaded with everything that could be traded or sold, and have assured the quasi-monopoly of the Mediterranean commerce for centuries.

    It is from our conflicts and dreams that emerged hundreds of writers, poets, philosophers and researchers who helped improve the fate of humanity.

    It is from the values we inherited from our ancestors, in addition to our spectacular mountains that we are known to be welcoming, authentic, friendly and hospitable people.

    Despite the huge commotion that has witnessed our dear Lebanon; despite the injustices and deficiencies, our love to this country remains the keystone that allows us to maintain the coherence between the different components of our society.

    Our archeological and touristic sites reveal the history of our country. Noteworthy that five of these were classified among the UNESCO world heritage.

    • Byblos or Jbeil is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. It is closely associated with the history of diffusing the Phoenician alphabet.Byblos is a testimony of the first settlement by a community of fishermen dating back 8000 years, through the monumental temples of the Bronze Age, to the Persian fortifications, Roman road, Byzantine churches, Crusade citadel and the medieval town.
    • Capital of Lebanon, Beirut is the most important city in the country. It is a financial and cultural center of high importance in the Near East, due to its location between Asia, Africa and Europe, granting it a strategic position in the exchanges worldwide.In Beirut, you can visit the Down town, a true state-of-the-art architecture. You can also have a tour in the national museum, built under the French mandate and hosting objects collected from different archeological sites.The martyrs square, a multitude of cathedrals, mosques and churches, as well as the ruins of the Roman baths are must-visit places.
    • Sidon, the third-largest city in Lebanon, was mentioned in the Bible as the “Mother city of Phoenicia”.  Sidon is the son of Canaan, the grandson of Noah. Sidon offers a variety of ruins to visit: the Sea Castle, the Caravanserai of the French, the soap museum, the castle of Saint Louis and the Eshmum temple.
    • Tyr, a prestigious city located on the southern coast of Lebanon, features one of the most beautiful seashores of the country, two outstanding Roman sites and a small fishing harbor.In Tyr you can admire the Necropolis area, discovered in 1947, the triumphal Arch which was raised during the 2nd Century, the hippodrome, one of the largest of the Roman world, the Roman baths which reflect the luxuriousness of the city at the time and the zone of the Crusaders cathedral.
    • The Jeita Grotto is a mixture of Karstic caves formed during millions of years due to the limestone dissolution. It is considered as one of the most known touristic destinations of the country. This cavern encloses two galleries: the lower gallery that can be visited by boat and the upper gallery which is equipped with several tunnels to be seen on foot by tourists.
    • Tripoli, capital of North Lebanon, carries in its depth ruins of several ancient civilizations. It has a double-sided face: the traditional side, distinguished in the old neighborhoods, old souks, Khans, Hammams and Madrasas; and the modern side, revealed in the stadium at the entrance of the city, the long avenues, the stores and the modern buildings.
    • Baalbek or Heliopolis, the City of the Sun, is one of the most spectacular archeological sites in the Near East. Its temples, where sacred processions took place during Roman times, are immense and spectacular.The construction of Jupiter temple began during the reign of Emperor Augustus in the late first century BC. From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius, from Septimius Severus to Caracalla, were constructed the propylaea, the Grand Court, the Hexagonal Court, the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Venus.
    • Anjar is a modern city established near the ruins of a superb Umayyad city, and founded by the Caliph Walid I at the beginning of the 8thcentury, and constitutes a unique testimony of city planning under the Umayyads. It represents all the characteristics of a Roman camp divided into 4 sections that come together under a tetrapyle.
    • Beiteddine Palace is a magnificent residence constructed by Emir Bachir Chehab II, who ruled Mount Lebanon between 1788 and 1840.Nowadays, and after building many museums (archeological museum presenting a collection of ancient objects and the museum of Byzantine mosaic) the palace turned into a cultural center.