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Beirut

April 19, 2023

"Bayrut", "Beyrut", and "Biruta" redirect here. For the German city, see Bayreuth. For the Iranian village, see Beyrut, Iran. For other uses, see Beirut (disambiguation) and Biruta (disambiguation).

Beirut[a] is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As of 2014, Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million,[4] which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coast. Beirut has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, and was one of Phoenicia's most prominent city states, making it one of the oldest cities in the world (see Berytus). The first historical mention of Beirut is found in the Amarna letters from the New Kingdom of Egypt, which date to the 14th century BC.

Beirut
بيروت
Beyrouth
Capital city and Municipality
Clockwise from top: Beirut at sunset; Sahat al Shouhada; a souk in Beirut; Maronite Cathedral of Saint George (left) and Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque (right); Sursock Museum; and Pigeon Rocks of Raouché
Flag
Seal
Nickname: 
Paris of the East[1]
Motto(s): 
Berytus Nutrix Legum (Latin)
Beirut, mother of laws
Beirut
Location of Beirut within Lebanon
Beirut
Beirut (Eastern Mediterranean)
Beirut
Beirut (Arab world)
Beirut
Beirut (Asia)
Coordinates: 33°53′13″N 35°30′47″E / 33.88694°N 35.51306°E / 33.88694; 35.51306Coordinates: 33°53′13″N 35°30′47″E / 33.88694°N 35.51306°E / 33.88694; 35.51306
CountryLebanon
GovernorateBeirut
Government
 • GovernorMarwan Abboud
 • MayorJamal Itani
Area
 • Capital city and Municipality19.8 km2 (7.6 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,988.1 km2 (767.6 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)[2]
 • Capital city and Municipalityc.  433,249
 • Metro
[2]
c.  2,145,527
DemonymBeiruti
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Area code+961 (01)
ISO 3166 codeLB-BA
Patron SaintSaint George
Websitewww.beirut.gov.lb

Beirut is Lebanon's seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy, with many banks and corporations based in the city. Beirut is an important seaport for the country and region, and rated a Beta + World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.[5] Beirut was severely damaged by the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2020 massive explosion in the Port of Beirut. Its cultural landscape underwent major reconstruction.[6][7][8]

Names

The English name Beirut is an early transcription of the Arabic name Bayrūt (بيروت). The same name's transcription into French is Beyrouth, which was sometimes used during Lebanon's French mandate. The Arabic name derives from Phoenician bēʾrūt (𐤁𐤀‏𐤓𐤕‎ bʾrt). This was a modification of the Canaanite and Phoenician word bīʾrōt later bēʾrūt, meaning "wells", in reference to the site's accessible water table.[9][10] The name is first attested in the 14th century BC, when it was mentioned in three Akkadian cuneiform[10] tablets of the Amarna letters,[11] letters sent by King Ammunira of Biruta[12] to Amenhotep III or Amenhotep IV of Egypt.[13] Biruta was also mentioned in the Amarna letters from King Rib-Hadda of Byblos.[14]

The Greeks hellenised the name as Bērytós (Ancient Greek: Βηρυτός), which the Romans latinised as Berytus.[b] When it attained the status of a Roman colony, it was notionally refounded and its official name was emended to Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus to include its imperial sponsors.

At the time of the crusades, the city was known in French as Barut or Baruth.

Prehistory

 
Canaanean Blade. Suggested to be part of a javelin. Fresh grey flint, both sides showing pressure flaking. Somewhat narrower at the base, suggesting a haft. Polished at the extreme point. Found on land of the Lebanese Evangelical School for Girls in the Patriarchate area of Beirut.

Beirut was settled over 5,000 years ago,[16] and there is evidence that the surrounding area had already been inhabited for tens of thousands of years prior to this. Several prehistoric archaeological sites have been discovered within the urban area of Beirut, revealing flint tools from sequential periods dating from the Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Paleolithic through the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

Beirut I (Minet el-Hosn) was listed as "the town of Beirut" (French: Beyrouth ville) by Louis Burkhalter and said to be on the beach near the Orient and Bassoul hotels on the Avenue des Français in central Beirut.[17][18] The site was discovered by Lortet in 1894 and discussed by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1900.[19] The flint industry from the site was described as Mousterian and is held by the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.[20]

Beirut II (Umm el-Khatib) was suggested by Burkhalter to have been south of Tarik el Jedideh, where P.E. Gigues discovered a Copper Age flint industry at around 100 metres (328 feet) above sea level. The site had been built on and destroyed by 1948.[20]

Beirut III (Furn esh-Shebbak), listed as Plateau Tabet, was suggested to have been located on the left bank of the Beirut River. Burkhalter suggested that it was west of the Damascus road, although this determination has been criticized by Lorraine Copeland.[20] P. E. Gigues discovered a series of Neolithic flint tools on the surface along with the remains of a structure suggested to be a hut circle. Auguste Bergy discussed polished axes that were also found at this site, which has now completely disappeared as a result of construction and urbanization of the area.[21]

Beirut IV (Furn esh-Shebbak, river banks) was also on the left bank of the river and on either side of the road leading eastwards from the Furn esh Shebbak police station towards the river that marked the city limits. The area was covered in red sand that represented Quaternary river terraces. The site was found by Jesuit Father Dillenseger and published by fellow Jesuits Godefroy Zumoffen,[19] Raoul Describes[22] and Auguste Bergy.[21] Collections from the site were made by Bergy, Describes and another Jesuit, Paul Bovier-Lapierre. Many Middle Paleolithic flint tools were found on the surface and in side gullies that drain into the river. They included around 50 varied bifaces accredited to the Acheulean period, some with a lustrous sheen, now held at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory. Henri Fleisch also found an Emireh point amongst material from the site, which has now disappeared beneath buildings.

Beirut V (Nahr Beirut, Beirut River) was discovered by Dillenseger and said to be in an orchard of mulberry trees on the left bank of the river, near the river mouth, and to be close to the railway station and bridge to Tripoli. Levallois flints and bones and similar surface material were found amongst brecciated deposits.[23] The area has now been built on.[24]

Beirut VI (Patriarchate) was a site discovered while building on the property of the Lebanese Evangelical School for Girls in the Patriarchate area of Beirut. It was notable for the discovery of a finely styled Canaanean blade javelin suggested to date to the early or middle Neolithic periods of Byblos and which is held in the school library.[20]

Beirut VII, the Rivoli Cinema and Byblos Cinema sites near the Bourj in the Rue el Arz area, are two sites discovered by Lorraine Copeland, Peter Wescombe, and Marina Hayek in 1964 and examined by Diana Kirkbride and Roger Saidah. One site was behind the parking lot of the Byblos Cinema and showed collapsed walls, pits, floors, charcoal, pottery and flints. The other, overlooking a cliff west of the Rivoli Cinema, was composed of three layers resting on limestone bedrock. Fragments of blades and broad flakes were recovered from the first layer of black soil, above which some Bronze Age pottery was recovered in a layer of grey soil. Pieces of Roman pottery and mosaics were found in the upper layer.[20] Middle Bronze Age tombs were found in this area, and the ancient tell of Beirut is thought to be in the Bourj area.[25]

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Beirut.

The earliest settlement of Beirut was on an island in the Beirut River, but the channel that separated it from the banks silted up and the island ceased to be. Excavations in the downtown area have unearthed layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, and Ottoman remains.[26]

Phoenician period

Main article: Phoenician port of Beirut

The Phoenician port of Beirut was located between Rue Foch and Rue Allenby on the north coast. The port or harbour was excavated and reported on several years ago and now lies buried under the city.[27] Another suggested port or dry dock was claimed to have been discovered around 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) to the west in 2011 by a team of Lebanese archaeologists from the Directorate General of Antiquities of Lebanese University. Controversy arose on 26 June 2012 when authorization was given by Lebanese Minister of Culture Gaby Layoun for a private company called Venus Towers Real Estate Development Company to destroy the ruins (archaeological site BEY194) in the $500 million construction project of three skyscrapers and a garden behind Hotel Monroe in downtown Beirut. Two later reports by an international committee of archaeologists appointed by Layoun, including Hanz Curver, and an expert report by Ralph Pederson, a member of the institute of Nautical Archaeology and now teaching in Marburg, Germany, dismissed the claims that the trenches were a port, on various criteria. The exact function of site BEY194 may never be known, and the issue raised heated emotions and led to increased coverage on the subject of Lebanese heritage in the press.[28][29][30]

Hellenistic period

In 140 BC, the Phoenician city was destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon during his conflict with Antiochus VII Sidetes for the throne of the Hellenistic Seleucid monarchy. Laodicea in Phoenicia was built upon the same site on a more conventional Hellenistic plan. Present-day Beirut overlies this ancient one, and little archaeology was carried out until after the civil war in 1991. The salvage excavations after 1993 have yielded new insights into the layout and history of this period of Beirut's history. Public architecture included several areas and buildings.[31]

Mid-1st-century coins from Berytus bear the head of Tyche, goddess of fortune;[32] on the reverse, the city's symbol appears: a dolphin entwines an anchor. This symbol was later taken up by the early printer Aldus Manutius in 15th century Venice. After a state of civil war and decline the Seleucid Empire faced, King Tigranes the Great of the Kingdom of Armenia conquered Beirut and placed it under effective Armenian control. However, after the Battle of Tigranocerta, Armenia forever lost their holdings in Syria and Beirut was conquered by Roman general Pompey.

Roman period

 
Roman Columns of Basilica near the Forum of Berytus
Main article: Berytus

Laodicea was conquered by Pompey in 64 BC and the name Berytus was restored to it. The city was assimilated into the Roman Empire, soldiers were sent there, and large building projects were undertaken.[33][34][35] From the 1st century BC, the Bekaa Valley served as a source of grain for the Roman provinces of the Levant and even for Rome itself. Under Claudius, Berytus expanded to reach the Bekaa Valley and include Heliopolis (Baalbek). The city was settled by Roman colonists who promoted agriculture in the region.

As a result of this settlement, the city quickly became Romanized, and the city became the only mainly Latin-speaking area in the Syria-Phoenicia province.[36] In 14 BC, during the reign of Herod the Great, Berytus became a colony, one of four in the Syria-Phoenicia region and the only one with full Italian rights (ius Italicum) exempting its citizens from imperial taxation. Beirut was considered the most Roman city in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.[36] Furthermore, the veterans of two Roman legions were established in the city of Berytus by emperor Augustus: the 5th Macedonian and the 3rd Gallic Legions.[37]

Berytus's law school was widely known;[38] two of Rome's most famous jurists, Papinian and Ulpian, were natives of Phoenicia and taught there under the Severan emperors. When Justinian assembled his Pandects in the 6th century, a large part of the corpus of laws was derived from these two jurists, and in AD 533 Justinian recognised the school as one of the three official law schools of the empire.

In 551, a major earthquake struck Berytus,[10][33][39] causing widespread damage. The earthquake reduced cities along the coast to ruins and killed many, 30,000 in Berytus alone by some measurements.[40] As a result, the students of the law school were transferred to Sidon.[41]

Salvage excavations since 1993 have yielded new insights in the layout and history of Roman Berytus. Public architecture included several bath complexes, Colonnaded Streets, a circus and theatre;[31] residential areas were excavated in the Garden of Forgiveness, Martyrs' Square and the Beirut Souks.[42]

 
View of Beirut with snow-capped Mount Sannine in the background – 19th century

Middle Ages

Beirut was conquered by the Muslims in 635.[34][43] Prince Arslan bin al-Mundhir founded the Principality of Sin el Fil in Beirut in 759. From this principality developed the later Principality of Mount Lebanon, which was the basis for the establishment of Greater Lebanon, today's Lebanon.[citation needed] As a trading center of the eastern Mediterranean, Beirut was overshadowed by Acre (in modern-day Israel) during the Middle Ages. From 1110 to 1291, the town and Lordship of Beirut was part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The city was taken by Saladin in 1187 and recaptured in 1197 by Henry I of Brabant as part of the German Crusade of 1197. John of Ibelin, known as the Old Lord of Beirut, was granted the lordship of the city in 1204. He rebuilt the city after its destruction by the Ayyubids and also built the House of Ibelin palace in Beirut.[43]

 
Beirut Castle and waterfront, 1868

In 1291 Beirut was captured and the Crusaders expelled by the Mamluk army of Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil.

