Beirut

Beirut, the beautiful Lebanese capital and its largest city, the city of art, culture, thought and fashion, the picturesque seaside capital that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. With its Mediterranean moderate climate and diverse ethnic blend, it is the most attractive Arab city to tourists, and it has been classified by The New York Times at the first place in the list of places that should be visited in 2009, and was named among the ten most lively cities early in the same year by the Lonely Planet travel guidebook. It is also ranked ninth at the list of the most visited cities in the world. The beauty, splendor of heritage, picturesque nature and charm of this wonderful city prove its uniqueness and elegance between the cities and capitals of the Middle East, as it has gathered all the reasons that make it the most attractive city for a memorable holiday.

Beirut has many vital facilities, tourist attractions, theaters, art galleries and interesting museums, which are destinations for tourists every year. Its sights of the unique architectural style of the Ottoman and Arab are among the most important features of the beauty of its heritage. The city is rich in old houses, sarays, palaces, barracks, schools, mosques and museums, including: Sarsaq Palace, the museum of archaeology, located on the plateau of Ashrafiah district, and it is a museum of modern Art featuring the most famous works of art in Lebanon, with a collection of Islamic and literary art pieces and artworks. Also, there is the National Museum of Beirut, which contains nearly 1300 archaeological pieces of various ages, Robert Mouawad Museum, which conjoins a number of Eastern and Western art antiques, ancient rare books, decorative and historical pots, and the Museum of celebrities, which includes 50 statues of silicon for the famous people of art and politics, and the Museum of the wonders of the sea and many more.

Another unique architectural landmark in Beirut is the Mohammed El-Amine Mosque, the largest mosque in Beirut and Lebanon. It has a unique Ottoman architectural character with its four minarets, which can be seen from anywhere in Beirut. Also the Al-Omari Grand Mosque with its unique Islamic architecture is one of Beirut’s attractions.

“St. George’s Cathedral” is also one of the artistic icons in the architecture of Beirut. It opens its doors to tourists to watch its Byzantine character and graffiti and it is located in the square of the star in the Lebanese capital.

Among the most important tourist attractions are the historical Al-Samah Roman garden’s columns in Beirut’s commercial center, the Rafic Hariri Park, the waterfront towers whose main tower is 150 meters tall, consequently, it is considered as the tallest building in Lebanon. Also, there is Alhamidiyah clock tower which is located at the Star Square and is considered as an Ottoman heritage dating back to the age of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, in addition to the statue of martyrs.

The Raouché Rock is a charming natural landmark for tourists and Lebanese as well. It’s a unique rock located on the beach on the west side. Beirut’s beaches and charming parks are the most important leisure and entertainment places for tourists and families. Beirut is the city of picturesque natural views that provide the visitors with relaxing, calmness through enjoying the Corniche or the experience of discovering Beirut from the height of tens of meters by cable car.

Beirut has many distinctive streets, unique places, old markets and huge shopping malls for shopping and strolling such as the center of Beirut, one of the most attractive areas, Bliss Street, one of the most crowded streets in Beirut, the cobblers market, the blacksmiths market, the perfumers market, the Bazargan market. In addition, the city has one of Lebanon’s largest shopping malls and the largest shopping mall in Beirut, City Mall. There are many cafés and restaurants distributed through the streets and complexes of Beirut, where you can enjoy meals from great Lebanese cuisine or from international cuisine.

Transportation in Beirut is flexible, linking Beirut with the rest of Lebanon’s cities and main Syrian cities, and varies between buses, taxis and trams. In addition, Beirut has Rafic Hariri Airport, which is an important airport for receiving international and domestic flights.