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Steeped in History, Lebanon Welcomes TouristsBy Joyce DaltonFor much of the 20th century, Lebanon held the undisputed title of financial and commercial center of the Middle East. Beirut, its capital, was widely acclaimed as the Paris of the East. Visitors loved the small nation, totaling only 4,035 square miles, both for its unparalleled historic sites and for the sophistication and fine dining found in the capital. Beginning in the mid-’70s, however, a disastrous civil war, kidnappings and skirmishes between Israel and Lebanon-based Palestinians created a different set of images. After the civil war ended in 1992, the nation set out to rebuild its shattered infrastructure and to re-establish its position in the region. Tourism was not neglected. Hotels reopened, travel agencies created intriguing itineraries and gradually, tourists returned. In July 1997, the U.S. government allowed its travel ban to expire (an advisory remains in effect) and by the next spring, U.S. tour operators began introducing a new generation of Americans to this fascinating country. Even before the ban was lifted, many travelers were visiting the ancient ruins of Baalbek on day excursions from Damascus, Syria.
Today’s invaders carry cameras and notebooks as they gaze up at the six remaining 92-foot columns (there once were 54) of the Temple of Jupiter and examine details of the Temple of Baccus, considered by some experts to be the most beautifully decorated temple in the Roman world. Courtyards, sculptures, the circular Temple of Venus with its fluted columns, and the quarry where the massive building stones were obtained also can be explored. During July and August, festivals are held at the ruins. Leaving Baalbek, groups typically head for a present day temple of Baccus, the Ksara wine caves. After exploring labyrinthine tunnels lined with oaken kegs, visitors sample wines and watch a well-produced video which intermingles ancient history with facts about modern wine production.
From our Beirut base, my group made day excursions throughout the country. Tony, our guide, always found the perfect lunch spot where tasty 12-dish mezzes, or appetizers, were followed by entrees and dessert. Bread-making was an attraction in itself. After being tossed pizza-fashion, dough was molded over a giant pincushion look-alike, then placed on pieces of curved hot metal.
A relatively short drive leads to the Grotto of Jeita where nature, rather than man, has fashioned another marvel. A fairyland of frozen waterfalls and delicate ice formations, the chambers are traversed by a path constructed in gentle curves to mimic the flow of a river. After passing through the upper grotto, accessed by cable car, a minitrain carries visitors to the lower cavern where electric boats silently drift through this mysterious underworld. In a land as ancient as Lebanon, it’s hardly surprising that many place names are familiar from childhood Sunday School lessons. Tyre, Cana and Sidon, for example. Lying south of Beirut, the three make an easy and memorable day’s excursion.
Also in Tyre, an extensive Roman necropolis displays dozens of sculptured sarcophagi and a massive triumphal arch. Nearby stand a Roman aqueduct and a hippodrome which once seated 20,000 spectators. Ten chariots could race side by side and there is talk of reintroducing the sport here. After a short drive, visitors follow a slightly hilly footpath to view a series of early Christian figures carved into the rocks near the village of Cana. Although it’s uncertain if this is the site of the New Testament wedding at Cana story, the figures are impressive; so is the view. Sidon is one of the oldest Phoenician cities in Lebanon. It became rich, in large measure due to trade in murex, a kind of mullusk which produced a purple dye. As the color favored by royalty, one gram of murex equaled 20 grams of gold in value. As were many Phoenician cities, Sidon was built both on a promontory and a nearby island.
Even more than its great temples and historic sites, perhaps Lebanon is most widely known for its cedars. The 75-mile drive from Beirut to the cedar forest at Bcharre is rewarding in itself. The winding road passes a Roman arched bridge, a Crusaders castle high on a cliff, an ancient church built into the rocks, red tile-roofed villages, the monastery of Hamadoura, olive groves, vineyards, fig and oak trees and always, mountains in the distance. We entered the Kadisha Valley, meaning Valley of Saints. Maronite Christians settled here as attested by some dozen monasteries and numerous roadside shrines. In the village of Bcharre, a museum dedicated to the poet/artist/philosopher Gibran Khalil Gibran occupies a vine-covered converted monastery. Author of The Prophet, Gibran spent much of his life in Boston but wanted to be buried in Bcharre, the town of his birth. The museum houses hundreds of his paintings and drawings plus many personal items. The artist’s tomb lies in the lower level, a spot where early hermits sought refuge. By the sarcophagus, the poet’s words are written: “I am alive like you. I’m standing next to you. Close your eyes and you will see me.”
Most tourists continue on to Tripoli, the country’s second largest city, founded by the Phoenicians in 800 B.C. Its Medieval souk offers tempting sweets, soap shaped into cedars and flowers and heavy wool cloaks designed for mountain dwellers. Colored tiles in geometric designs cover the fronts of mosques, old public baths and caravansaries, where nomadic merchants and their camels paused for rest in centuries past. The Crusader castle of Raymond de Saint-Gilles dominates a nearby hill.