Ottoman rule

 
Pine Forest of Beirut, 1914

Under the Ottoman sultan Selim I (1512–1520), the Ottomans conquered Syria including present-day Lebanon. Beirut was controlled by local Druze emirs throughout the Ottoman period.[44] One of them, Fakhr-al-Din II, fortified it early in the 17th century, but the Ottomans reclaimed it in 1763.[45] With the help of Damascus, Beirut successfully broke Acre's monopoly on Syrian maritime trade and for a few years supplanted it as the main trading center in the region. During the succeeding epoch of rebellion against Ottoman hegemony in Acre under Jezzar Pasha and Abdullah Pasha, Beirut declined to a small town with a population of about 10,000 and was an object of contention between the Ottomans, the local Druze, and the Mamluks. After Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured Acre in 1832,[46] Beirut began its revival.

 
View of Beirut's Grand Serail, circa 1930

By the second half of the nineteenth century, Beirut was developing close commercial and political ties with European imperial powers, particularly France. European interests in Lebanese silk and other export products transformed the city into a major port and commercial center.[47] This boom in cross-regional trade allowed certain groups, such as the Sursock family, to establish trade and manufacturing empires that further strengthened Beirut's position as a key partner in the interests of imperial dynasties. Meanwhile, Ottoman power in the region continued to decline. Sectarian and religious conflicts, power vacuums, and changes in the political dynamics of the region culminated in the 1860 Lebanon conflict. Beirut became a destination for Maronite Christian refugees fleeing from the worst areas of the fighting on Mount Lebanon and in Damascus.[48] This in turn altered the religious composition of Beirut itself, sowing the seeds of future sectarian and religious troubles there and in greater Lebanon. However, Beirut was able to prosper in the meantime. This was again a product of European intervention, and also a general realization amongst the city's residents that commerce, trade, and prosperity depended on domestic stability.[49] After petitions by the local bourgeois, the governor of Syria Vilayet Mehmed Rashid Pasha authorized the establishment of the Beirut Municipal Council,[50] the first municipality established in the Arab provinces of the Empire.[51] The council was elected by an assembly of city notables and played an instrumental role governing the city through the following decades.[50]

Vilayet of Beirut

In 1888, Beirut was made capital of a vilayet (governorate) in Syria,[52] including the sanjaks (prefectures) Latakia, Tripoli, Beirut, Acre and Bekaa.[53] By this time, Beirut had grown into a cosmopolitan city and had close links with Europe and the United States. It also became a centre of missionary activity that spawned educational institutions such as the American University of Beirut. Provided with water from a British company and gas from a French one, silk exports to Europe came to dominate the local economy. After French engineers established a modern harbour in 1894 and a rail link across Lebanon to Damascus and Aleppo in 1907, much of the trade was carried by French ships to Marseille. French influence in the area soon exceeded that of any other European power. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica reported a population consisting of 36,000 Muslims, 77,000 Christians, 2,500 Jews, 400 Druze and 4,100 foreigners.[45] At the start of the 20th century, Salim Ali Salam was one of the most prominent figures in Beirut, holding numerous public positions including deputy from Beirut to the Ottoman parliament and President of the Municipality of Beirut. Given his modern way of life, the emergence of Salim Ali Salam as a public figure constituted a transformation in terms of the social development of the city.

 
An aerial panoramic view of Beirut in the last third of the 19th century

In his 2003 book entitled Beirut and its Seven Families, Dr. Yussef Bin Ahmad Bin Ali Al Husseini says:

The seven families of Beirut are the families who bonded among each other and made the famous historical agreement with the governor of the Syrian Coast in 1351 to protect and defend the city of Beirut and its shores, and chase the invaders and stop their progress towards it.

Modern era

Capital of Lebanon

 
Debbas Square in Beirut, 1967

After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Beirut, along with the rest of Lebanon, was placed under the French Mandate. Lebanon achieved independence in 1943, and Beirut became the capital city. The city remained a regional intellectual capital, becoming a major tourist destination and a banking haven,[54][55] especially for the Persian Gulf oil boom.

This era of relative prosperity ended in 1975 when the Lebanese Civil War broke out throughout the country,[56][57] During most of the war, Beirut was divided between the Muslim west part and the Christian east.[citation needed] The downtown area, previously the home of much of the city's commercial and cultural activity, became a no man's land known as the Green Line. Many inhabitants fled to other countries. About 60,000 people died in the first two years of the war (1975–1976), and much of the city was devastated. A particularly destructive period was the 1978 Syrian siege of Achrafiyeh, the main Christian district of Beirut. Syrian troops relentlessly shelled the eastern quarter of the city,[58] but Christian militias defeated multiple attempts by Syria's elite forces to capture the strategic area in a three-month campaign later known as the Hundred Days' War.

 
Green Line, Beirut, 1982

Another destructive chapter was the 1982 Lebanon War, during which most of West Beirut was under siege by Israeli troops. In 1983, French and US barracks were bombed, killing 241 American servicemen, 58 French servicemen, six civilians and the two suicide bombers.[59][60][61]

Between 1989 and 1990 parts on East Beirut were destroyed in fighting between army units loyal to General Aoun and Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces.

Since the end of the war in 1990, the people of Lebanon have been rebuilding Beirut, whose urban agglomeration was mainly constituted during war time through an anarchic urban development[62] stretching along the littoral corridor and its nearby heights. By the start of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict the city had somewhat regained its status as a tourist, cultural and intellectual centre in the Middle East and as a center for commerce, fashion, and media. The reconstruction of downtown Beirut has been largely driven by Solidere, a development company established in 1994 by Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The city has hosted both the Asian Club Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Cup, and has hosted the Miss Europe pageant nine times: 1960–1964, 1999, 2001–2002, and 2016.

Rafic Hariri was assassinated in 2005 near the Saint George Hotel in Beirut.[63][64] A month later about one million people gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut.[65][66] The Cedar Revolution was the largest rally in Lebanon's history at that time.[67] The last Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut on 26 April 2005,[68] and the two countries established diplomatic relations on 15 October 2008.[69]

During the 2006 Lebanon War, Israeli bombardment caused damage in many parts of Beirut, especially the predominantly Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut. On 12 July 2006, the "Operation Truthful Promise" carried out by Hezbollah ended with 8 Israeli deaths and 6 injuries. In response, the IDF targeted Hezbollah's main media outlets. There were then artillery raids against targets in southern Lebanon, and the Israeli cabinet held Beirut responsible for the attacks. Then on 13 July 2006 Israel began implementing a naval and air blockade over Lebanon; during this blockade Israel bombed the runways at Beirut International Airport and the major Beirut-Damascus highway in Eastern Lebanon.[70]

In May 2008, after the government decided to disband Hezbollah's communications network (a decision it later rescinded), violent clashes broke out briefly between government allies and opposition forces, before control of the city was handed over to the Lebanese Army.[71] After this a national dialogue conference was held in Doha at the invitation of the Prince of Qatar. The conference agreed to appoint a new president of Lebanon and to establish a new national government involving all the political adversaries. As a result of the Doha Agreement, the opposition's barricades were dismantled and so were the opposition's protest camps in Martyrs' Square.[72] On 19 October 2012, a car bomb killed eight people in the Beirut's neighborhood of Achrafiyeh, including Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan, chief of the Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces. In addition, 78 others were wounded in the bombing.[73] It was the largest attack in the capital since 2008.[74] On 27 December 2013, a car bomb exploded in the Central District killing at least five people, including the former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S. Mohamad Chatah, and wounding 71 others.[75]

In the 12 November 2015 Beirut bombings, two suicide bombers detonated explosives outside a mosque and inside a bakery, killing 43 people and injuring 200. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.[76][77]

On 4 August 2020, a massive explosion in the Port of Beirut resulted in the death of at least 203 people (with an additional three missing)[78] and the wounding of more than 6,500. Foreigners from at least 22 countries were among the casualties. Furthermore, at least 108 Bangladeshis were injured in the blasts, making them the most affected foreign community. The cause of the blast is believed to be from government-confiscated and stored ammonium nitrate.[79] As many as 300,000 people have been left homeless by the explosion.[80] Protesters in Lebanon called on the government on 8 August 2020 for the end of the alleged negligence that resulted in the 4 August explosion.[81] On 10 August 2020, as a result of the protests, Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his resignation.[82] Weeks later, a huge fire erupted in an oil and tyre warehouse in the port's duty-free zone, on 10 September 2020.[83]

Geography

 
Pigeon Rock (Raouché)
 
Beirut from the International Space Station

Beirut sits on a peninsula extending westward into the Mediterranean Sea.[84] It is flanked by the Lebanon Mountains and has taken on a triangular shape, largely influenced by its situation between and atop two hills: Al-Ashrafieh and Al-Musaytibah. The Beirut Governorate occupies 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi), and the city's metropolitan area 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi).[84] The coast is rather diverse, with rocky beaches, sandy shores and cliffs situated beside one another.

Climate

Beirut has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) characterized by mild days and nights, as its coastal location allows temperatures to be moderated by the sea. Autumn and spring are warm, but short. Winter is mild and rainy. Summer is prolonged, hot and muggy. The prevailing wind during the afternoon and evening is from the west (onshore, blowing in from the Mediterranean); at night it reverses to offshore, blowing from the land out to sea.

The average annual rainfall is 825 millimetres (32.5 in), with the large majority of it falling from October to April. Much of the autumn and spring rain falls in heavy downpours on a limited number of days, but in winter it is spread more evenly over many days. Summer receives very little rainfall, if any. Snow is rare, except in the mountainous eastern suburbs, where snowfall occurs due to the region's high altitudes. Hail (which can often be heavy) occurs a few times per year, mostly during winter.

Climate data for Beirut International Airport
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.9
(82.2) 		30.5
(86.9) 		36.6
(97.9) 		39.3
(102.7) 		39.0
(102.2) 		40.0
(104.0) 		40.4
(104.7) 		39.5
(103.1) 		37.5
(99.5) 		37.0
(98.6) 		33.1
(91.6) 		30.0
(86.0) 		40.4
(104.7)
Average high °C (°F) 17.4
(63.3) 		17.5
(63.5) 		19.6
(67.3) 		22.6
(72.7) 		25.4
(77.7) 		27.9
(82.2) 		30.0
(86.0) 		30.7
(87.3) 		29.8
(85.6) 		27.5
(81.5) 		23.2
(73.8) 		19.4
(66.9) 		24.3
(75.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 14.0
(57.2) 		14.0
(57.2) 		16.0
(60.8) 		18.7
(65.7) 		21.7
(71.1) 		24.9
(76.8) 		27.1
(80.8) 		27.8
(82.0) 		26.8
(80.2) 		24.1
(75.4) 		19.5
(67.1) 		15.8
(60.4) 		20.9
(69.6)
Average low °C (°F) 11.2
(52.2) 		11.0
(51.8) 		12.6
(54.7) 		15.2
(59.4) 		18.2
(64.8) 		21.6
(70.9) 		24.0
(75.2) 		24.8
(76.6) 		23.7
(74.7) 		21.0
(69.8) 		16.3
(61.3) 		12.9
(55.2) 		17.7
(63.9)
Record low °C (°F) 0.8
(33.4) 		3.0
(37.4) 		0.2
(32.4) 		7.6
(45.7) 		10.0
(50.0) 		15.0
(59.0) 		18.0
(64.4) 		19.0
(66.2) 		17.0
(62.6) 		11.1
(52.0) 		7.0
(44.6) 		4.6
(40.3) 		0.2
(32.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 154
(6.1) 		127
(5.0) 		84
(3.3) 		31
(1.2) 		11
(0.4) 		1
(0.0) 		0.3
(0.01) 		0
(0) 		5
(0.2) 		60
(2.4) 		115
(4.5) 		141
(5.6) 		730
(28.7)
Average rainy days 12 10 8 5 2 2 0.04 0.1 1 4 7 11 62
Average relative humidity (%) 64 64 64 66 70 71 72 71 65 62 60 63 66
Average dew point °C (°F) 7
(45) 		8
(46) 		9
(48) 		12
(54) 		16
(61) 		19
(66) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		19
(66) 		16
(61) 		11
(52) 		8
(46) 		14
(57)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 131 143 191 243 310 348 360 334 288 245 200 147 2,940
Source 1: Pogodaiklimat.ru[85]
Source 2: Danish Meteorological Institute (sun 1931–1960)[86]

