Beirut and Beyond

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By Vani Saraswathi

eirut Everything you have heard about the city is most likely to be true. Yes, there are military and para-military forces all over the place. There are ruins of bombed buildings, some that are still upright, but with hundreds of bullet holes. Then there are these newly re-built areas, highways, residential districts... And then there are the people fashionable, well-dressed, and so upbeat that they wont let a second go by without adding some fun and spice to it. From the middle-aged cabbie who says, Habibi, I love you. And I take tips in all currency to the gorgeous women at the clubs who dont think twice about clearing the table and dancing on it. From the executives who are partying well into the night on a weekday and then turn up to work on the dot, to the 84-year-old singer (Nahawand, a living legend, who was orphaned and started singing on stage at the age of 12) who performs at the night club and gets everyone into the groove. It is not every city that can bounce back to shape and spirit so soon after a bloody war. It takes chutzpah and sheer grit to do that. So if you are looking at getting away from the humdrum of work and home, then Beirut is most definitely the place to go to. For one, no one will so much a blink an eyelid if you stay in bed till noon or land up half an hour late for a dinner appointment. But whatever you do, do not go out donning a grungy look (unless it is in fashion of course!). So this is definitely not going to be your regular holiday where you can make do with two tees and one pair of jeans for 10 days. Thats for Beirut and its night life alone. There is plenty more to do in Lebanon. A city with a venerable past, 5,000 years ago Beirut was a prosperous town on the Canaanite and Phoenician coast. The City That Would Not Die Beirut survived a decade and a half of conflict and so has earned the right to call

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itself the City that could not die. Though the assassination of Rafik Hariri earlier this year slowed down tourist inflow, the country has once again bounced back. For a visitor from Qatar, where brown landscapes and two seasons are the staple platter, Lebanon is refreshing. Little wonder that over 40 percent of the visitors to the country are from the Gulf. Bordered on one side by the Mediterranean and on the other by two parallel mountain ranges, the 10,452sq kms of land called Lebanon is almost suspended between the sea and the sky. Views change quickly from pine covered hills to dramatic rocky landscapes, to fertile plains laid out with farms and vineyards. The legacy of the past is clear from the extraordinary variety of archaeological sites from Phoenician sarcophagi to Roman temples, to Crusader castles and Mamlouk mosques. In Beirut itself, Downtown is under a huge reconstruction project. Since all we managed was a weekend, our experience of Lebanon was just a couple of sites like Jeita Grotto and Mount Harisa, apart from the two nights out in town. But there is definitely at least a weeks worth of touring out there, and here are some of the sites that one shouldnt miss. Jeita Grotto Just a short drive away from the city is

one of the most breathtaking sites one can see anywhere in the world. Sculpted by millions of years of erosion, Jeita Grotto was discovered in 1836, and between 1874 and 1940 expeditions by English, American and French explorers penetrated the Jeita Grotto to a depth of 1,750 metres. Since 1946, Lebanese speleologists continued investigating the underground system, which is now known to be at least 9kms in length. In both the upper and lower galleries, the stalagmites and stalactites form curtains, pillars and the most beautiful decor one can imagine. The upper grotto is dry with stunning natural sculpting that can turn into anything you imagine it to be. The lower gallery has lake and can be toured in a boat. Mysterious, romantic and so beautiful it humbles the visitor. The Cedars Simply known as The Cedars, this resort settlement in Lebanons highest range is one of the most dramatically beautiful spots in the country. Its centrepiece is an ancient grove of cedars, a tree synonymous for millennia with Lebanon itself. The Cedars is a resort for all seasons. In summer, the high elevation makes it a wonderful escape from humid coast while in winter skiing is the favourite activity. As remote as they are, the cedars are not untouched by history. The grove we

see today descends from an immense primeval forest of cedars and other trees such as cypress, pine and oak that once covered most of Mount Lebanon, including part of its east facing slopes. The Cedar is an historical entity mentioned often in the Bible and other ancient texts and it played an important part in the culture, trade and religious observances of the ancient Middle East. Serious exploitation of these forests began in the third millennium BC, in coastal towns such as Byblos. Over the centuries, Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians made expedition to Mount Lebanon for timber or extracted tributes of wood from the coastal cities of CanaanPhoenicia. The Phoenicians themselves made use of the cedar, especially for their merchant fleets. Solomon requested large

Getting There

Qatar Airways ies daily to Beirut

Staying There

Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun The hotel is a brand new boutique hotel offering personalised service in a sophisticated atmosphere with distinctive attitude. Located in the heart of Beiruts most exclusive business and shopping district, it is easily accessible from the Beirut International Airport and only minutes away from downtown Beirut. Ideally situated for business and leisure travellers, the hotel has 132 elegantly appointed guest rooms with panoramic city views, 22 suites, and one stylishly deluxe Presidential suite. Verdun, Boulevard Saeb Salam, Beirut, Lebanon. Phone: +961-1803804. Qatar Today thanks Starwood Hotel & Resorts and Qatar Airways for the opportunity to experience a weekend in Beirut. supplies of cedar wood, along with architects and builders from King Hiram of Tyre to build his temple. Nebuchadnezzar boasted on a cuneiform, inscription: I brought for building, mighty cedars, which I cut down with my pure hands February 2006 Qatar Today 101

