|
 In
their leisure time, Lebanese people enjoy lively conversations over Turkish
coffee and eating good food. Lebanese cooking is one of the great cuisines
throughout the Middle East. The Lebanese have taken the best aspect of
Turkish and Arabic cooking and combined them with a French spin.
AREAS OF INTEREST
Beirut
Once known as the 'Paris
of the East', suffered greatly from Lebanon's 16-year civil war, but
following an impressive and ongoing process of reconstruction, the city is
once again a vibrant city. While in Beirut we visit the Grotto of Jeita, a
fascinating complex of one of the most extensive grottos and chambers in the
world with multi-colored columns and formations of sparkling stones. We stop
at the resort town of Jounieh for a 10-minutes by cable car up to the top of
Mount Lebanon for a spectacular view over the coast. At the top of the
mountain is Harrissa, where the enormous statue of "Our Lady of Lebanon"
stands
Baalbeck
This most fascinating site is
known for its Roman Heritage, the Temple of Jupiter with its six remaining
columns each rising 70 feet, the temple of Bacchus with its well-preserved
wall carvings, and the temple of Venus with its original circular design.
Tripoli
The second largest city
of the Lebanese Republic. Today, the castle of St. Gilles is the only
remains of the Crusader's 180 years reign. The 5000 years of Tripoli history
are reflected in a fresco of 100 diverse monuments, an eloquent reminder of
the glory of Arab architecture throughout the ages. Tripoli is also visited
for its oriental bazaars, medieval streets and beautiful green-domed Mosque
of Taynal.
Byblos
The most ancient city of
the world and the ancient site of Byblos, which was a crusader stronghold.
Its medieval walls enclose a charming town with a castle and 12th
century church, which is still used by the Maronites. Amongst the wealth of
monuments the principal sites to visit are the massive city walls and gate
from 2800 BC, the temple of Obelisks, the temple of Baal-el-Gebal, the royal
tombs and the Roman theatre and colonnade.
The Cedar Wood of
Becharre
On leaving Tripoli, the
road winds through the beautiful Qadisha Valley to reach the slopes of the
mountains which are covered in great cedar forests, which give Lebanon its
national symbol. Above the valley is Becharre, the oldest and highest of the
cedar tree groves. Amongst the trees is the tomb of the famous Lebanese poet
Khalil Gibran, author of ‘The Prophet’.
Beiteddine
The magnificent palace of Emir Bechir with it great panoramic view is a
beautiful example of oriental architecture form the 18-19th
century. The palace is made out of cut and inlaid stone, surrounded by
Italian gardens and has a museum of Byzantine mosaics.
Sidon
As you approach Sidon, you are first struck by the "Castle of the Sea", a 13th
century Crusader fortress which stands guard at the mouth of the town’s
harbor. Other interesting sites are the Castle of St. Louis and the Khan of
the Franks. |
