INSTANT

The capital of Lebanon, Beirut, with its nearly 1 million population is by far the largest city of the country. it also hosts the international airport, seaport, and the seat of government. renowned of its press, cultural and theatrical activites but also for its nightlife.

was named the Number One place to visit in 2009's New York Times, it was also listed in the top 10 of the liveliest cities in the world by the Lonely planet's list for the top 10 cities of the world of 2009.

History

antiche Beirut

was originally named Berut (which means the wells by the Phoenicians/ its founders), but also was named in the past by Berytus (by the Greeks), the city was destroyed by Diotodus Tryphon during his war against Antiochus VII Sidetes on the throne of the Seleucid monarchy in the year 140 B.C., soon after the city was rebuilt on a hellenistic plan and renamed "Laodicea in Phoenicia" in honor of Seleucid Laodice.

Around the Mid first century B.C, coins of Berytus showed the head of Tyche, a godess of fortune in the greek mythology, the other flip on the coin shows the city's symbol, a dolphin entwiness an anchor. Beirut lived many years under the control of the Roman dynasty of Herod the great,and was named "Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus" during this period the city was located on the valley between the hills of Ashrafieh and Mossaytbeh, was famous by its school of law (for about 300 years)  which was the school of Papinian and Ulpian (both Phoenicians) who were Rome's most important law figures of all time. the Roman city was destroyed many times due to earthquakes (the year 551)

635 a.C.- 1110 a.C.

after the Roman/Byzantine rule, Beirut was conquisted by the arabs in the year 635, who found nothing to suggest earlier development and from that time became a trading center for the eastern mediterranean countries but was overshadowed by Akko (Palestine) who knew its rise at that period.

1110- 1291

king Baldwin I of Jerusalem conquired the city in the first crusade (1110), not because of its importance that time but because it was a coastal city and therefor vulnerable for any attack.

in 1187, it was taken by Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria. 

1291- 1763

after the crusaders, beirut was ruled by local Druzes dynasties (wether under Turkish or Mamluk). among such princes there was Emir Fakher Ed-Dine El Maani II who made it a fortress in the 17th century when the city was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the middle east for its palaces, architecture and its gardens... this situation died with the lost of the Emir's rule under the ottomand and Syrian force who retook it in 1763.

1763- 1832

Beirut successfully broke Akko's monopoly of the Syrian maritime trade and for many years supplanted it as the main trading center of the region, but after the rebellion against the Ottoman "Al-jazzar", Beirut declined to a small town of 10.000 people.

1832- 1911

after Ibrahim Basha captured akko in 1832. Beirut began its modern revival, considered bythen a cosmopolitan city, it profited of close ties with Europe and the United States. it became a missionary activity' center (unsuccesfull considering the bloody 1860' year against christians), neverthless Beirut built an impressive educational system, with the implementation of the Syrian Protestant College (AUB), and the city became the center of the arabs intellectual activities. getting water from a  british company and gas from a frensh, Beirut thrived on silk grown on close Mountain Lebanon. a modern harbor was established by frensh engineers in 1894. and a railway line to Damascus and later Aleppo in 1907. alot of trade was carried to Marseille.

in 1911, Beirut's population was as follows:

• Christians, 77.000
• Muslims, 36.000
• Jews, 2.500
• Druzes, 400
• foreigners, 4.100

1911- 1973

After the First World War and right after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the city was passed on to the french mandate. the administration favored and helped the Christian community (and majority at the time). these preferences lead to religious strains and problems in the City.

Following the Second World War, Lebanon was given its independence and Beirut was named officially its capital city. it remained an intellectual capital of the arab world and a major tourist and business attraction until the year 1973 when a brutal civil war broke out in the country.

1973- 1989- Now

During the lebanese civil war, Beirut was divided in two parts, the predominant muslim West Beirut and preodminant christian East beirut. The center of the Town, that was before the cultural and economic focus of the city and the country, was a noman's land. Many of the city's bright and best figures left the country to other places such as the United states, canada, Australia, Europe or Arab states. the civil war ended (arguably) around 1989, and lebanese made an arguably reconstruction of the city for over 15 years.

