Lebanon Information (Arnun, Baalbek, Bcharre, Beirut, Byblos, Jounieh, Tripoli, Tyre, Zahle)

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Lebanon Information (Arnun, Baalbek, Bcharre, Beirut

, Byblos, Jounieh, Tripoli, Tyre, Zahle)

Lebanon is the historic home of the Phoenicians, Semitic traders whose maritime culture flourished there for more than 2,000 years. The region was a territory of the Roman Empire and during the Middle Ages was involved in the Crusades. It was then taken by the Ottoman Empire. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the League of Nations mandated the five provinces that make up present-day Lebanon to France. Modern Lebanon's constitution, drawn up in 1926, specified a balance of political power between the various religious groups. Lebanon has a lively arts scene, both traditional and contemporary. The national dance, the dabke, is an energetic folk dance. Classical belly dancing still plays an important role at weddings, representing the transition from virgin bride to sensual woman, and is also popular in nightclubs. Traditional Arabic music is created using un-harmonized melodies and complex rhythms, often accompanied by sophisticated, many-layered singing. Instruments used include the loud, a pear-shaped string instrument; the tabla, a clay, wood or metal and Tskin percussion instrument; the nay, a single reed, open-ended pipe with a lovely mellow tone; and the qanun, a flat trapezoid instrument with at least 81 pluckable strings. Literature and poetry have always had an important place in Lebanese culture. One very popular form of poetry is the zajal, in which a group of poets enter into a witty dialogue by improvising verses to songs. The most famous Lebanese literary figure is Khalil Gibran, a 19th-century poet, writer and artist whose work explored Christian mysticism. Contemporary writers include Amin Maalouf, Emily Nasrallah and Hanan Al-Shaykh. About 60% of Lebanon's population is Muslim and 40% is Christian. The largest Muslim group is the Shiite (Shia) sect, followed by the Sunni and the Druze. The Druze are one of the religious curiosities of the Middle East. Originally an offshoot of Islam, they have diversified so much from the mainstream that they are often considered to constitute a whole separate religion. The Druze believe that God incarnated himself in men at various times and that his last, and final, incarnation was Al-Hakim bi Amrillah, the sixth Fatimid caliph who died in 1021 AD. They believe in reincarnation and that there are a fixed number of souls in existence. Druze gather for prayer meetings on Thursday evenings in inconspicuous halls; outsiders are not permitted to attend and the rites remain highly secretive. The largest Christian group is the Maronite sect, followed by the Greek Orthodox, the Greek Catholic, the Syrian Catholic, the Chaldean, the Protestant and the Orthodox churches. Arabic and French are the official language of Lebanon although Arabic is by far the most widely spoken and English is becoming common in business circles. Arabs place great importance on civility and it's rare to see any interaction between people that doesn't begin with profuse greetings, enquiries into the other's health and myriad niceties. As an ajnabi (foreigner), you're not expected to know all the ins and outs, but if you make the effort to come up with the right expression at the appropriate moment, you'll be respected for it. In fact, any effort to communicate with the locals in their own language will be well rewarded. No matter how far off the mark your pronunciation or grammar might be, you'll often get the smiling response 'Ah, you speak Arabic very well!'

Lebanese cuisine is an inexpensive delight. Using fresh and flavorsome ingredients and refined spicing, the Lebanese have taken the best aspects of Turkish and Arabic cooking and given them a French spin. A typical meal consists of a few mezze dishes, such as spinach pies, dips, dried cheese, pizza and stuffed vine leaves. This is followed by a main dish of meat (usually mutton) or fish, often stuffed with rice and nuts, plus a salad such as tabouleh or fattoush. The national dish is kibbeh, a finely minced paste of lamb and bulgur wheat, sometimes served raw, but more often fried or baked into a pie. Meals are rounded off with syrupy baklava pastries or other semolina and walnut-based desserts.

Geography:

A Middle Eastern country, Lebanon is demarcated to the west by the Mediterranean (Coast: 225 kilometers) and to the east by the Syro-African Depression. Lebanon borders Syria for 375 kilometers to the north and to the west and Israel for 79 kilometers to the south. The border with Israel has been approved by the United Nations, although a small piece of land called "Shebaa farms" located in the Golan Heights is still occupied by Israel. See here on the left side a map exploring Lebanon location and tourist attractions and sight seeing as well. (Reference Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon).

Arnun:

Although a relatively small town, Arnun has an impressive sight: Beaufort Castle, which sits atop a 1,000-ft/305-m cliff overlooking the Litani River. Many conquerors have walked along the battlements of this Crusader castle. However, the castle was damaged during the civil war. Arnun lies 7 km southeast of Nabatiyeh. On top of a hill overlooking the whole area and controlling the road linking the southern Bekaa to Damascus stands a fortress known to Arab travelers as Shqif Arnun, a fortress term meaning high rock. Western travelers call it Belfort or Beaufort. In front of this fortress the visitors will see a large water cistern and the ruins of an ancient village contemporary with the citadel. The Crusaders restructed and fortified it and it became the most important fortress in Lebanon

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

Bcharre:

The trip to Bcharr 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 Bcharr 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 Bcharr 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 Bcharr, 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.