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on Mount Lebanon. Prized for its fragrance and durability, the length of the great logs made cedar wood especially desirable. Cedar was important for shipbuilding and was used for the roofs of the temples, to construct tombs and other major buildings. The Egyptians used cedar resin for mummification, and pitch was extracted from these trees for waterproofing and caulking. Byblos Byblos is home to a major archaeological site that reveals one impressive ruin after another, displaying traces of the civilisations that have occupied Byblos over hundred and hundreds of years. Facing the sea, the archaeological site includes several Canaanite and Phoenician temples, the foundations of Stone Age houses, ancient city walls and several Roman remains. Most imposing is the Crusader castle, built in the thirteenth century. Byblos is celebrated as the birthplace of the alphabet. In fact, the sarcophagus of the Phoenician King Ahiram, discovered on the site and now on display at the National Museum, bears the oldest known inscription of the Phoenician linear alphabet. 102 Qatar Today February 2006

Baalbeck Yet another heritage site, Baalbeck came into glory after the invasion of Alexander, who elevated it to the rank of Heliopolis, City of the Sun. With the Roman conquest and the construction of major temples, the town developed into an important religious site. This monumental sanctuary is made up of three main temples. A visit begins with the largest one the temple of Jupiter. Built during the reign of Emperor Augustus towards the beginning of the Christian era, it was finished a half century later under the rule of Nero. The temple, 88mts long and 48mts wide, was originally supported by 54 columns, of which only six remain. The gods worshipped at Baalbeck, the Triad of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, were grated onto the indigenous deities of Hadad, Atargatis and a young male god of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design. Over the centuries Baalbecks monuments suffered from theft, war and earthquakes, as well as from numerous medieval additions. Fortunately, the modern visitor can see the site in something close to its original form thanks to work in the past hundred years

by Germans, French and Lebanese archaeologists. Baalbeck is located on two main historic trade routes, one between Mediterranean coast and the Syrian interior and the other between northern Syria and northern Palestine. Today the city, 85 kilometres from Beirut, is an important administrative and economic centre in the northern Beqaa valley.

liph Walid Ibn Abdel-Malik, it became a centre for rest and recreation. Surrounded by a wall seven metres high, Aanjar extends over more than 100,000 sq mts. The city is perfectly symmetrical, divided into four quarters of equal size, separated by one street running east and west and another north and south. The two streets meet in the centre of the city where a tetrapylon was built of four imposing columns supported by a pedestal. Across from the palace stands a mosque whose mihrab facing Mecca and the wells that provided for the worshippers ablutions can still be seen.

Sidon Sidon, on the coast 48 kilometres south of Beirut, is one of the famous names in ancient history. But of all of Lebanons cities this is the most mysterious, for its past has been tragically scattered and plundered. In the 19th century, treasure hunters and amateur archaeologists made off with many of its most beautiful and important objects. There is evidence that Sidon was inhabited as long ago as 4,000 B.C., and perhaps as early as Neolithic times (6,000 4,000 B.C.). The ancient city was built on a promontory facing an island, which sheltered its fleet from storms and served as a refuge during military incursions from the interior. In its wealth, commercial initiative, and religious significance, Sidon is said to have surpassed all other Phoenician city states. Sidons Phoenician period began in the 12th 10th century B.C. and reached its height during the Persian Empire (550

330 B.C.). The city provided Persia, a great land power, with the ships and seamen to fight the Egyptians and the Greek, a role that gave it a highly favoured position. The Persians maintained a royal park in Sidon and it was during this time that the temple of Eshmoun was built. Ommayads Located in the Beqaa valley, Aanjar is one of the rare Ommayad vestiges in Lebanon. The first hereditary dynasty of Islam, the Ommayads held sway in the region during the seventh and eighth centuries. In contrast to other archaeological sites in the country, Aanjar knew only a short period of prosperity. Built at the start of the eighth century under the reign of Ca-

Aanjar has been classified as a worlheritage site by UNESCO. Qadisha The Holy valley of Qadisha, classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO, was the refuge of hermits and patriarchs in the early centuries of this era. Situated in the picturesque village of Bsharreh, this deep gorge is like a primeval paradise. In the cliffs are trees that dig their roots into the limestone. The precipitous rock is riddled with caves and water-carved formations. Here, at the monastery of Qozhaya is a printing press dating from 1871. If you want some action apart from club- and site-hopping, then Lebanon from Jan to March is ideal for skiing, and the country boasts of six ski stations.n February 2006 Qatar Today 103