Things to see

• Al Omari Mosque; one of the most ancient buildings of the city, built during the 13th century over the ruins of St. John's Church that also was built over the ruins of a Roman temple. it suffered lots of damage during the civil war, but was reconstructed and restored afterwards.

• American University of beirut Archeology Museum; founded in 1868, is the third oldest museum in the Near East. Begun with a donation of General Cesnola, the American Council in Cyprus, the collection has since then grown steadily. Today the museum exhibits a wide range of artifacts from Lebanon and neighbouring countries tracing man's progress in the Near East from the Early Stone Age to the Islamic period.

• Cilicia Museum (Armenian Catholissicate of Cilicia- Antelias) ; the biggest armenian museum in the world outside of Armenia itself, the museum in also the third biggest museum of the country only after the National Museum and Sursock Museum. but its importance is in its story: 1915, Given just several days to flee the Genocide by the Turks, monks from the monastery of Sis in Cilicia removed as much as their treasure as they could before starting their dangerous overland journey.

• Saint Georges greek Orthodox Cathedral; Beirut's oldest church, rebuilt in 1767 over the ruins of a much older church and ruined severly during the civil war and restored beautifully afterwards in a way that preserved at the same time the original, the past and the present in a harmony that moves almost to tears. 

• Emir Assaf Mosque; built in the 1500's on the site of a Byzantine Church, the prayer's hall ornate prayer niche and pulpit contrast nicely with the beautiful stone walls.

• Grand Serail and serail Hill; built originally as military barracks in 1853 by the Ottomans, it became the seat of political power during the later Ottoman and French rule. It houses now the seat of the Government.

• Martyr's square; the heart of the city and most known square of the country. Renamed for the Lebanese nationalists executed by the Ottomans in 1919, bullet rocks made by the civil war were left on the bronze statues.

• Mohamad Al Amine Mosque; this large mosque with its expensive neo-Ottoman style was built between 2002 and 2008 by copying the Blue Mosque of Istanbul but with a Lebanese twist, the floor inside is covered by luxurious oriental carpet and verses of Qoran decorates the walls. At night, a single high-powered laser mounted on one of the minaret projects a narrow beam of of green light towards Mecca, by coincidence it appears projecting the green line that once divided the city.

• Musee de Prehistoire Libanaise; prehistoric artifacts from various sites of Lebanon such as stone tools, animal and human bones and pottery.

• National Museum of Beirut; Lebanon's premium museum and one of the biggest museums of the Middle East, it is filled with archeological treasures from the bronze period finishing to the Mameluk period, alining the 7.000 years of the age of Lebanon. One of the most famous exhibits is Ahiram's sarcophagus of Byblos, which bears the world's Original Alphabetical inscription (the origin of the western alphabetical inscription, in Phoenician).

• Pigeon Rocks; natural arches formed by the constant wash of the sea forming te two rocks known as the "Pigeon Rocks".

• Robert Mouawad Private Museum; a stately villa that was home of Henri Pharaon, a founding father of the independance and designer of the nation's flag. he was also a vavid collector and his home was filled with Syrian decorative art and antiquities. Mouawad, a reknowned lebanese jeweler, purchased the villa and filled it with his own antique jewelery and a marvilious collection.

• Roman Baths; public bath complex that dates to the Roman times, little remains after a long excavation from the 1960's to the 1990's, a terraced garden of olive trees was laid out around the archeological site.

• Saint Georges Maronite Cathedral; a neoclassical Cathedral built in the 1800's, reconsecrated in 2000. beautiful with its gold mosaics in the three apses depicting Jesus Christ and saints.
• Sursock Museum; Contemporary art by Lebanese artists is the main goal of the Italianate 1912 villa that houses the museum. Unfortunetly the museum is only open when exhibitions are held.
• Greek Catholic Church of Saint Elias; built in 1863, is one of the most famous tourist attractions of the city, carved interior and muticulously designed, it houses a marble iconostasis.

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• The Evangical Church; built in 1848 with uniquely carved marble interiors with an affacinating facade.