Beirut:

Once 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 trs stylish, and exhibits include Turkish silverware, icons, contemporary Lebanese art and a small but interesting library. A visit to Beirut 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.

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 millennium 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 harbor and picturesque old town remain un-spoilt. 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 millennium 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

Jounieh:

Jounieh's setting is still one of the most beautiful along the Lebanese coast. For the best view of the crescent-shaped bay, take the steep cable car (telepherique) up to Harissa. (The station is in the middle of Jounieh, between the highway and the old coastal road.) At the other end of the cable car line you transfer to an incline car, which takes you up to the lookout point surrounding the shiny, white statue of the Virgin of Lebanon. If you want to go still higher, you can climb the ramp around the statue's basethe closer you come to her lowered, outstretched hands, the narrower the ramp becomes? and the pushier the people get. The view is spectacular, though, and the virgin, seen from close up, has a sweet, sad charm all her own. On your way to or from Jounieh you can stop off at Nahr al-Kalb (the Dog River) to view the inscriptions carved into the river-gorge walls by a long line of conquering armies. Jounieh is 15 mi/20 km north of Beirut.

Tripoli:

Tripoli is 86km (53mi) north of Beirut, 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 draw cards 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, colorful 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 defend the city.

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

Zahle:

A red-roofed town set among the eastern foothills of Mount Sannine, Zahle enjoys a prime location in the Beqaa valley. Snowcapped mountains tower above it in winter, while in summer its 945 meter elevation keeps the air light and dry. The city center spreads along both banks of the Berdawni River, with the older section of the upper elevations of the west bank. At the northern end of town is the Bardouni river valley known as Wadi el-Aarayesh (Grape Vine Valley) - the site of Zahle's famous outdoor restaurants. Zahle styles itself "The city of Wine and poetry", and with good reason. In this century alone some 50 poets and writers were born here and almost as many excellent wines and araks have been produced in the area. The romance of wine and poetry is balanced by Zahle's more business like position as the administrative and commercial capital of the Beqaa valley (42.27% of Lebanon's territory) as well as its rank as the country's third largest city (population 150,000). Zahle is also an agricultural town which produces vegetables, fruit, grains and most importantly, grapes. Tucked away from Lebanon's busy coastal centers, the people of Zahle have developed their own brand of individualism and way of doing things. Even their spoken Arabic has a particular flair. The city's reputation for intellectual vigor comes from a long line of writers, thinkers and poets who have contributed to Lebanon's cultural and political scene. Zahle was founded about 300 years ago in an area whose past reaches back some five millennia. In the early 18th century the new town was divided into three separate quarters, each of which had its own governor. The city enjoyed a brief period as the region's first independent state in the 19th century when it had its own flag and anthem. Zahle was burned in 1777 and 1791, and it was burned and plundered in 1860. But during the rule of the Mutasarrifiah, Zahle began to regain its prosperity. The railroad line which came through in 1885 improved commerce and town became the internal "port" of the Beqaa and Syria. It was also the center of agriculture and trade between Beirut and Damascus, Mosul, and Baghdad. Considered the birthplace of the Lebanese army, Zahle has played a major role in the political life of the country. The Bardouni is a river that flows out of Mt. Sannine and down through Zahle. It is also a name synonymous with Lebanon's famous mezze and the delights of outdoor dining. The Bardouni restaurant tradition began over a hundred years ago with a few simple riverside cafes. Today it is a virtual bazaar of tree-shaded eating places known as "casinos", every one more inviting than the next. Not surprisingly, competition is fierce, so each establishment outdoes itself with fountains, pools, and cooling shade to tempt potential customers. Here you can enjoy the traditional Lebanese mezze as it is served nowhere else. To add to the sense of timelessness, delicious mountain bread is baked before your eyes and a man in baggy trousers and fez is on hand to pour Lebanese coffee. He can also provide diners with a hubble-bubble (water pipe). On the cliffs above the Bardouni are the restaurants of Kaa el Reem, also known for their excellent food and atmosphere. Zahle's association with the grape is pervasive, for it lies at the heart of an area that has been making wine since early antiquity. At the city's southern entrance the statue of a graceful female personifies wine and poetry, but you don't have to look far to see evidence of the real thing. The hills north of town with names like Wadi Hadi, Harqat, Bir Ghazour and Tell Zeina are covered with the neat rows of vineyards that supply Zahle's wine and arak industries. Many of the wines have been formally recognized abroad for their fine quality - equal to some of the best in Europe. A tour of Zahle's Ksara winery is a good way to see how wine and arak are made. Of special interest here are the extensive underground caves built around a natural grotto known and enlarged by the Romans.

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