Source 3: Time and Date (dewpoints, between 1985-2015)[87]

Beirut mean sea temperature[88]
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
18.5 °C (65.3 °F) 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) 18.5 °C (65.3 °F) 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) 24.9 °C (76.8 °F) 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) 28.1 °C (82.6 °F) 26.0 °C (78.8 °F) 22.6 °C (72.7 °F) 20.1 °C (68.2 °F)

Environmental issues

Main article: Marine environmental issues in Lebanon

Lebanon, especially Beirut and its suburbs, suffered a massive garbage crisis, mainly from July 2015 up to March 2016. The issue began when authorities shut down the main landfill site originally used for Beirut's garbage south-east of the city and failed to provide any alternative solutions for months. As a result, garbage mounted in the streets in Greater Beirut and caused protests to erupt, which sometimes invoked police action. This problem was commonly blamed on the country's political situation. This garbage crisis birthed a movement called "You Stink" which was directed at the country's politicians. In March 2016, the government finally came up with a so-called temporary solution to establish two new landfills East and South of the city to store the garbage, while several municipalities across the country, in an unprecedented move, began recycling and managing waste more efficiently, building waste-management facilities and relying on themselves rather than the central government. Moreover, Beirut has a lack of green areas with just two main public gardens (sanayeh and horch Beirut). In fact, concrete roofs cover 80% of the capital area.[89]

Quarters and sectors

Main article: List of places in Beirut
 
Map of the 12 quarters of Beirut

Beirut is divided into 12 quarters (quartiers):[90]

These quarters are divided into 59 sectors (secteurs).[91]

 
Nightlife scene in Badaro

Badaro is an edgy, bohemian style neighborhood,[citation needed] within the green district of Beirut (secteur du parc) which also include the Beirut Hippodrome and the Beirut Pine Forest and the French ambassador's Pine Residence. It is one of Beirut's favorite hip nightlife destination.[citation needed]

Two of the twelve official Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are located in the southern suburbs of Beirut: Bourj el-Barajneh and Shatila. There is also one within its municipal boundaries: Mar Elias.[92]

 
Saint Nicholas staircase in Ashrafieh

Southern suburban districts include Chiyah, Ghobeiry (Bir Hassan, Jnah and Ouzai are part of the Ghobeiry municipality), Haret Hreik, Burj al Barajneh, Laylake-Mreijeh, Hay al Sillum and Hadath. Eastern suburbs include Burj Hammoud, Sin el Fil, Dekwane and Mkalles. Hazmiyeh is also considered as an eastern suburb with its close proximity to the capital.[92] Of the 15 unregistered or unofficial refugee camps, Sabra, which lies adjacent to Shatila, is also located in southern Beirut[93] and was the scene of a massacre during the civil war.[94]

People in Lebanon often use different names for the same geographic locations, and few people rely on official, government-provided street numbers. Instead, historic and commercial landmarks are more commonly used.[citation needed]

Demographics

No population census has been taken in Lebanon since 1932,[95] but estimates of Beirut's population range from as low as 938,940[96] through 1,303,129[97] to as high as 2,200,000 as part of Greater Beirut.[98][99]

Religion

See also: Religion in Lebanon, Shia Islam in Lebanon, Sunni Islam in Lebanon, Christianity in Lebanon, Secularism in Lebanon, and Jews in Lebanon

Religion in Beirut (2018 Elections results)

  Islam (60%)
  Christianity (37.4%)
  Druze (1.1%)
  Judaism (0.9%)
  Other (0.6%)

Beirut is one of the most cosmopolitan and religiously diverse cities of Lebanon and all of the Middle East.[100] Before the civil war the neighborhoods of Beirut were fairly heterogeneous, but they became largely segregated by religion since the conflict.[101] East Beirut has a mainly Christian population with a small Muslim minority, whilst West Beirut has a Sunni Muslim majority with small minorities of Shia, Christians and Druze.[citation needed] Since the end of the civil war, East and West Beirut have begun to see an increase in Muslims and Christians moving into each half. Christians comprise 35% of Beirut's population, Muslims 63%, Druze 1%, and others 1%.[citation needed]

Family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith (the Ottoman "millet" system). Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities, but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities.

Beirut Central District

Main article: Beirut Central District

The Beirut Central District (BCD) or Centre Ville is the name given to Beirut's historical and geographical core by "Solidere", the "vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country".[102] It is an area thousands of years old, traditionally a focus of business, finance, culture and leisure. Its reconstruction constitutes one of the most ambitious contemporary urban developments.[103] Due to the devastation incurred on the city center from the Lebanese Civil War, the Beirut Central District underwent a thorough reconstruction and development plan that gave it back its cultural and economic position in the region. Ever since, Beirut Central District has evolved into an integrated business and commercial environment and the focus of the financial activity in the region. That evolution was accompanied with the relocation of international organizations, reoccupation of civic and government buildings, expansion of financial activities, and establishment of regional headquarters and global firms in the city center.[104]

 
Roman baths park in Downtown Beirut

Assessment of the demand for build-up space in the BCD has been done in reference to a number of macro-economic, demographic, and urban planning considerations at a time of marked need for new activity poles in the city, such as Souks, financial, cultural and recreational centers.[105] The district's total area is 4,690,000 square metres (50,482,740 square feet), the majority of which is dedicated to residential space (1,924,000 square metres or 20,709,764 square feet).[106] The Beirut Central District contains over 60 gardens, squares and open spaces. These spaces comprise landscaped streets, gardens, historical squares, pedestrian areas and sea promenades thus totaling to an area of 96 acres (39 ha) of open spaces.

The central district is Lebanon's prime location for shopping, entertainment, and dining. There are over 100 cafes, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs open in the Beirut Central District, and over 350 retail outlets distributed along its streets and quarters. Beirut Souks alone are home to over 200 stores and a handful of restaurants and cafes. Beirut Souks are the Central District's old medieval market, recently renovated along with the original Hellenistic street grid that characterized the old souks and the area's historical landmarks along long vaulted shopping alleys and arcades.[107] Solidere, the company responsible for the reconstruction and renovation of the district, organizes music and entertainment events all throughout the year like the Beirut Marathon, Fête de la Musique, Beirut Jazz Festival.

However, the means of urban development in this particular area of the city was subject to much criticism and controversy. Rafic Hariri, who would later become prime minister, was the majority stakeholder of the company, which raises concerns of conflict of interest in the context of a public-private partnership.[108] Many of the expropriations that have made the project possible have been made at undervalued land rates, and partly paid in company share. Strict urbanization laws were put in order to oblige people to sell and not renovate themselves.[109] Today, Solidere acts as a de facto municipality, thus this quarter of the city is effectively privatized. It is for example forbidden to ride bikes on Zeituna Bay, a marina where many restaurants are located, and these laws are enforced by private security guards not national or municipal police.

The project was also criticized for destroying some of the city's architectural and cultural heritage. "Among the hundreds of destroyed buildings were "the last Ottoman and medieval remains in Beirut" wrote American University of Beirut professor Nabil Beyhum in the Journal The Beirut Review in 1992. Much of the damage had been done through unapproved demolitions in the 1980s and early 1990s, bringing down "some of the capital's most significant buildings and structures," wrote UCLA professor Saree Makdisi in the journal, Critical Inquiry, in 1997.".[110] Moreover, many of the traditional privately owned shops in the Beirut Downtown were replaced by luxury outlets and high-end restaurants that only few people could afford. And most of public spaces promised by Solidere since the start of the reconstruction, such as "The Garden of Forgiveness", a central park, and an archaeological museum, remain unfinished until today,[when?] putting into question the actual benefit of the project to the population.[110]

Finally, the actual success of the project has recently[when?] been in doubt, given that large quarters of the BCD are today empty, due to strong military presence, the Nejmeh Square where the parliament is located is most frequently completely deserted, and the businesses located there have mostly moved.[111]

Economy

 
Cafés in downtown Beirut

Beirut's economy is service-oriented with the main growth sectors being banking and tourism.

In an area dominated by authoritarian or militarist regimes, the Lebanese capital was generally regarded as a haven of libertarianism, though a precarious one.[citation needed] With its seaport and airport—coupled with Lebanon's free economic and foreign exchange system, solid gold-backed currency, banking-secrecy law, and favorable interest rates—Beirut became an established banking center for Arab wealth, much of which was invested in construction, commercial enterprise, and industry (mostly the manufacture of textiles and shoes, food processing, and printing).[112] The economy of Beirut is diverse, including publishing, banking, trade and various industries. During that period, Beirut was the region's financial services center. At the onset of the oil boom starting in the 1960s, Lebanon-based banks were the main recipients of the region's petrodollars.[113]

 
Zaitunay Bay

Beirut is the focal point of the Economy of Lebanon. The capital hosts the headquarters of Banque du Liban (Lebanon's central bank), the Beirut Stock Exchange, the head office of Lebanon's flag-carrier Middle East Airlines, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the Union of Arab Banks, and the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges.[114]

Banking and finance

 
Ras Beirut, 1983

The Banking System is the backbone of the local economy with a balance sheet of $152 billion at the end of 2012, nearing 3.5 times the GDP estimated at $43 billion by the IMF.[115] Bank deposits also increased in 2012 by 8% to 125 billion dollars, 82 percent of the sector's assets. "Banks are still attracting deposits because the interest rates offered are higher than the ones in Europe and the United States", says Marwan Mikhael, head of research at BLOM Bank.[116]

Beirut's foreign reserves were still close to an all-time high when they reached $32.5 billion in 2011 and analysts say that the Central Bank can cover nearly 80 percent of the Lebanese currency in the market. This means that the Central Bank can easily cope with any unforeseen crisis in the future thanks to the massive foreign currency reserves.[117]

The Lebanese banking system is endowed with several characteristics that promote the role of Beirut as a regional financial center, in terms of ensuring protection for foreign capital and earnings. The Lebanese currency is fully convertible and can be exchanged freely with any other currency. Moreover, no restrictions are put on the free flow of capital and earnings into and out of the Lebanese economy. The passing of the banking secrecy law on 3 September 1956, subjected all banks established in Lebanon as well as foreign banks' branches to the "secret of the profession". Both article 16 of law No. 282 dated 30 December 1993 and article 12 of decree No. 5451 dated 26 August 1994, offer exemptions from income tax on all interest and revenues earned on all types of accounts opened in Lebanese banks. On the first of April 1975, decree No. 29 established a free banking zone by granting the Lebanese government the right to exempt non-residents' deposits and liabilities in foreign currency from: the income tax on interest earned, the required reserves imposed by the Banque Du Liban by virtue of article 76 of the Code of Money and Credit, the premium of deposit guarantee imposed on bank deposits to the profit of the National Deposit Guarantee Institution.[118]

Tourism

The tourism industry in Beirut has been historically important to the local economy and remains to this day to be a major source of revenue for the city, and Lebanon in general. Before the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut was widely regarded as the "Paris of the Middle East",[119] often cited as a financial and business hub where visitors could experience the Levantine Mediterranean culture. Beirut's diverse atmosphere and ancient history make it an important destination which is slowly rebuilding itself after continued turmoil. However, in recent times, certain countries, such as the United States, have frequently placed Lebanon, and Beirut in particular, on their travel warnings lists due to the many car bombings and orchestrated acts of political violence.[120][121][122]

 
Pigeon Rocks sunset

According to the 2012 tourist statistics, 34% of the tourists in Beirut came from states within the Arab League, 33% came from European countries (mainly France, Germany, and Britain), and 16% from the Americas (about half of which are from the United States).[123]

The largely pedestrianized Beirut Central District is the core of the Beirut tourism scene. The district is a cluster of stone-façade buildings lining arcaded streets and radial alleyways. The architecture of the area is a mix of French Architecture and Venetian Gothic architecture mixed with Arabesque and Ottoman Architecture. The district contains numerous old mosques and crusader churches, as well as uncovered remnants and ruins of the Roman era. The District contains dozens of restaurants, cafes and pubs, as well as a wide range of shopping stores mainly in Beirut Souks. High-rise hotels and towers line the district's New Waterfront, marina and seaside promenade.