A well-preserved traditional village, Deir Al Qamar’s sites include the palace of a former Ottoman governor, a restored silk souk where rows of arched alcoves once sheltered merchants, a wax museum featuring historic figures in realistic settings, a late 16th century emir’s palace, and many homes with two arched windows typical of the region. Considered the best surviving example of 19th century Lebanese architecture, the palace of Beiteddine, once the stronghold of Emir Bashir, boasts cedar ceilings, walls painted in flowers and geometrics, the emir’s audience chamber notable for its stained glass and marble mosaics, and a multi-room marble hammam, or bath. Even the vaulted stables, built for the ruler’s 500 horses, are beautiful. The ruler built four additional palaces nearby for his sons; today, one has become the Mir Amin Palace Hotel.
We wandered on foot around the Hamra business district to grasp the pulse of this dynamic city, joining the bustling throngs as we shopped for souvenirs, ducked into great-smelling pastry shops, sampled thyme-filled bread hanging by little dough handles from vendors’ carts and dodged traffic second to none. Beirut left no doubt that Lebanon is well on the way to re-establishing its position as the commercial and financial hub of the Middle East. FOR MORE INFORMATIONEmbassy of Lebanon Tour Operators: Other U.S. operators with Lebanon itineraries include: Journeys International. Spiekermann Travel. In Lebanon: Guide Services: Images by Joyce Dalton -Updated 2/6/02 |
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In a nation boasting numerous historic sites, Baalbek tops most visitors’ lists. Situated in
the Bekaa Valley, it was dedicated to Baal, the Phoenician god of rain and sun. During
the period of Roman rule, Alexander the Great, Pompey, Julius Caesar, Hadrian and
Caracalla all had a hand at restoring Baalbek’s temples, which dated to the 2nd
millennium B.C., and building new ones. In 748 the Arabs came and in 1400, the Mongol
chieftain, Tamerlane. 
Also in the Bekaa Valley, the evocative remains of eighth century Aanjar stand in contrast
to the grandiosity of Baalbek. Once the summer home of a Umayyad caliph, Aanjar was a
city of graceful stone arches and soft-toned tiers of brick. Only hints remain of the
palaces, baths, mosques, dwellings and 600 shops which once stood within its
fortification walls. Aanjar survived just 50 years and was only excavated in the 1960s. 
Time takes on new meaning at Byblos, a city continuously occupied for at least 7,000
years. Colonized by the Phoenicians in the third millennium B.C., its temple of Baalat,
now in ruins, served as an important religious center. A royal necropolis, where more
than 1,400 burial jars have been found, dates to the second millennium B.C. Other
remains include temples from various periods and a lovely Roman amphitheater
overlooking the Mediterranean. Scholars believe that the first linear alphabet originated in
Byblos as a means of recording business transactions in this bustling trading center. 
One of Tyre’s rulers, Hiram I, maintained close ties with the Hebrew kings Solomon and
David, sending cedar and artisans to help construct the temple in Jerusalem. Divided into
coastal and island sections, Tyre claims a number of archaeological sites spread over
several areas. Lined by marble columns, a Roman promenade leads dramatically toward
the sea and distant mountains. While earlier people applied wax to bring up the columns’
variegated colors, guides today splash water for the same effect. 
Throughout its long history, Sidon suffered numerous attacks and conquests. Its most
dramatic site is a Crusader fortress, often called the Sea Castle. In late afternoon, it
positively glows as the setting sun reflects off its massive walls and the water that
surrounds it on three sides. 
From Bcharre, it’s a short distance to the cedar forest. King Solomon’s temple was built
of Lebanese cedar and its oil was used in Egyptian mummification. In Roman times, the
wood was restricted to the nobility. A path leads through a small forest of tall, stately
trees. Before the civil war, cedars covered the region for miles, according to our guide. 
Another excursion took us into the Chouf Mountains, an area predominantly inhabited by
Christians and Druze. The latter separated from the Shiite Muslim faith around 1000 A.D.
and prefer to be known as Unificators. Although our principal goal was Beiteddine, as
always in Lebanon, much of interest lined the route. The town of Deir Al-Qamar, for
example.
With so many attractions to the north, east and south (west would put one in the
Mediterranean), what about Lebanon’s capital itself? Beirut offers its share of
sight-seeing, with the usual complement of museums, especially the National Museum
which contains treasures from many of the great sites around the country; the Corniche, or
coastal walkway; the grounds of the American University; the clock tower at Star Square;
structures dating to Ottoman days; excavated Roman baths; various mosques and
churches, and Pigeon Rocks, natural rock arches just offshore.