Travels in the Lebanon
The Lebanon
The Republic of Lebanon is located on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered to the North and the East by Syria and to the South by Israel. It has an area of 10,453 square metres. The highest mountain is Qurnat al Sawda at 3,088 metres or 10,131 feet tall.
It is home to some of the oldest civilisations and human settlements in the world. Tools found in caves show that it has been inhabited since the stone age. The Phoenicians, Amorites, Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Maronites, Ottomans and French have all left their mark on the Lebanon.
The Roman ruins, castles, caves, beautiful beaches, fabulous food, ancient wineries, mosques, churches, ski resorts and great nightlife make it a wonderful and diverse place to visit. It’s small size makes it possible to see so much in a few days.
After the Phoenicians and other ancient civilisations it was part of the Ottoman empire for over 400 years from 1516 – 1918. After the 1st World War the League of Nations granted a mandate for the Lebanon and Syria to France, creating the State of Greater Lebanon.
In 1926 a Unified Lebanese Republic was declared under a French mandate. Finally in 1943 the French agreed to transfer power to the Lebanese government and it became independent. Lebanon prospered but tensions simmered.
In 1975 a civil war broke out which would last for 15 years. During this time 100,000 were killed, 1 million displayed and billions of pounds of damage was done. It was exasperated by foreign interference especially by Israel and Syria. Most people I spoke to can’t understand why the war started and why it lasted so long.
In recent years the crisis in Syria with 1 million refugees fleeing to Lebanon, lockdowns due to Covid 19, corruption and crippling debt have all taken their toll on the economy. This led to widespread protests. The value of the Lebanese pound fell dramatically, making it very cheap for tourists but expensive for locals. Hotels and businesses have their own generators shielding them from the power cuts affecting Beirut and other cities where most locals only have power for 2 hours a day. Still the Lebanese are very resilient and know how to enjoy life. The also have some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten.
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Beirut
Beirut is the capital of the Lebanon and the largest city. Fringed by the Mediterranean sea and at the foot of the Lebanon mountains.
Before 1975 it was known as ‘the Paris of the Middle East’. Many tourists visited, it was a centre of culture and the most Westernised city in the Middle East. A beautiful city with its mixture of Middle Eastern and French architecture. It is home to the world’s oldest law school. The citizens of Beirut consider themselves the most educated in the world. Most speak Arabic, English and French, often in the same sentence, which I found very strange when I heard my first conversation.
15 years of civil war has taken its toll. The scars are still evident, the bullet holes still decorating some of the buildings. It is still a beautiful city with much to see and a good base to visit many of Lebanon’s other treasures.
Below is a new cinema complex which was badly damaged during the war.
So despite not arriving until after 4pm I fitted a lot into my 1st day and learnt a lot. I’d booked a couple of days trips with a local guide who was recommended. She kindly offered me a free tour of Beirut. She picked me up from the airport, showed me some of the sights and then dropped me at my hotel. All for free. So kind. I was also lucky to experience one of Beirut’s lovely sunsets.
There are still lots of reminders of the civil war and the huge explosion at the docks in August 2020. Beirut is really diverse with a wealth of history and architecture, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and of course French. A city always being rebuilt but always keeping reminders of its past. They say here that Beirut is like the Phoenix, always rising from the ashes.
Inflation here is a huge problem. There are 5 different exchange rates starting from the official one at 1,500 to the dollar, rising to the black market one of 22,000. I changed 120 dollars yesterday and received 3 million 300 hundred thousand Lebanese pounds! Very good for tourists but not for locals. There were protests last week against government corruption and inflation. One of the streets has now been blocked off with soldiers and barbed wire to prevent a recurrence.
I went for lovely Lebanese food with one of my travel companions for Syria who arrived that day too from Socotra. Finally there is a tiny, cosy little bar on the ground floor of the hotel where I had a nightcap or 3. I bought 2 and was given the 3rd free. Lovely owner and met a Beirut couple who actually met in the bar. It was decided we’d have a party in the bar on Friday. It is incredibly friendly here.
The patron saint here is St. George, just like England and Georgia.
The Beirut Explosion
The explosion in Beirut happened on 4th August 2020. It happened when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded. It is use as a fertiliser but it can also be used to manufacture explosives, it had been stored unsafely.