Another popular tourist destination in Beirut is the Corniche Beirut, a 4.8 km (3 mi) pedestrian promenade that encircles the capital's seafront from the Saint George Bay in the north all the way to Avenue de Paris and Avenue General de Gaulle south of the city. The corniche reaches its maximum height above sea level at Raouché, a high-rise residential neighbourhood rising over a giant white limestone cliff and facing the recognisable off-shore Raouché Rocks.

Badaro is one of Beirut's most appealing neighborhoods, a lovely place to stroll during daytime and a destination for going out in the evening. Badaro is within Beirut's green district with a 75-acre (30-hectare) public park (The Beirut Pine forest) and a 50-acre (20-hectare) hippodrome. It is a neighborhood on a very human scale with small groceries around every corner. The neighborhood residents, a mix of old impoverished Christian bourgeoisie, bohemian style people in their 30s and well-established urban professionals, are loyal to local bakery and pastry shops. Because of the blossoming café and bar scene it has become lately a hip destination for Beirut's young and restless but old Beirutis remember that Badaro was already Beirut's version of the Village in the swinging sixties.[citation needed] Groceries and eateries can be found on almost every street of the area.[citation needed] There are dozens of restaurants, pubs and footpath cafés of virtually every style.[citation needed] Badaro "Village" thrives on local residents, day-trippers and hipsters from all over Beirut, office employees and many expatriates.[citation needed]

Hamra Street is a long cobblestone street connecting the Beirut Central District with the coastal Raouche area. The street is a large concentration of shopping stores, boutiques, restaurants, banks, street vendors, footpath cafes, newspaper kiosks, and a booming nightlife spurred by students from the neighboring American University of Beirut. The AUB campus is another popular visitor destination, composed of a cluster of 19th century red-roofed buildings dispersed on a wooded hillside overlooking the Mediterranean.

Gemmayzeh is Beirut's artistic bohemian quarter, full of narrow streets and historic buildings from the French era. It is located East of the Beirut Central District, bordering the Saifi Village. The neighborhood is well known for its trendy bars and pubs, cafes, restaurants and lounges; most are directly located on Rue Gouraud, the main thoroughfare that cuts through the middle of the district. Travel + Leisure magazine called Gemmayzeh "SoHo by the Sea," due to its colorful and chic cafés amid 1950s apartment buildings and hole-in-the-wall shops.[124] However, Gemmayzeh received the most damage by the Beirut explosion in 2020.[125]

Beirut is a destination for tourists from both the Arab world and West.[126] In Travel + Leisure magazine's World Best Awards 2006, it was ranked the 9th best city in the world.[127] That list was voted upon shortly before the 2006 Lebanon War broke out, but in 2008 The Guardian listed Beirut as one of its top ten cities in the world.[128] The New York Times ranked it at number one on its "44 places to go" list of 2009.[129] 2011 MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut had the second-highest visitor spending levels in the Middle East and Africa, totaling $6.5 billion.[130] Beirut was chosen in 2012 by Condé Nast Traveller as the best city in the Middle East, beating Tel Aviv and Dubai.[131]

Many of the tourists are returning Lebanese expatriates, but many are from Western countries. Approximately 3 million visitors visited in 2010; the previous record was 1.4 million in 1974.[132]

Like other forms of tourism, medical tourism in Lebanon is on the rise recently. Although visitors from neighboring Arab nations make up the bulk of medical tourism patients here due to its proximity, Beirut is strongly trying to woo more Southern Europeans, Asians and North Americans to its land. Its Agency for Investment Development in Lebanon reports that growth in the medical tourism industry is growing by up to 30% a year since 2009. The country's tourism ministry is working closely with the medical sector and top-class hotels to create an organized, quality medical destination.[133] Major hotel and spa chains work with local clinics, travel agencies and the tourism ministry to create comprehensive healthcare and recuperation packages for foreign visitors. The government is highly involved in this industry and strives to make the process as easy as possible.[134] Cosmetic surgery is a major component of medical tourism in Lebanon. Most of the foreign patients come for routine operations like plastic surgery, dental or eye surgery, and Beirut's hospitals are also capable of performing specialized procedures such as internal bypass surgery and other technical treatments. Its top clinics and hospitals like Sahel General are equipped to handle the full range of surgical procedures. Beirut-based Clemenceau Medical Center (CMC), affiliated with Johns Hopkins International, was ranked one of the world's top ten best hospitals for medical tourism in 2012.[135]

Government

Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and its seat of government.[136] The Lebanese Parliament,[137] all the Ministries and most of the public administrations, embassies and consulates are there.[138] Beirut Governorate is one of eight mohafazat (plural of mohafazah, or governorate).

Name Took office Left office
1 Kamel Hamieh 1936 1941
2 Nicholas Rizk 1946 1952
3 George Assi 1952 1956
4 Bachour Haddad 1956 1958
5 Philip Boulos 1959 1960
6 Emile Yanni 1960 1967
7 Shafic Bou Haydar 1967 1977
8 Mitri El Nammar 1977 1987
9 George Smaha 1987 1991
10 Nayef El Malouf 1992 1995
11 Nicholas Saba 1995 1999
12 Jacob Sarraf 1999 2005
13 Nassif Kaloush 2005 2008
14 Rachid Ammoury Maalouf 2008 2015
15 Jamal Itani 2016 Present

International Organizations

The city is home to numerous international organizations. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is headquartered in downtown Beirut,[139][140] The Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO),[141] the Union of Arab Banks[142] and the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges[143] and the World youth alliance are also headquartered in the city. The International Labour Organization (ILO)[144] and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)[145] both have regional offices in Beirut covering the Arab world.

Education

Higher education throughout Lebanon is provided by universities, colleges and technical and vocational institutes. The Directorate General of Higher Education is responsible for managing universities, colleges, and institutes in Beirut and nationwide.[146]

The American University of Beirut (AUB) and Université Saint-Joseph (USJ) are the oldest English-language and French-language universities in the country, respectively. AUB was founded in 1866, and USJ in 1875. The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher education in Beirut.[146] Beirut is also home to Lebanese American University (LAU), American University of Science and Technology (AUST), University of Balamand, École Supérieure des Affaires (ESA), Beirut Arab University (BAU), Haigazian University (HU), Lebanese International University (LIU), Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU), and Université La Sagesse (ULS).[147][148][149][150][151]

Among the private secondary schools in Beirut are Lycee Abdel Kader, Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais, Lycée Franco-Libanais Verdun, American Community School, International College, Collège Louise Wegmann, Rawdah High School, Saint Mary's Orthodox College,[152] Collège Notre Dame de Nazareth, Collège du Sacré-Coeur Gemmayzé, Collège Protestant Français, Armenian Evangelical Central High School, German School of Beirut, and the Armenian Hamazkayin Arslanian College.

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Beirut

The city's renovated airport is the Rafic Hariri International Airport, located in the southern suburbs. The Port of Beirut, one of the largest and most commercial in the eastern Mediterranean, is another port of entry. As a final destination, Lebanon can be reached by road from Damascus via the Beqaa valley in the east.[153]

Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria such as Homs and its capital Damascus. There are a number of different companies providing public transport in Lebanon. The publicly owned buses are managed by Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun (OCFTC – "Railway and Public Transportation Authority"). Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station.[154]

The ministry of transport and public works purchased an extra 250 intra and inter-buses in 2012 to better serve regions outside the capital as well as congestion-choked Beirut, hoping to lessen the use of private cars.[citation needed]

Beirut has also private buses that are provided by the Lebanese Commuting Company.

In 2017, Beirut introduced a bike sharing service in certain areas of the city.

Culture

 
The Garden Show & Spring Festival at the Beirut Hippodrome

The culture of Beirut has evolved under the influence of many different peoples and civilizations, such as Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and French. The law school in downtown Beirut was one of the world's earliest and was considered to be a leading center of legal studies in the Eastern Roman Empire.

Beirut hosted the Francophonie and Arab League summits in 2002, and in 2007 it hosted the ceremony for the Prix Albert Londres,[155][156] which rewards outstanding francophone journalists every year. The city also hosted the Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009.[157][158] In the same year, it was proclaimed World Book Capital by UNESCO.[159]

Beirut has also been called the "party capital of the Arab world".[160] Rue Monnot has an international reputation among clubbers,[161] and Rue Gouraud in districts such as Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael have emerged as new hotspots for bar patrons and clubbers, as well as "The Alleyway" in Hamra Street.

Museums

 
The National Museum of Beirut

The National Museum of Beirut is the principal museum of archaeology in Lebanon. It has about 1,300 exhibits ranging in date from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period.[162] The Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut is the third-oldest museum in the Middle East, exhibiting a wide range of artefacts from Lebanon and neighboring countries.[163] Sursock Museum was built by the illustrious Sursock family at the end of the 19th century as a private villa for Nicolas Sursock, and then donated to the Lebanese state upon his death. It now houses Beirut's most influential and popular art museum. The permanent collection shows a set of Japanese engravings, numerous works of Islamic art and classic Italian paintings, while temporary exhibitions are also shown throughout the year. The Robert Mouawad Private Museum near Beirut's Grand Serail exhibits Henri Pharaon's private collection of archaeology and antiques.[164][165]

Planet Discovery is a children's science museum with interactive experiments, exhibitions, performances, workshops and awareness competitions.[166] The Saint Joseph University opened the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory in 2000, the first prehistory museum in the Arabic Middle East, displaying bones, stone tools and neolithic pottery collected by Jesuits.[167]

In October 2013, Mim Museum, a private mineral museum, opened its doors to the public. It has on display some 2000 minerals from more than 70 countries. Mim museum's collection is considered to be one of the world's paramount private collection for the variety and quality of its minerals.[168][169] A didactic circuit, accompanied by screens showing films and scientific applications of mineralogy, will reveal a world of unsuspected marvels—priceless both from an aesthetic and scientific point of view. Mimodactylus libanensis "mimo", the fossil of a pterodactyl, is featured in a special wing. This one-of-a-kind complete specimen in the Middle-East was found in Lebanon. It is promoted by means of state-of-the-art modern techniques: a hologram, an auto-stereoscopic movie, a full-scale reconstitution and a game "fly with mimo" – an entertainment that delights children and adults. Moreover, Mim hosts a thematic exhibition of 200 marine fossils. "Fish'n'Stone" was organised with the collaboration of Mémoire du Temps. Known throughout the world, those fossils were quarried in the Lebanese mountains. The history of the fossil formation is shown through an animation that submerses you in the marine life – a time capsule that takes you in a journey to some 100 million of years ago.

Tourism

Beirut was named the top place to visit by The New York Times in 2009,[129] and as one of the ten liveliest cities in the world by Lonely Planet in the same year.[170] According to a 2010 study by the American global consulting firm Mercer comparing high-end items such as upscale residential areas and entertainment venues, Beirut was ranked as the 4th most expensive city in the Middle East and 15th among the Upper Middle Income Countries included in the survey.[171] Beirut came in first place regionally and 10th place internationally in a 2010 study by "EuroCost International" about the rental markets for high quality housing.[172][173] Beirut is an international hub of highly active and diverse nightlife with bars, dance bars and nightclubs staying open well past midnight.[174][175] The 2011 MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut had the second-highest visitor spending levels in the Middle East and Africa, totaling $6.5 billion.[130] Beirut was chosen in 2012 by Condé Nast Traveller as the best city in the Middle East.[131] In 2013, Condé Nast Traveller ranked Beirut in the top 20 best cities in the world.[176]

On 7 December 2014, Beirut was selected to be among the New 7 Wonders of Cities, along with Doha, Durban, La Paz, Havana, Kuala Lumpur and Vigan.[177] The campaign was held by New 7 Wonders.[178]

In 2016, Yahoo listed Beirut as the best international city for food.[179] Travel and Leisure ranked Beirut in the top 15 of the world's best cities.[180]

It was voted the must-visit city for the year 2019 by World Tourists.[citation needed]

Due to anti-government protests as of October 2019 followed by dire economic situation and travel bans due to coronavirus outbreak, the tourism sector was badly affected resulting in decrease of number of tourists.

