Exploring Lebanon (I): Beirut

I inaugurate this year with the first chronicles of a very pleasant experience in Lebanon, a country which is well worth visiting, especially for those love History. But, apart of vestiges from different civilizations, the land of Phoenicians is famous for its gastronomy and its natural landscapes, although this time I couldn’t enjoy so much of them due to the bad weather. I will start talking about my walks in Beirut, the capital, my base camp most of the time of this week traveling.

In one of the conversations I had with some local persons, I was told that Lebanon was like a state formed by different countries, with a lot of contrasts at the level of religion, society and culture. Such as contrasts can be discovered when we start walking in Beirut, a city where (finally) it is possible to walk. Some neighborhoods has a European style, similar to some areas in Paris, for example, while in other parts there is an atmosphere more typical of Middle East.

Most of the main monuments are located at Downtown district, between the iconic Nejmeh square and the Martyr’s monument. One of the highlights here is the magnificent Al Omari Mosque, a past cathedral built by the crusaders. Right next to the mosque we can find the St George Maronite Cathedral and, just opposite, between Roman ruins, the Ortodox Cathedral, also dedicated to this same saint. Right in this place it is located the Crypt Museum, interesting to know more about the history of the city.

Between 1975 and 1990, Lebanon suffered a devastating civil war, whose effects are still visible in many buildings in Beirut. Since then, the presence of checkpoints, with soldiers walking around several points of the city, is something very usual. It is very impressive when suddenly encountering a tank in a corner. Nevertheless, in this moment the situation of the country is stable, although it is recommended to avoid the border areas, both with Syria and Israel.

It was a time when Beirut was considered the main touristic and cultural center in Middle East. In spite of the consequences of the war, this cultural environment kept alive and nowadays it is reflected in the amount of events happening almost daily in its art galleries, screening rooms, museums, etc. In addition to this there are various restaurants, bars and night life, so we have a fantastic city, worth living for a long time.

Another attractive feature of Beirut is the sea. It is very pleasant walking by Corniche area, the seafront promenade of the city, enjoying the views of Mediterranean Sea. Heading to the West, it is possible to visit the district of Raouche, with the Pigeon Rocks, in front of the cliffs. According to the legend, here the mythologic hero Perseus killed a monster, which was petrified with the help of Medusa’s head, in order to rescue Andromeda.

Because of its history, the night life, the food and other reasons, I can say that I liked Beirut so much and I don’t discard to come back any time within my stay in Middle East. On the other hand, from here it is quite easy to arrive to other interesting places in Lebanon, which I will talk about in the coming posts.