218 were killed, 7,000 injured, 300,000 displaced and there was damage to buildings up to 20kms away. It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.
Leaked documents show that successive governments were warned on at least 10 occasions of the danger of this stockpile of dangerous and potentially explosive chemicals. The warnings came from customs and military officials, the security services and the judiciary. Nothing was done. All political officials were granted immunity from prosecution which led to widespread condemnation and protests. Some of the buildings have now been repaired, others still show signs of damage.
At the port there is a memorial statue, made from debris from the blast. it is 82 feet tall and weighs 35 tons. It is of a giant holding a flower. It was created by local Lebanese artist Nadin Karam. He described it as “It is a giant made of ashes, traces from the explosions, scars of the city, that still exist everywhere in Beirut.”
There is also a memorial wall to the victims and it is incredibly moving. The portraits capture the essence and the character of the people they were. They were all killed in the Beirut explosion. Each has their name underneath. The young girl is Alexandra. There is also Kazim, a message from his family written on his portrait. Some were never identified and appear as unknown victims. 218 victims of something that should have been prevented.
Other things to see in Beirut
I spent another day walking around Beirut and managed to see everything by foot.
Pigeon rocks
One of the most famous and scenic landmarks of Beirut are these 2 rock formations rising from the sea. They are also known as Raouche rocks and are a lovely place to view the Mediterranean Sea and lovely coastline.
It is possible to walk on the promontory next to the rocks. One of my mysteries was how did this overturned car get there?
I was told it was accident some time ago and it drove off the cliff but that’s a long distance. it has been left there.
It was an interesting walk along the coast and one of the highlights was seeing a turtle swimming right next to the shore
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Mohammed Al-Amin mosque
Another major landmark of the city with its blue dome. it was opened in 2008 and holds 3,700 worshippers. it was the project of former prime minister Rafic Hariri, who was subsequently assassinated and is now buried here. It also looks very atmospheric illuminated by night.
St. George Maronite Cathedral
Next door to the mosque sits this lovely cathedral. Built between 1884 – 1894 it was shelled and heavily damaged during the civil war but has been restored.
The Roman Ruins of Berytus
Behind the cathedral lie the remains of the Roman city of Berytus and the ancient Roman road which dissected the city.
The Martyrs Monument
By the side of the cathedral is the iconic Martyrs’ Square and the Martyrs Monument. Originally this was a movement those who fought against Ottoman rule and were hung in the square. Now the statue, which was riddled with bullets has become a symbol for everything which was destroyed in the civil war.
The Knotted Gun Sculpture
In 2018 a copy of the knotted gun sculpture was unveiled in Beirut. The original sculpture was created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward as a tribute to John Lennon after he was shot dead. It has now become a worldwide symbol of peace
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Gemmayzeh Street
With lovely architecture and funky bars, restaurants and cafes, Gemmayzeh is at the heart of Beirut’s nightlife.
Where to stay in Beirut, Lebanon
I stayed at the
Hamra Urban gardens. It was an excellent choice for all budgets as it has dorm rooms and private rooms. It also has one of the best restaurants in Beirut and a rooftop bar and pool. Hamra is a good base with shops, restaurants, a supermarket and currency exchanges.
What made my stay in Beirut so special was the small bar in the lobby of the hotel. The owner, Ahmad was a true gentleman and is was frequented by lots of friendly locals. I spent many happy hours here chatting to the locals and dancing.
Above is me being taught a bit of belly dancing. They even held a party in my honour and invited their friends. It was like the “Cheers” of Lebanon.
I loved the Lebanon and was very sad to say goodbye. This is how I spent my last night in Beirut.
Beirut is such an interesting city, a mixture of ancient and modern, a mixture of religions and a mixture of architectural styles. It is also one of the friendliest cities I have visited.
There are group tours for all the places I visited and I will give you options for these. I used a private guide Mayada Mahfouz whose prices were extremely reasonable and who shared so much knowledge and kindness.
Other places to visit in the Lebanon
Baalbek
When I’d first arrived in the Lebanon it was just after a huge storm, which had only abated the afternoon I arrived. It had caused rain at low levels and lots of snow in the mountains. The weather and temperatures had been the worst for a March since the 1980s. The road over the mountains opened for the 1st time for several days when I visited Baalbek.