Media

Beirut is a main centre for the television, radio stations, newspaper, and book publishing industries.

Television stations based in Beirut include Télé Liban, LBC, ÓTV (Orange TV), MTV Lebanon, Tele Lumiere (Catholic TV), Future TV, New TV, NBN, ANB and Saudi TV 1 on 33 UHF and MBC 1, MBC 4, MBC Action, Fox, Al Jazeera, Rotana, OSN First, OSN News, Al Yawm and Arabic Series Channel on 45 UHF.

Radio Stations include Mix FM Lebanon, Virgin Radio Lebanon, Radio One Lebanon, Sawt el Ghad, RLL, Jaras Scoop, NRJ Lebanon...

Newspapers include Daily Beirut An-Nahar, Al Joumhouria, As-Safir, Al Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar, Al-Balad, Ad-Diyar, Al Anwar, Al Sharq.

Newspapers and magazines published in French include L'Orient Le Jour (since 1970), La Revue Du Liban, Al Balad-French Version, Al Intiqad, Magazine L'Hebdo and Le Commerce du Levant.

English newspapers published in Beirut are The Daily Star, Executive Magazine (weekly), Beirut Online, Beirut Times (weekly) and Monday Morning.

Sports

The Lebanese capital hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1959, FIBA Asia Champions Cup in 1999, 2000, 2012, the AFC Asian Cup in 2000, and the FIBA Asia Cup in 2010. Beirut was the host city for the 6th Annual Games of the Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009. Beirut also hosted the Pan Arab Games in 1957, 1997, and did so again in 2015. In 2017, Beirut also hosted the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.

Beirut, with Sidon and Tripoli, hosted the 2000 AFC Asian Cup.[181][182] There are two stadiums in the city, Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and Beirut Municipal Stadium.

Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon. Currently, 4 Beirut teams play in Lebanese Basketball League: Hekmeh, Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut, Homenetmen Beirut and Beirut.

Other sports events in Beirut include the annual Beirut Marathon, hip ball, weekly horse racing at the Beirut Hippodrome, and golf and tennis tournaments that take place at Golf Club of Lebanon. Three out of the five teams in the Lebanese rugby league championship are based in Beirut. Lebanon men's national ice hockey team plays out of Montreal, in Canada.

Art and fashion

 
Beirut Souks shopping mall

There are hundreds of art galleries in Beirut and its suburbs. Every year, hundreds of fine art students graduate from universities and institutions. Artist workshops exist all over Lebanon. The inauguration of the Beirut Art Center, a non-profit association, space and platform dedicated to contemporary art in Lebanon,[183] in the Mkalles suburb of Beirut added to the number of exhibition spaces available in the city, with a screening and performance room, mediatheque, book store, café and terrace. Adjacent to the latter is the Ashkal Alwan Home Workspace, a venue hosting cultural events and educational programs.

A number of international fashion designers[who?] have displayed their work in big fashion shows.[184] Most major fashion labels have shops in Beirut's shopping districts, and the city is home to a number of local fashion designers, some of whom like Elie Saab, Yara Farhat, Reem Acra, Zuhair Murad, Georges Chakra, Georges Hobeika, Jean Faris, Nicolas Jebran, Rabih Kayrouz and Abed Mahfouz have achieved international fame.[184]

Beirut is also the home for a dynamic street art scene that has developed after the Lebanese Civil War, one of the most notable street artists is Yazan Halwani who is known to produce the largest murals on the walls of Beirut in areas such as Gemmayzeh, Hamra, Verdun and Achrafieh.[185]

Beirut is also international artists' concert tour stop city. Artists like Shakira, Mariah Carey, Enrique Iglesias, Andrea Bocelli, Pitbull, Engelbert Humperdinck, Scorpions, and many more have included Beirut on their concert tours.

In art, literature, and popular culture

Gallery

  •  

    Beirut, 1913

  •  

    Aerial view of Beirut, 1970

  • Beirut, 1965

  •  

    Beirut Corniche

  •  

    Cliffs, Beirut

  • Beirut, 1919

  •  

    Martyrs' Monument

  •  

    Central Beirut

  •  

    Passage, Beirut

  •  

    Beirut at night

Twin towns and sister cities

Beirut is twinned with:[189]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ /beɪˈruːt/ bay-ROOT;[3] Arabic: بيروت, romanized:  Bayrūt, French: Beyrouth
  2. ^ The Roman name was taken in 1934 for the archaeological journal published by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut.[15]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Cooke, Rachel (22 November 2006). "Paris of the east? More like Athens on speed". The Guardian.
  2. ^ a b "Lebanon: Administrative Division (Governorates and Districts) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
  3. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
  4. ^ "Questions & Answers: Water Supply Augmentation Project, Lebanon". The World Bank. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  5. ^ "The World According to GaWC 2020". GaWC – Research Network. Globalization and World Cities. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  6. ^ Reconstruction of Beirut 16 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Macalester College
  7. ^ Lebanon's Reconstruction: A Work in Progress, VOA News
  8. ^ . Worldview. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  9. ^ The New Encyclopædia Britannica (1993), Macropædia, volume 14, 15th edition, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., Chicago.
  10. ^ a b c , on the former website of the Lebanese Embassy of the U.S.
  11. ^ EA 141-43.
  12. ^ Phoenicia, in Encyclopaedia Biblica, Case Western Reserve University.
  13. ^ Cooke, George Albert (1911). "Phoenicia" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 451.
  14. ^ E.g., EA 105, where he complains to the pharaoh that Beirut's king had stolen two of his merchants' ships.
  15. ^ Berytus Archeological Studies 23 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine, American University of Beirut (AUB).
  16. ^ Under Beirut's Rubble, Remnants of 5,000 Years of Civilization– NYTimes 23 February 1997
  17. ^ Burkhalter, L., Bibliographie préhistorique (à suivre) (List of prehistoric sites, continuation and end), Bulletin du Musée de Beyrouth. Tome VIII, 1946–1948, Beyrouth, in-4° br., 173 pages.
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Bibliography

External links

  •   Wikimedia Atlas of Lebanon
  • Beirut at Curlie
  • Map of Beirut, 1936., Eran Laor Cartographich Collection, The National Library of Israel, Historic Cities Research Project.

