Serving tourism in Lebanon since 1959
Sami El Solh Avenue - Ghorayeb Bldg.
Tel: 1270 or +961 1 389 389 - Fax: +961 1 389282
Website: www.nakhal.com - E-mail: tours@nakhal.com.lb
P.O.Box: 11-4910 - Beirut - Lebanon
PHOENICIAN RUINS
ROMAN RUINS
CRUSADERS RUINS
ARAB RUINS
NATURAL SIGHTSEEING
CEDARS
SKIING CENTERS
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BEIRUT: is a city of half a million
inhabitants, bright sunshine and
modern business activity mingled
with old traditions. It provides a
unique blend of ancient and
modern, of East and West, to an
extent not found elsewhere in
such a small area.
The National Museum, the Great
Mosque Jameh-el-Umari, the
Al Khodr Mosque built on the
spot where St. George, the
patron saint of Beirut is believed
to have killed the dragon and
innumerable ancient churches,
all bear testimony to the centuries of history that make Beirut what it is today.
Whale new districts have sprung up in the past decade. Beautiful modern buildings
along the Raouch Corniche, near the famed Pigeon Rock Grotto (just off the cost
and one of Beiruts leading landmarks) provide a striking contrast with the older part
of the city and bear comparison with the best modern architecture of the world.
Life is pleasant in Beirut. Its lovely beaches are open most of the year, and its night-
clubs - probably more to the square mile than in any other metropolis - provide
entertainment both for the countrys fun-loving, carefree inhabitants and for the
visitors who, from the minute they step on Lebanese soil, feel the countrys welcome.
BAALBECK: one and a half hours from Beirut, on an
excellent highway, proudly stands Baalbeck, one of the
most ancient cities of the world, which was first built as a
center of pagan worship the Phoenicians later transformed
it into a temple in honor of the god Baal. After the conquest
of Alexander, Greeks settled in the country and named the
town Heliopolis (city of the sun). (X) The Romans built also
colossal temple here. With the crusader period came
important changes; a church was built in honor of St.
Barbara. In Baalbeck one may visit the Citadel, the Great
Mosque and the temples of Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus.
A yearly Festival of Music, dramatic art and folk-dancing is
held in the summer at the temples. The performances are
selected from among the worlds greatest artists in their
particular fields.
BYBLOS (JBEIL): Although Byblos is today only a small coastal
town 25 miles north of Beirut, it is in fact, one of the oldest cities
in the world and, according to legend, was founded by the
Cananean god El, son of Kronos.
A neolothic village, well preserved, bears witness to the fact
that the region was inhabited more than five thousand years
ago while the ramparts of the Phoenician city, together with
temples full of the old relics, date back three thousand years.
Many royal tombs have been discovered in that area. The
walls of Ahirams tomb (13th century B.C) bear inscriptions in
characters from which all modern alphabets are derived. The
Romans, for their part, left an amphitheatre and colonnades
and, after them, the Crusaders built the Church of St. John
(12th century A.D) which still stands with its remarkable
baptistery, a dungeon and a part of the fortified harbor.
SIDON & TYRE: South from Beirut are the old
Phoenician cities of Sidon and Tyre of biblical
fame. Sidon contains the ruins of a 13th century
Crusader Castle and the remains of the Chateau
of St Louis. About 30 miles away lies Tyre with its
admirable monolithic sarcophagus, believed to
be the tomb of Phoenician king Hiram of Tyre.
Recent discoveries in Tyre have brought to light
vestiges dating from Alexander the Great.
Twenty miles from Sidon, the medieval Beaufort
Castle stands on a 1.000 foot high cliff overlooking
the Litany River.
BEITEDDIN: The palace of Beit-Eddin was built by Emir Bashir (1788 - 1840). It is a
fine example of old Oriental architecture and is rich in multicolored mosaic
floors of fascinating design. A folklore museum housing antiquities dating back
to the time of Emir Bashir, flanks the outer courtyard leading to the main
sections of the palace.
JEITA: The Jeita Grotto is the
source of the Dog River from
which Beirut gets its water
supply. Inside, the grotto is
artificially lit to enable visitors to
see the ferric and colorful rock
formations while they cruise
round the subterranean lake in
a boat. The grotto is considered
the most beautiful of its kind in
the world because of its
richness and variety of color.
THE CEDARS: about eighty miles from Beirut,
through the romantic Qadisha gorge, are the
Cedars. Before climbing the last ascent to this
beautiful locality one may visit the Qadisha
Grotto, a fairyland of stalactites and stalagmites,
through which gushes the ice-cold river of
Qadisha. The Cedars are also a famous ski resort,
with a skilift and two hotels.
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