Lorries had been trapped, there was still some ice and slush on the road and lots of water running down. They were turning many vehicles away. One van was sliding down the hill with one man trying to stop it. The drive though with the new snow on the mountains and trees was very beautiful especially against the bright blue sky.
My first impression of Baalbek was astonishment at the scale and how well preserved it was. There were very few visitors making it much easier to appreciate. At the entrance some young girls asked to have a photo with me.
The Lebanon is home to some of the oldest civilisations on earth and some of the oldest, most important and well preserved archeological sites. Baalbek is one of these. Cannanites, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians Byzantines and Ottomans have all worshipped here and all have left their mark.
The Phoenicians erected a temple to the god Baal, the sky god and one of their important. Alexander the Great was the first to conquer Baalbek in 334 B.C. He renamed it Heliopolis meaning ‘city of the Sun’.
The Phoenicians erected a temple to the god Baal, the sky god and one of their important. Alexander the Great was the first to conquer Baalbek in 334 B.C. He renamed it Heliopolis meaning ‘city of the Sun’.
It was a Roman colony in 47 B.C .under Julius Caesar. The Romans transposed Phoenician gods with Roman ones. There was a lot of recycling of temples at Baalbek. The temple of Jupiter was built on the site of the great temple of Baal. It is the largest Roman temple ever built. The columns are 20 metres high and weigh 1,000 tonnes. To put this in perspective, the columns at Stonehenge weigh about 1/40 the of this. Today 6 of the original 54 columns remain.
Septimius Feverus also spent time here. Born in Africa, he was the 1st black ruler of Rome and the 1st black ruler of Britain as a Holy Roman Emperor. He made gains in Scotland and strengthened Hadrian’s wall but never managed to bring the whole island under his control. He died in York.
The temple of Bacchus is where I would worship, dedicated to the god of wine. It is the largest ancient temple still standing, larger than the Parthenon and is very well preserved. Like me it’s probably preserved in all that wine.
I thought Baalbek was astonishing!
The largest stone block ever found
In the quarries surrounding Baalbek was discovered the largest man made stone block ever found. It measures 64 feet x 19.6 feet x 18 feet and wighs 1,650 tonnes.
I also got a free coffee and a chance to model the local headwear.
En-route we passed some of the Syrian refugee camps.
Caves of Ksara Winery
Next it was a little wine tasting at the oldest winery in the Lebanon. The location was discovered by accident by a group of monks. A fox was stealing the monk’s chickens. One night they followed it and found it was hiding them in a cave. This underground cave was perfect for storing wine. The cave runs for 2 kilometres and stores 1 million bottles of wine. In 1972 the Vatican ordered the monks to sell the winery. It makes extremely good wine and now produces 5 million bottles a year.
Even the toilet mirrors are made from barrels.
The road over the mountains closes at 4pm as it gets too icy to navigate safely. We got there in plenty of time. Unfortunately, there had been an accident and the road was already closed. We had to drive all the way around the mountain, the highest in Lebanon. It took 4 hours, partly in the dark. There were some bonuses though, as we got to see this wonderful waterfall.
We’d also picked up some freshly baked tasty treats.
Jeita Grotto
Jeita is the Aramaic world meaning roaring water. The grotto was first discovered by an American missionary, the Reverand William Thompson in 1836. It consists of 2 interconnected limestone caves running for 9 kms.
Magnificent stalagmites and stalactites formed over millions of years adorn the caves. This one is called the mushroom.
There is an upper part accessed by a walkway and a lower part where a small boat will take you through the grotto. Because of restrictions only the top part was open when I I was there but it was still well worth a visit, definitely one of the better grottoes I have visited. on the upper part are 3 chambers. The 1st white chamber is home to the world’s largest stalactite which is 27 feet in length. There are some incredible formations in this cave including the one below.
The grounds are also very lovely with a small train, ropeway and lovely gardens full of interesting sculptures.
Harissa and the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon
Harissa is a mountain village 650 metres above sea level. It is also an important pilgrimage site as it is home to to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, a Maronite church. There is also a modern design cathedral.