April 19, 2023
beirut, bayrut, beyrut, biruta, redirect, here, german, city, bayreuth, iranian, village, beyrut, iran, other, uses, disambiguation, biruta, disambiguation, capital, largest, city, lebanon, 2014, update, greater, population, million, which, makes, third, large. Bayrut Beyrut and Biruta redirect here For the German city see Bayreuth For the Iranian village see Beyrut Iran For other uses see Beirut disambiguation and Biruta disambiguation Beirut a is the capital and largest city of Lebanon As of 2014 update Greater Beirut has a population of 2 5 million 4 which makes it the third largest city in the Levant region The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon s Mediterranean coast Beirut has been inhabited for more than 5 000 years and was one of Phoenicia s most prominent city states making it one of the oldest cities in the world see Berytus The first historical mention of Beirut is found in the Amarna letters from the New Kingdom of Egypt which date to the 14th century BC Beirut بيروت BeyrouthCapital city and MunicipalityClockwise from top Beirut at sunset Sahat al Shouhada a souk in Beirut Maronite Cathedral of Saint George left and Mohammad Al Amin Mosque right Sursock Museum and Pigeon Rocks of RaoucheFlagSealNickname Paris of the East 1 Motto s Berytus Nutrix Legum Latin Beirut mother of lawsBeirutLocation of Beirut within LebanonShow map of LebanonBeirutBeirut Eastern Mediterranean Show map of Eastern MediterraneanBeirutBeirut Arab world Show map of Arab worldBeirutBeirut Asia Show map of AsiaCoordinates 33 53 13 N 35 30 47 E 33 88694 N 35 51306 E 33 88694 35 51306 Coordinates 33 53 13 N 35 30 47 E 33 88694 N 35 51306 E 33 88694 35 51306CountryLebanonGovernorateBeirutGovernment GovernorMarwan Abboud MayorJamal ItaniArea Capital city and Municipality19 8 km2 7 6 sq mi Metro1 988 1 km2 767 6 sq mi Population 2017 2 Capital city and Municipalityc 433 249 Metro 2 c 2 145 527DemonymBeirutiTime zoneUTC 2 EET Summer DST UTC 3 EEST Area code 961 01 ISO 3166 codeLB BAPatron SaintSaint GeorgeWebsitewww wbr beirut wbr gov wbr lbBeirut is Lebanon s seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy with many banks and corporations based in the city Beirut is an important seaport for the country and region and rated a Beta World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network 5 Beirut was severely damaged by the Lebanese Civil War the 2006 Lebanon War and the 2020 massive explosion in the Port of Beirut Its cultural landscape underwent major reconstruction 6 7 8 Contents 1 Names 2 Prehistory 3 History 3 1 Phoenician period 3 2 Hellenistic period 3 3 Roman period 3 4 Middle Ages 3 5 Ottoman rule 3 5 1 Vilayet of Beirut 3 6 Modern era 3 6 1 Capital of Lebanon 4 Geography 4 1 Climate 4 2 Environmental issues 4 3 Quarters and sectors 5 Demographics 5 1 Religion 6 Beirut Central District 7 Economy 7 1 Banking and finance 7 2 Tourism 8 Government 8 1 International Organizations 9 Education 10 Transportation 11 Culture 11 1 Museums 11 2 Tourism 11 3 Media 11 4 Sports 11 5 Art and fashion 12 In art literature and popular culture 13 Gallery 14 Twin towns and sister cities 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 17 1 Citations 17 2 Bibliography 18 External linksNames EditThe English name Beirut is an early transcription of the Arabic name Bayrut بيروت The same name s transcription into French is Beyrouth which was sometimes used during Lebanon s French mandate The Arabic name derives from Phoenician beʾrut 𐤁𐤀 𐤓𐤕 bʾrt This was a modification of the Canaanite and Phoenician word biʾrōt later beʾrut meaning wells in reference to the site s accessible water table 9 10 The name is first attested in the 14th century BC when it was mentioned in three Akkadian cuneiform 10 tablets of the Amarna letters 11 letters sent by King Ammunira of Biruta 12 to Amenhotep III or Amenhotep IV of Egypt 13 Biruta was also mentioned in the Amarna letters from King Rib Hadda of Byblos 14 The Greeks hellenised the name as Berytos Ancient Greek Bhrytos which the Romans latinised as Berytus b When it attained the status of a Roman colony it was notionally refounded and its official name was emended to Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus to include its imperial sponsors At the time of the crusades the city was known in French as Barut or Baruth Prehistory Edit Canaanean Blade Suggested to be part of a javelin Fresh grey flint both sides showing pressure flaking Somewhat narrower at the base suggesting a haft Polished at the extreme point Found on land of the Lebanese Evangelical School for Girls in the Patriarchate area of Beirut Beirut was settled over 5 000 years ago 16 and there is evidence that the surrounding area had already been inhabited for tens of thousands of years prior to this Several prehistoric archaeological sites have been discovered within the urban area of Beirut revealing flint tools from sequential periods dating from the Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Paleolithic through the Neolithic to the Bronze Age Beirut I Minet el Hosn was listed as the town of Beirut French Beyrouth ville by Louis Burkhalter and said to be on the beach near the Orient and Bassoul hotels on the Avenue des Francais in central Beirut 17 18 The site was discovered by Lortet in 1894 and discussed by Godefroy Zumoffen in 1900 19 The flint industry from the site was described as Mousterian and is held by the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon 20 Beirut II Umm el Khatib was suggested by Burkhalter to have been south of Tarik el Jedideh where P E Gigues discovered a Copper Age flint industry at around 100 metres 328 feet above sea level The site had been built on and destroyed by 1948 20 Beirut III Furn esh Shebbak listed as Plateau Tabet was suggested to have been located on the left bank of the Beirut River Burkhalter suggested that it was west of the Damascus road although this determination has been criticized by Lorraine Copeland 20 P E Gigues discovered a series of Neolithic flint tools on the surface along with the remains of a structure suggested to be a hut circle Auguste Bergy discussed polished axes that were also found at this site which has now completely disappeared as a result of construction and urbanization of the area 21 Beirut IV Furn esh Shebbak river banks was also on the left bank of the river and on either side of the road leading eastwards from the Furn esh Shebbak police station towards the river that marked the city limits The area was covered in red sand that represented Quaternary river terraces The site was found by Jesuit Father Dillenseger and published by fellow Jesuits Godefroy Zumoffen 19 Raoul Describes 22 and Auguste Bergy 21 Collections from the site were made by Bergy Describes and another Jesuit Paul Bovier Lapierre Many Middle Paleolithic flint tools were found on the surface and in side gullies that drain into the river They included around 50 varied bifaces accredited to the Acheulean period some with a lustrous sheen now held at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory Henri Fleisch also found an Emireh point amongst material from the site which has now disappeared beneath buildings Beirut V Nahr Beirut Beirut River was discovered by Dillenseger and said to be in an orchard of mulberry trees on the left bank of the river near the river mouth and to be close to the railway station and bridge to Tripoli Levallois flints and bones and similar surface material were found amongst brecciated deposits 23 The area has now been built on 24 Beirut VI Patriarchate was a site discovered while building on the property of the Lebanese Evangelical School for Girls in the Patriarchate area of Beirut It was notable for the discovery of a finely styled Canaanean blade javelin suggested to date to the early or middle Neolithic periods of Byblos and which is held in the school library 20 Beirut VII the Rivoli Cinema and Byblos Cinema sites near the Bourj in the Rue el Arz area are two sites discovered by Lorraine Copeland Peter Wescombe and Marina Hayek in 1964 and examined by Diana Kirkbride and Roger Saidah One site was behind the parking lot of the Byblos Cinema and showed collapsed walls pits floors charcoal pottery and flints The other overlooking a cliff west of the Rivoli Cinema was composed of three layers resting on limestone bedrock Fragments of blades and broad flakes were recovered from the first layer of black soil above which some Bronze Age pottery was recovered in a layer of grey soil Pieces of Roman pottery and mosaics were found in the upper layer 20 Middle Bronze Age tombs were found in this area and the ancient tell of Beirut is thought to be in the Bourj area 25 History EditFor a chronological guide see Timeline of Beirut The earliest settlement of Beirut was on an island in the Beirut River but the channel that separated it from the banks silted up and the island ceased to be Excavations in the downtown area have unearthed layers of Phoenician Hellenistic Roman Byzantine Arab Crusader and Ottoman remains 26 Phoenician period Edit Main article Phoenician port of Beirut The Phoenician port of Beirut was located between Rue Foch and Rue Allenby on the north coast The port or harbour was excavated and reported on several years ago and now lies buried under the city 27 Another suggested port or dry dock was claimed to have been discovered around 1 kilometre 0 62 miles to the west in 2011 by a team of Lebanese archaeologists from the Directorate General of Antiquities of Lebanese University Controversy arose on 26 June 2012 when authorization was given by Lebanese Minister of Culture Gaby Layoun for a private company called Venus Towers Real Estate Development Company to destroy the ruins archaeological site BEY194 in the 500 million construction project of three skyscrapers and a garden behind Hotel Monroe in downtown Beirut Two later reports by an international committee of archaeologists appointed by Layoun including Hanz Curver and an expert report by Ralph Pederson a member of the institute of Nautical Archaeology and now teaching in Marburg Germany dismissed the claims that the trenches were a port on various criteria The exact function of site BEY194 may never be known and the issue raised heated emotions and led to increased coverage on the subject of Lebanese heritage in the press 28 29 30 Hellenistic period Edit In 140 BC the Phoenician city was destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon during his conflict with Antiochus VII Sidetes for the throne of the Hellenistic Seleucid monarchy Laodicea in Phoenicia was built upon the same site on a more conventional Hellenistic plan Present day Beirut overlies this ancient one and little archaeology was carried out until after the civil war in 1991 The salvage excavations after 1993 have yielded new insights into the layout and history of this period of Beirut s history Public architecture included several areas and buildings 31 Mid 1st century coins from Berytus bear the head of Tyche goddess of fortune 32 on the reverse the city s symbol appears a dolphin entwines an anchor This symbol was later taken up by the early printer Aldus Manutius in 15th century Venice After a state of civil war and decline the Seleucid Empire faced King Tigranes the Great of the Kingdom of Armenia conquered Beirut and placed it under effective Armenian control However after the Battle of Tigranocerta Armenia forever lost their holdings in Syria and Beirut was conquered by Roman general Pompey Roman period Edit Roman Columns of Basilica near the Forum of Berytus Main article Berytus Laodicea was conquered by Pompey in 64 BC and the name Berytus was restored to it The city was assimilated into the Roman Empire soldiers were sent there and large building projects were undertaken 33 34 35 From the 1st century BC the Bekaa Valley served as a source of grain for the Roman provinces of the Levant and even for Rome itself Under Claudius Berytus expanded to reach the Bekaa Valley and include Heliopolis Baalbek The city was settled by Roman colonists who promoted agriculture in the region As a result of this settlement the city quickly became Romanized and the city became the only mainly Latin speaking area in the Syria Phoenicia province 36 In 14 BC during the reign of Herod the Great Berytus became a colony one of four in the Syria Phoenicia region and the only one with full Italian rights ius Italicum exempting its citizens from imperial taxation Beirut was considered the most Roman city in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire 36 Furthermore the veterans of two Roman legions were established in the city of Berytus by emperor Augustus the 5th Macedonian and the 3rd Gallic Legions 37 Berytus s law school was widely known 38 two of Rome s most famous jurists Papinian and Ulpian were natives of Phoenicia and taught there under the Severan emperors When Justinian assembled his Pandects in the 6th century a large part of the corpus of laws was derived from these two jurists and in AD 533 Justinian recognised the school as one of the three official law schools of the empire In 551 a major earthquake struck Berytus 10 33 39 causing widespread damage The earthquake reduced cities along the coast to ruins and killed many 30 000 in Berytus alone by some measurements 40 As a result the students of the law school were transferred to Sidon 41 Salvage excavations since 1993 have yielded new insights in the layout and history of Roman Berytus Public architecture included several bath complexes Colonnaded Streets a circus and theatre 31 residential areas were excavated in the Garden of Forgiveness Martyrs Square and the Beirut Souks 42 View of Beirut with snow capped Mount Sannine in the background 19th century Middle Ages Edit Beirut was conquered by the Muslims in 635 34 43 Prince Arslan bin al Mundhir founded the Principality of Sin el Fil in Beirut in 759 From this principality developed the later Principality of Mount Lebanon which was the basis for the establishment of Greater Lebanon today s Lebanon citation needed As a trading center of the eastern Mediterranean Beirut was overshadowed by Acre in modern day Israel during the Middle Ages From 1110 to 1291 the town and Lordship of Beirut was part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem The city was taken by Saladin in 1187 and recaptured in 1197 by Henry I of Brabant as part of the German Crusade of 1197 John of Ibelin known as the Old Lord of Beirut was granted the lordship of the city in 1204 He rebuilt the city after its destruction by the Ayyubids and also built the House of Ibelin palace in Beirut 43 Beirut Castle and waterfront 1868 In 1291 Beirut was captured and the Crusaders expelled by the Mamluk army of Sultan al Ashraf Khalil Ottoman rule Edit Pine Forest of Beirut 1914 Under the Ottoman sultan Selim I 1512 1520 the Ottomans conquered Syria including present day Lebanon Beirut was controlled by local Druze emirs throughout the Ottoman period 44 One of them Fakhr al Din II fortified it early in the 17th century but the Ottomans reclaimed it in 1763 45 With the help of Damascus Beirut successfully broke Acre s monopoly on Syrian maritime trade and for a few years supplanted it as the main trading center in the region During the succeeding epoch of rebellion against Ottoman hegemony in Acre under Jezzar Pasha and Abdullah Pasha Beirut declined to a small town with a population of about 10 000 and was an object of contention between the Ottomans the local Druze and the Mamluks After Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured Acre in 1832 46 Beirut began its revival View of Beirut s Grand Serail circa 1930 By the second half of the nineteenth century Beirut was developing close commercial and political ties with European imperial powers particularly France European interests in Lebanese silk and other export products transformed the city into a major port and commercial center 47 This boom in cross regional trade allowed certain groups such as the Sursock family to establish trade and manufacturing empires that further strengthened Beirut s position as a key partner in the interests of imperial dynasties Meanwhile Ottoman power in the region continued to decline Sectarian and religious conflicts power vacuums