Lebanon
Beirut
State
Country
Lebanon
Continent
Asia
Size
20 KM2
Population
2,434,609
Spending Budget
$876 - $1,000
Famous For
- Zaitunay Bay
- Sursock Museum
- National Museum of Beirut
Best Time to Visit
- January
- April
- May
- September
History
Beirut was settled more than 5,000 years ago[17] and the area had been inhabited for far longer. Several prehistoric archaeological sites have been discovered within the urban area of Beirut, revealing flint tools of sequential periods dating from the Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Paleolithic through the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
Beirut I (Minet el-Hosn) was listed as "the town of Beirut" (French: Beyrouth ville) by Louis Burkhalter and said to be on the beach near the Orient and Bassoul hotels on the Avenue des Français in central Beirut. The site was discovered by Lortet in 1894 and discussed by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1900. The flint industry from the site was described as Mousterian and is held by the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. Beirut II (Umm el-Khatib) was suggested by Burkhalter to have been south of Tarik el Jedideh, where P.E. Gigues discovered a Copper Age flint industry at around 100 metres (328 feet) above sea level. The site had been built on and destroyed by 1948. Beirut III (Furn esh-Shebbak), listed as Plateau Tabet, was suggested to have been located on the left bank of the Beirut River. Burkhalter suggested that it was west of the Damascus road, although this determination has been criticised by Lorraine Copeland. P. E. Gigues discovered a series of Neolithic flint tools on the surface along with the remains of a structure suggested to be a hut circle. Auguste Bergy discussed polished axes that were also found at this site, which has now completely disappeared as a result of construction and urbanisation of the area.
Present Day
Since the end of the war in 1990, the people of Lebanon have been rebuilding Beirut, whose urban agglomeration was mainly constituted during war time through an anarchic urban development stretching along the littoral corridor and its nearby heights. By the start of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict the city had somewhat regained its status as a tourist, cultural and intellectual centre in the Middle East and as a centre for commerce, fashion, and media. The reconstruction of downtown Beirut has been largely driven by Solidere, a development company established in 1994 by Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The city has hosted both the Asian Club Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Cup, and has hosted the Miss Europe pageant nine times: 1960–1964, 1999, 2001–2002, and 2016.
Future
Six months after the Beirut Port explosion, the Lebanese authorities have started to figure out plans for the future of ground zero of the blast that left over 200 people dead and 6,500 injured. The rebuilding of the port, where there is still a large hole caused by August 4 explosion and only one building left standing, will cost between $425 and $520 million, according to the World Bank estimations.
The American University Of Beirut
The AUB is the most prestigious university in the city, and should be on your list of places to go in Beirut. The historic buildings are interspersed with botanical gardens, a bird sanctuary as well as a private beach on the 61 acres of land that comprise the university. The archaeological museum here is a must-visit and houses a large collection of important ancient artifacts. The AUB offers tours of its campus, and you can contact them on their website to get the ball rolling.
National Museum Of Beirut
This is the best museum in the 6000 year old city. The museum owns about 100,000 ancient and medieval artifacts unearthed in and around Lebanon and is one of the top 10 places to visit in Beirut. It has the world’s most extensive collection of Phoenician objects, and the marble sarcophagus showing a Phoenician ship is only bested in popularity by the Phoenician bronze statue of Reshep that dates back the 19th to 18th century BC.
Byblos
Only an hour-long drive away from the city, Byblos is one of the best places to visit near Beirut if you are a fan of history and archaeology. The city is one of the oldest of all Phoenician cities and has been continuously inhabited since 5000 BC. The National Museum of Obelisks was built 3200 to 3600 years ago, and is a surreal experience to visit. The Crusader Fort and the Sultan Abdul Majid Mosque are also pieces of history that are worth a visit.
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
Beirut sightseeing is not complete without a tour of the Blue Masjid, completed in 2008 and a beautiful specimen of post-modern Middle East architecture. The Zakhrafat inside the mosque is complex and appealing and the artistically decorated interiors and inscribed walls are open to the public. Once a small prayer corner, the Sunni place of worship was planned and built over several decades. The central blue dome is 48 metres high and the minarets tower at 65 metres, forming the most important feature of downtown Lebanon skyline.
Beirut Souks
Souk means market in Arabic. The Souks in the city are some of the most fun places in Beirut owing to the exotic and unique items they sell. The modern portion of the market houses the world’s foremost luxury brands, but tourists should definitely check out the Souk al Ahad, which is one of the most interesting places to visit in Beirut if you are looking for a souvenir. You can find all kinds of clothing, jewellery, furniture, and lamps here for prices that you can bargain with friendly Lebanese sellers.
Baalbek
The town of Baalbek in Beqaa Valley, about two and half hours from Beirut, is best known for the Roman temple of Bacchus, one of the last standing Roman buildings in the world. The temple was built in memory of the Roman God of wine and is more than 1800 hundred years old. The courtyard in front of the temple now plays hosts to the Baalbeck International Festival, an annual celebration of history and architecture and one of the best places in Beirut to be if you are a fan of history and architecture.
Tourist Landmark Of Resistance
This is a wartime museum and one of the most popular Beirut tourist attractions. Operated by the ruling militia of Hezbollah, the museum emphasises lopsided views of history but is still an important site to visit in order to gain a true understanding of the place. Located in the village of Mleeta, about three hours away from Beirut, the museum houses a bunker used by the Hezbollah and also an underground tunnel in use during the war.
Raouche
The Avenue de Paris that faces the sea in this upscale neighbourhood of Beirut is a popular haunt and one of the nice places to visit in Beirut. You can have an evening coffee at the many cafes that line this street. The Avenue is part of the larger Corniche Beirut that runs along the Mediterranean and houses clubs that are the hottest places to visit in Beirut at night. Off the coast at Raouche, the Pigeon Rock is a series of weird rock formations jutting out of the water. The cliff that overlooks the rocks are a popular spot for both locals and tourists with everybody scrambling for a picture.
Sursock Museum
The Sursock Museum, located in the Achrafieh, which is one of the oldest residential districts in Lebanon, is amongst the foremost art places to see in Beirut. Mostly a patron of modern art and also some contemporary exhibitions also, the museum is situated in the former residential villa of Beirut aristocrat Nicolas Sursock. While the various exhibitions are certainly an attraction, the expansive mansions on the street built in the style of Lebanese classic architecture will certainly blow your mind!
Roman Baths
If you are wondering what to see in Beirut that will betray its Roman roots, the Berytus situated in the heart of downtown Beirut will not disappoint. An ancient thermae, the site was a meeting place for all Roman citizens in the city and was divided into four sections. One of these sections is now the site of artistic concerts and performances, while the other is now a Mediterranean garden and one of the foremost tourist places in Beirut.