On the top of the shrine stands a 13 tonne bronze statue painted in white. it was French built and is in 7 sections, assembled on the stone base .It was inaugurated in 1908 and has been visited by Pope John Paul II in 1997 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
You can drive up to Harissa and the shrine but it is much nicer to take the cable car from Jounieh. A beautiful journey with great views over the bay of Jounieh.
The views from the top are also spectacular.
There is also a great specimen of Lebanon’s famous cedar trees.
It was also a beautiful breakfast stop and a chance to try more tasty local specialities.
Byblos
Byblos is in the running for oldest inhabited city in the world. Carbon dating has proved there was a settlement here around 7,000 B.C. A city was established here in 5000 B.C. It was the first city established by the Phoenicians and was a very important port for fishing, shipping and trade. It was the chief port for the export of cedar to Egypt.
Byblos is the Greek word for papyrus.
It was also important as the Phoenician alphabet was developed here.
The Crusaders captured Byblos in 1103 and built a castle here before they were driven out by the Ottoman ruler Saladin.
Along with the ruins of the castle and the castle gate, there is a Roman colonnade, small amphitheatre, 3 temples and Neolithic drawings.
The town of Byblos is charming with a colourful and beautifully restored souk and lovely outside restaurants.
Byblos has the oldest port in the world
Most group tours include Jeita Grotto, Harissa and Byblos
Sidon
Sidon is the 3rd largest city in Lebanon and is also known as Saida or Sayida. It is one of the oldest Phoenician cities and is often mentioned in the works of Homer. It is famous for its purple dyes and glassware.
In the town small alleyways lead to the old souk .It is wonderful to wander through the old, narrow streets, little changed in hundreds of years.
There is also an old Caravanserai where weary travellers could lay their head.
It is also known for its fabulous food stalls and delicious sweets. Falafel Abu Rami allegedly has the best falafel in Lebanon, I wouldn’t disagree.
It was the perfect place for a mid morning feast.
There is also a very interesting soap museum. The Middle East is famous for the production of soap and this tells the story. There is a lovely shop and the olive oil soap is wonderful.
Sidon Sea Castle
Probably the most famous and prominent landmark in Sidon is its sea castle. Built by the Crusaders in 1228.
It is connected to the mainland by an 80 metre long walkway.
It was destroyed by the Mamluks in 1291 but rebuilt and restored in the 17th century .It is a stunning sight.
Tyre
Tyre is another of the oldest and most significant Phoenician cities. The architect and materials that built The Temple of Soloman in Jerusalem came from Tyre It was responsible for the founding of Carthage and Cadiz. .In Greek mythology it was the birthplace of Europa, who gave her name to the continent of Europe, Dido of Carthage was born here.Purple dye was invented here, it came from the Murex shellfish and was reserved for royalty and nobility.
It’s Golden Age was in the 10th century when it had a political and trade alliance with David, King of Israel. Alexander the Great laid seige to the city. After 8 months by building a bridge using rocks and felled tress his army battered down the city walls. The 30,000 inhabitants were either massacred or sold as slaves.
The Christian quarter is a lovely area to wander around with its colourful houses and adornments of flowers.
The port has brightly painted fishing fishing boats and little seaside cafes to stop off for a welcome drink.
There are also beaches and a small lighthouse.
Tyre Hippodrome
The hippodrome was built in the 2nd century A.D. and once held 20,000 spectators.
There is also a Roman arch and colonnade, the remains of a Roman road, mosaic floor and many sarcophagus.
Al Mina ruins
Built in the 3rd century t his mainly consists of a series of columns looking out to sea.
On one of the sarcophagus is a very well preserved image of Medusa.
Book a tour to Tyre
Important Information
When travelling in Lebanon always ensure you exchange money and pay in local currency. Never pay with U.S. dollars or credit card. This was my bill in Beirut. The amount in local currency was 490,000 which equated to about $20. if you look at the bottom of the bill it has the total in dollars, which is $323, just a slight difference! So paying in local currency is $20 but paying in dollars or with credit card would have cost $323.
From Lebanon I crossed the border into Syria. See my posts on;
Maybe we’ll meet up somewhere in the world but in the meantime if you would like to buy me a beer to say thanks, it would be much appreciated and I’m always thirsty. Click on the link below. Cheers.
https://www.buymeabeer.com/lynnstepheo