and changes in the political dynamics of the region culminated in the 1860 Lebanon conflict Beirut became a destination for Maronite Christian refugees fleeing from the worst areas of the fighting on Mount Lebanon and in Damascus 48 This in turn altered the religious composition of Beirut itself sowing the seeds of future sectarian and religious troubles there and in greater Lebanon However Beirut was able to prosper in the meantime This was again a product of European intervention and also a general realization amongst the city s residents that commerce trade and prosperity depended on domestic stability 49 After petitions by the local bourgeois the governor of Syria Vilayet Mehmed Rashid Pasha authorized the establishment of the Beirut Municipal Council 50 the first municipality established in the Arab provinces of the Empire 51 The council was elected by an assembly of city notables and played an instrumental role governing the city through the following decades 50 Vilayet of Beirut Edit In 1888 Beirut was made capital of a vilayet governorate in Syria 52 including the sanjaks prefectures Latakia Tripoli Beirut Acre and Bekaa 53 By this time Beirut had grown into a cosmopolitan city and had close links with Europe and the United States It also became a centre of missionary activity that spawned educational institutions such as the American University of Beirut Provided with water from a British company and gas from a French one silk exports to Europe came to dominate the local economy After French engineers established a modern harbour in 1894 and a rail link across Lebanon to Damascus and Aleppo in 1907 much of the trade was carried by French ships to Marseille French influence in the area soon exceeded that of any other European power The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica reported a population consisting of 36 000 Muslims 77 000 Christians 2 500 Jews 400 Druze and 4 100 foreigners 45 At the start of the 20th century Salim Ali Salam was one of the most prominent figures in Beirut holding numerous public positions including deputy from Beirut to the Ottoman parliament and President of the Municipality of Beirut Given his modern way of life the emergence of Salim Ali Salam as a public figure constituted a transformation in terms of the social development of the city An aerial panoramic view of Beirut in the last third of the 19th centuryIn his 2003 book entitled Beirut and its Seven Families Dr Yussef Bin Ahmad Bin Ali Al Husseini says The seven families of Beirut are the families who bonded among each other and made the famous historical agreement with the governor of the Syrian Coast in 1351 to protect and defend the city of Beirut and its shores and chase the invaders and stop their progress towards it Modern era Edit Capital of Lebanon Edit Debbas Square in Beirut 1967 After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire Beirut along with the rest of Lebanon was placed under the French Mandate Lebanon achieved independence in 1943 and Beirut became the capital city The city remained a regional intellectual capital becoming a major tourist destination and a banking haven 54 55 especially for the Persian Gulf oil boom This era of relative prosperity ended in 1975 when the Lebanese Civil War broke out throughout the country 56 57 During most of the war Beirut was divided between the Muslim west part and the Christian east citation needed The downtown area previously the home of much of the city s commercial and cultural activity became a no man s land known as the Green Line Many inhabitants fled to other countries About 60 000 people died in the first two years of the war 1975 1976 and much of the city was devastated A particularly destructive period was the 1978 Syrian siege of Achrafiyeh the main Christian district of Beirut Syrian troops relentlessly shelled the eastern quarter of the city 58 but Christian militias defeated multiple attempts by Syria s elite forces to capture the strategic area in a three month campaign later known as the Hundred Days War Green Line Beirut 1982 Another destructive chapter was the 1982 Lebanon War during which most of West Beirut was under siege by Israeli troops In 1983 French and US barracks were bombed killing 241 American servicemen 58 French servicemen six civilians and the two suicide bombers 59 60 61 Between 1989 and 1990 parts on East Beirut were destroyed in fighting between army units loyal to General Aoun and Samir Geagea s Lebanese Forces Since the end of the war in 1990 the people of Lebanon have been rebuilding Beirut whose urban agglomeration was mainly constituted during war time through an anarchic urban development 62 stretching along the littoral corridor and its nearby heights By the start of the 2006 Israel Lebanon conflict the city had somewhat regained its status as a tourist cultural and intellectual centre in the Middle East and as a center for commerce fashion and media The reconstruction of downtown Beirut has been largely driven by Solidere a development company established in 1994 by Prime Minister Rafic Hariri The city has hosted both the Asian Club Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Cup and has hosted the Miss Europe pageant nine times 1960 1964 1999 2001 2002 and 2016 Rafic Hariri was assassinated in 2005 near the Saint George Hotel in Beirut 63 64 A month later about one million people gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut 65 66 The Cedar Revolution was the largest rally in Lebanon s history at that time 67 The last Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut on 26 April 2005 68 and the two countries established diplomatic relations on 15 October 2008 69 During the 2006 Lebanon War Israeli bombardment caused damage in many parts of Beirut especially the predominantly Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut On 12 July 2006 the Operation Truthful Promise carried out by Hezbollah ended with 8 Israeli deaths and 6 injuries In response the IDF targeted Hezbollah s main media outlets There were then artillery raids against targets in southern Lebanon and the Israeli cabinet held Beirut responsible for the attacks Then on 13 July 2006 Israel began implementing a naval and air blockade over Lebanon during this blockade Israel bombed the runways at Beirut International Airport and the major Beirut Damascus highway in Eastern Lebanon 70 In May 2008 after the government decided to disband Hezbollah s communications network a decision it later rescinded violent clashes broke out briefly between government allies and opposition forces before control of the city was handed over to the Lebanese Army 71 After this a national dialogue conference was held in Doha at the invitation of the Prince of Qatar The conference agreed to appoint a new president of Lebanon and to establish a new national government involving all the political adversaries As a result of the Doha Agreement the opposition s barricades were dismantled and so were the opposition s protest camps in Martyrs Square 72 On 19 October 2012 a car bomb killed eight people in the Beirut s neighborhood of Achrafiyeh including Brigadier General Wissam al Hassan chief of the Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces In addition 78 others were wounded in the bombing 73 It was the largest attack in the capital since 2008 74 On 27 December 2013 a car bomb exploded in the Central District killing at least five people including the former Lebanese ambassador to the U S Mohamad Chatah and wounding 71 others 75 In the 12 November 2015 Beirut bombings two suicide bombers detonated explosives outside a mosque and inside a bakery killing 43 people and injuring 200 The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks 76 77 On 4 August 2020 a massive explosion in the Port of Beirut resulted in the death of at least 203 people with an additional three missing 78 and the wounding of more than 6 500 Foreigners from at least 22 countries were among the casualties Furthermore at least 108 Bangladeshis were injured in the blasts making them the most affected foreign community The cause of the blast is believed to be from government confiscated and stored ammonium nitrate 79 As many as 300 000 people have been left homeless by the explosion 80 Protesters in Lebanon called on the government on 8 August 2020 for the end of the alleged negligence that resulted in the 4 August explosion 81 On 10 August 2020 as a result of the protests Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his resignation 82 Weeks later a huge fire erupted in an oil and tyre warehouse in the port s duty free zone on 10 September 2020 83 Geography Edit Pigeon Rock Raouche Beirut from the International Space Station Beirut sits on a peninsula extending westward into the Mediterranean Sea 84 It is flanked by the Lebanon Mountains and has taken on a triangular shape largely influenced by its situation between and atop two hills Al Ashrafieh and Al Musaytibah The Beirut Governorate occupies 18 square kilometres 6 9 sq mi and the city s metropolitan area 67 square kilometres 26 sq mi 84 The coast is rather diverse with rocky beaches sandy shores and cliffs situated beside one another Climate Edit Beirut has a hot summer Mediterranean climate Koppen Csa characterized by mild days and nights as its coastal location allows temperatures to be moderated by the sea Autumn and spring are warm but short Winter is mild and rainy Summer is prolonged hot and muggy The prevailing wind during the afternoon and evening is from the west onshore blowing in from the Mediterranean at night it reverses to offshore blowing from the land out to sea The average annual rainfall is 825 millimetres 32 5 in with the large majority of it falling from October to April Much of the autumn and spring rain falls in heavy downpours on a limited number of days but in winter it is spread more evenly over many days Summer receives very little rainfall if any Snow is rare except in the mountainous eastern suburbs where snowfall occurs due to the region s high altitudes Hail which can often be heavy occurs a few times per year mostly during winter Climate data for Beirut International AirportMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 27 9 82 2 30 5 86 9 36 6 97 9 39 3 102 7 39 0 102 2 40 0 104 0 40 4 104 7 39 5 103 1 37 5 99 5 37 0 98 6 33 1 91 6 30 0 86 0 40 4 104 7 Average high C F 17 4 63 3 17 5 63 5 19 6 67 3 22 6 72 7 25 4 77 7 27 9 82 2 30 0 86 0 30 7 87 3 29 8 85 6 27 5 81 5 23 2 73 8 19 4 66 9 24 3 75 7 Daily mean C F 14 0 57 2 14 0 57 2 16 0 60 8 18 7 65 7 21 7 71 1 24 9 76 8 27 1 80 8 27 8 82 0 26 8 80 2 24 1 75 4 19 5 67 1 15 8 60 4 20 9 69 6 Average low C F 11 2 52 2 11 0 51 8 12 6 54 7 15 2 59 4 18 2 64 8 21 6 70 9 24 0 75 2 24 8 76 6 23 7 74 7 21 0 69 8 16 3 61 3 12 9 55 2 17 7 63 9 Record low C F 0 8 33 4 3 0 37 4 0 2 32 4 7 6 45 7 10 0 50 0 15 0 59 0 18 0 64 4 19 0 66 2 17 0 62 6 11 1 52 0 7 0 44 6 4 6 40 3 0 2 32 4 Average precipitation mm inches 154 6 1 127 5 0 84 3 3 31 1 2 11 0 4 1 0 0 0 3 0 01 0 0 5 0 2 60 2 4 115 4 5 141 5 6 730 28 7 Average rainy days 12 10 8 5 2 2 0 04 0 1 1 4 7 11 62Average relative humidity 64 64 64 66 70 71 72 71 65 62 60 63 66Average dew point C F 7 45 8 46 9 48 12 54 16 61 19 66 22 72 22 72 19 66 16 61 11 52 8 46 14 57 Mean monthly sunshine hours 131 143 191 243 310 348 360 334 288 245 200 147 2 940Source 1 Pogodaiklimat ru 85 Source 2 Danish Meteorological Institute sun 1931 1960 86 Source 3 Time and Date dewpoints between 1985 2015 87 Beirut mean sea temperature 88 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec18 5 C 65 3 F 17 5 C 63 5 F 17 5 C 63 5 F 18 5 C 65 3 F 21 3 C 70 3 F 24 9 C 76 8 F 27 5 C 81 5 F 28 5 C 83 3 F 28 1 C 82 6 F 26 0 C 78 8 F 22 6 C 72 7 F 20 1 C 68 2 F Environmental issues Edit Main article Marine environmental issues in Lebanon Lebanon especially Beirut and its suburbs suffered a massive garbage crisis mainly from July 2015 up to March 2016 The issue began when authorities shut down the main landfill site originally used for Beirut s garbage south east of the city and failed to provide any alternative solutions for months As a result garbage mounted in the streets in Greater Beirut and caused protests to erupt which sometimes invoked police action This problem was commonly blamed on the country s political situation This garbage crisis birthed a movement called You Stink which was directed at the country s politicians In March 2016 the government finally came up with a so called temporary solution to establish two new landfills East and South of the city to store the garbage while several municipalities across the country in an unprecedented move began recycling and managing waste more efficiently building waste management facilities and relying on themselves rather than the central government Moreover Beirut has a lack of green areas with just two main public gardens sanayeh and horch Beirut In fact concrete roofs cover 80 of the capital area 89 Quarters and sectors Edit Main article List of places in Beirut Map of the 12 quarters of Beirut Beirut is divided into 12 quarters quartiers 90 Achrafieh Dar Mreisse Bachoura Mazraa with the neighbourhood Badaro Medawar with the neighbourhood Mar Mikhael Minet El Hosn Moussaitbeh with Ramlet al Baida Port Ras Beirut Remeil Saifi Zuqaq al BlatThese quarters are divided into 59 sectors secteurs 91 Nightlife scene in Badaro Badaro is an edgy bohemian style neighborhood citation needed within the green district of Beirut secteur du parc which also include the Beirut Hippodrome and the Beirut Pine Forest and the French ambassador s Pine Residence It is one of Beirut s favorite hip nightlife destination citation needed Two of the twelve official Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are located in the southern suburbs of Beirut Bourj el Barajneh and Shatila There is also one within its municipal boundaries Mar Elias 92 Saint Nicholas staircase in Ashrafieh Ras Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea Southern suburban districts include Chiyah Ghobeiry Bir Hassan Jnah and Ouzai are part of the Ghobeiry municipality Haret Hreik Burj al Barajneh Laylake Mreijeh Hay al Sillum and Hadath Eastern suburbs include Burj Hammoud Sin el Fil Dekwane and Mkalles Hazmiyeh is also considered as an eastern suburb with its close proximity to the capital 92 Of the 15 unregistered or unofficial refugee camps Sabra which lies adjacent to Shatila is also located in southern Beirut 93 and was the scene of a massacre during the civil war 94 People in Lebanon often use different names for the same geographic locations and few people rely on official government provided street numbers Instead historic and commercial landmarks are more commonly used citation needed Demographics EditNo population census has been taken in Lebanon since 1932 95 but estimates of Beirut s population range from as low as 938 940 96 through 1 303 129 97 to as high as 2 200 000 as part of Greater Beirut 98 99 Religion Edit See also Religion in Lebanon Shia Islam in Lebanon Sunni Islam in Lebanon Christianity in Lebanon Secularism in Lebanon and Jews in Lebanon Religion in Beirut 2018 Elections results Islam 60 Christianity 37 4 Druze 1 1 Judaism 0 9 Other 0 6 Beirut is one of the most cosmopolitan and religiously diverse cities of Lebanon and all of the Middle East 100 Before the civil war the neighborhoods of Beirut were fairly heterogeneous but they became largely segregated by religion since the conflict 101 East Beirut has a mainly Christian population with a small Muslim minority whilst West Beirut has a Sunni Muslim majority with small minorities of Shia Christians and Druze citation needed Since the end of the civil war East and West Beirut have begun to see an increase in Muslims and Christians moving into each half Christians comprise 35 of Beirut s population Muslims 63 Druze 1 and others 1 citation needed Church of Saint George Maronite and Mohammad Al Amin Mosque side by side in Downtown Beirut Cathedral of St Elias and St Gregory the Illuminator in Downtown Beirut Cathedral of St George s Greek Orthodox in Downtown Beirut Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Downtown BeirutFamily matters such as marriage divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person s faith the Ottoman millet system Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities Beirut Central District EditMain article Beirut Central District The Beirut Central District BCD or Centre Ville is the name given to Beirut s historical and geographical core by Solidere the vibrant financial commercial and administrative hub of the country 102 It is an area thousands of years old traditionally a focus of business finance culture and leisure Its reconstruction constitutes one of the most ambitious contemporary urban developments 103 Due to the devastation incurred on the city center from the Lebanese Civil War the Beirut Central District underwent a thorough reconstruction and development plan that gave it back its cultural and economic position in the region Ever since Beirut Central District has evolved into an integrated business and commercial environment and the focus of the financial activity in the region That evolution was accompanied with the relocation of international organizations reoccupation of civic and government buildings expansion of financial activities and establishment of regional headquarters and global firms in the city center 104 Roman baths park in Downtown Beirut Assessment of the demand for build up space in the BCD has been done in reference to a number of macro economic demographic and urban planning considerations at a time of marked need for new activity poles in the city such as Souks financial cultural and recreational centers 105 The district s total area is 4 690 000 square metres 50 482 740 square feet the majority of which is dedicated to residential space 1 924 000 square metres or 20 709 764 square feet 106 The Beirut Central District contains over 60 gardens squares and open spaces These spaces comprise landscaped streets gardens historical squares pedestrian areas and sea promenades thus totaling to an area of 96 acres 39 ha of open spaces The central district is Lebanon s prime location for shopping entertainment and dining There are over 100 cafes restaurants pubs and nightclubs open in the Beirut Central District and over 350 retail outlets distributed along its streets and quarters Beirut Souks alone are home to over 200 stores and a handful of restaurants and cafes Beirut Souks are the Central District s old medieval market recently renovated along with the original Hellenistic street grid that characterized the old souks and the area s historical landmarks along long vaulted shopping alleys and arcades 107 Solidere the company responsible for the reconstruction and renovation of the district organizes music and entertainment events all throughout the year like the Beirut Marathon Fete de la Musique Beirut Jazz Festival However the means of urban development in this particular area of the city was subject to much criticism and controversy Rafic Hariri who would later become prime minister was the majority stakeholder of the company which raises concerns of conflict of interest in the context of a public private partnership 108 Many of the expropriations that have made the project possible have been made at undervalued land rates and partly paid in company share Strict urbanization laws were put in order to oblige people to sell and not renovate themselves 109 Today Solidere acts as a de facto municipality thus this quarter of the city is effectively privatized It is for example forbidden to ride bikes on Zeituna Bay a marina where many restaurants are located and these laws are enforced by private security guards not national or municipal police The project was also criticized for destroying some of the city s architectural and cultural heritage Among the hundreds of destroyed buildings were the last Ottoman and medieval remains in Beirut wrote American University of Beirut professor Nabil Beyhum in the Journal The Beirut Review in 1992 Much of the damage had been done through unapproved demolitions in the 1980s and early 1990s bringing down some of the capital s most significant buildings and structures wrote UCLA professor Saree Makdisi in the journal Critical Inquiry in 1997 110 Moreover many of the traditional privately owned shops in the Beirut Downtown were replaced by luxury outlets and high end restaurants that only few people could afford And most of public spaces promised by Solidere since the start of the reconstruction such as The Garden of Forgiveness a central park and an archaeological museum remain unfinished until today when putting into question the actual benefit of the project to the population 110 Finally the actual success of the project has recently when been in doubt given that large quarters of the BCD are today empty due to strong military presence the Nejmeh Square where the parliament is located is most frequently completely deserted and the businesses located there have mostly moved 111 Economy Edit Cafes in downtown Beirut Beirut s economy is service oriented with the main growth sectors being banking and tourism In an area dominated by authoritarian or militarist regimes the Lebanese capital was generally regarded as a haven of libertarianism though a precarious one citation needed With its seaport and airport coupled with Lebanon s free economic and foreign exchange system solid gold backed currency banking secrecy law and favorable interest rates Beirut became an established banking center for Arab wealth much of which was invested in construction commercial enterprise and industry mostly the manufacture of textiles and shoes food processing and printing 112 The economy of Beirut is diverse including publishing banking trade and various industries During that period Beirut was the region s financial services center At the onset of the oil boom starting in the 1960s Lebanon based banks were the main recipients of the region s petrodollars 113 Zaitunay Bay Beirut is the focal point of the Economy of Lebanon The capital hosts the headquarters of Banque du Liban Lebanon s central bank the Beirut Stock Exchange the head office of Lebanon s flag carrier Middle East Airlines the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia the Union of Arab Banks and the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges 114 Banking and finance Edit The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed The dispute is about Lebanese Liquidity Crisis Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced See the relevant discussion on the talk page May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Ras Beirut 1983 The Banking System is the backbone of the local economy with a balance sheet of 152 billion at the end of 2012 nearing 3 5 times the GDP estimated at 43 billion by the IMF 115 Bank deposits also increased in 2012 by 8 to 125 billion dollars 82 percent of the sector s assets Banks are still attracting deposits because the interest rates offered are higher than the ones in Europe and the United States says Marwan Mikhael head of research at BLOM Bank 116 Beirut s foreign reserves were still close to an all time high when they reached 32 5 billion in 2011 and analysts say that the Central Bank can cover nearly 80 percent of the Lebanese currency in the market This means that the Central Bank can easily cope with any unforeseen crisis in the future thanks to the massive foreign currency reserves 117 The Lebanese banking system is endowed with several characteristics that promote the role of Beirut as a regional financial center in terms of ensuring protection for foreign capital and earnings The Lebanese currency is fully convertible and can be exchanged freely with any other currency Moreover no restrictions are put on the free flow of capital and earnings into and out of the Lebanese economy The passing of the banking secrecy law on 3 September 1956 subjected all banks established in Lebanon as well as foreign banks branches to the secret of the profession Both article 16 of law No 282 dated 30 December 1993 and article 12 of decree No 5451 dated 26 August 1994 offer exemptions from income tax on all interest and revenues earned on all types of accounts opened in Lebanese banks On the first of April 1975 decree No 29 established a free banking zone by granting the Lebanese government the right to exempt non residents deposits and liabilities in foreign currency from the income tax on interest earned the required reserves imposed by the Banque Du Liban by virtue of article 76 of the Code of Money and Credit the premium of deposit guarantee imposed on bank deposits to the profit of the National Deposit Guarantee Institution 118 Tourism Edit Raouche The tourism industry in Beirut has been historically important to the local economy and remains to this day to be a major source of revenue for the city and Lebanon in general Before the Lebanese Civil War Beirut was widely regarded as the Paris of the Middle East 119 often cited as a financial and business hub where visitors could experience the Levantine Mediterranean culture Beirut s diverse atmosphere and ancient history make it an important destination which is slowly rebuilding itself after continued turmoil However in recent times certain countries such as the United States have frequently placed Lebanon and Beirut in particular on their travel warnings lists due to the many car bombings and orchestrated acts of political violence 120 121 122 Pigeon Rocks sunset According to the 2012 tourist statistics 34 of the tourists in Beirut came from states within the Arab League 33 came from European countries mainly France Germany and Britain and 16 from the Americas about half of which are from the United States 123 The largely pedestrianized Beirut Central District is the core of the Beirut tourism scene The district is a cluster of stone facade buildings lining arcaded streets and radial alleyways The architecture of the area is a mix of French Architecture and Venetian Gothic architecture mixed with Arabesque and Ottoman Architecture The district contains numerous old mosques and crusader churches as well as uncovered remnants and ruins of the Roman era The District contains dozens of restaurants cafes and pubs as well as a wide range of shopping stores mainly in Beirut Souks High rise hotels and towers line the district s New Waterfront marina and seaside promenade Another popular tourist destination in Beirut is the Corniche Beirut a 4 8 km 3 mi pedestrian promenade that encircles the capital s seafront from the Saint George Bay in the north all the way to Avenue de Paris and Avenue General de Gaulle south of the city The corniche reaches its maximum height above sea level at Raouche a high rise residential neighbourhood rising over a giant white limestone cliff and facing the recognisable off shore Raouche Rocks Badaro is one of Beirut s most appealing neighborhoods a lovely place to stroll during daytime and a destination for going out in the evening Badaro is within Beirut s green district with a 75 acre 30 hectare public park The Beirut Pine forest and a 50 acre 20 hectare hippodrome It is a neighborhood on a very human scale with small groceries around every corner The neighborhood residents a mix of old impoverished Christian bourgeoisie bohemian style people in their 30s and well established urban professionals are loyal to local bakery and pastry shops Because of the blossoming cafe and bar scene it has become lately a hip destination for Beirut s young and restless but old Beirutis remember that Badaro was already Beirut s version of the Village in the swinging sixties citation needed Groceries and eateries can be found on almost every street of the area citation needed There are dozens of restaurants pubs and footpath cafes of virtually every style citation needed Badaro Village thrives on local residents day trippers and hipsters from all over Beirut office employees and many expatriates citation needed Hamra Street is a long cobblestone street connecting the Beirut Central District with the coastal Raouche area The street is a large concentration of shopping stores boutiques restaurants banks street vendors footpath cafes newspaper kiosks and a booming nightlife spurred by students from the neighboring American University of Beirut The AUB campus is another popular visitor destination composed of a cluster of 19th century red roofed buildings dispersed on a wooded hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Gemmayzeh is Beirut s artistic bohemian quarter full of narrow streets and historic buildings from the French era It is located East of the Beirut Central District bordering the Saifi Village The neighborhood is well known for its trendy bars and pubs cafes restaurants and lounges most are directly located on Rue Gouraud the main thoroughfare that cuts through the middle of the district Travel Leisure magazine called Gemmayzeh SoHo by the Sea due to its colorful and chic cafes amid 1950s apartment buildings and hole in the wall shops 124 However Gemmayzeh received the most damage by the Beirut explosion in 2020 125 Beirut is a destination for tourists from both the Arab world and West 126 In Travel Leisure magazine s World Best Awards 2006 it was ranked the 9th best city in the world 127 That list was voted upon shortly before the 2006 Lebanon War broke out but in 2008 The Guardian listed Beirut as one of its top ten cities in the world 128 The New York Times ranked it at number one on its 44 places to go list of 2009 129 2011 MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut had the second highest visitor spending levels in the Middle East and Africa totaling 6 5 billion 130 Beirut was chosen in 2012 by Conde Nast Traveller as the best city in the Middle East beating Tel Aviv and Dubai 131 Many of the tourists are returning Lebanese expatriates but many are from Western countries Approximately 3 million visitors visited in 2010 the previous record was 1 4 million in 1974 132 Like other forms of tourism medical tourism in Lebanon is on the rise recently Although visitors from neighboring Arab nations make up the bulk of medical tourism patients here due to its proximity Beirut is strongly trying to woo more Southern Europeans Asians and North Americans to its land Its Agency for Investment Development in Lebanon reports that growth in the medical tourism industry is growing by up to 30 a year since 2009 The country s tourism ministry is working closely with the medical sector and top class hotels to create an organized quality medical destination 133 Major hotel and spa chains work with local clinics travel agencies and the tourism ministry to create comprehensive healthcare and recuperation packages for foreign visitors The government is highly involved in this industry and strives to make the process as easy as possible 134 Cosmetic surgery is a major component of medical tourism in Lebanon Most of the foreign patients come for routine operations like plastic surgery dental or eye surgery and Beirut s hospitals are also capable of performing specialized procedures such as internal bypass surgery and other technical treatments Its top clinics and hospitals like Sahel General are equipped to handle the full range of surgical procedures Beirut based Clemenceau Medical Center CMC affiliated with Johns Hopkins International was ranked one of the world s top ten best hospitals for medical tourism in 2012 135 Government EditBeirut is the capital of Lebanon and its seat of government 136 The Lebanese Parliament 137 all the Ministries and most of the public administrations embassies and consulates are there 138 Beirut Governorate is one of eight mohafazat plural of mohafazah or governorate Name Took office Left office1 Kamel Hamieh 1936 19412 Nicholas Rizk 1946 19523 George Assi 1952 19564 Bachour Haddad 1956 19585 Philip Boulos 1959 19606 Emile Yanni 1960 19677 Shafic Bou Haydar 1967 19778 Mitri El Nammar 1977 19879 George Smaha 1987 199110 Nayef El Malouf 1992 199511 Nicholas Saba 1995 199912 Jacob Sarraf 1999 200513 Nassif Kaloush 2005 200814 Rachid Ammoury Maalouf 2008 201515 Jamal Itani 2016 Present Facade of the Beirut City Hall The Grand Serail Lebanese Parliament United Nations Lebanon headquartersInternational Organizations Edit The city is home to numerous international organizations The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA is headquartered in downtown Beirut 139 140 The Arab Air Carriers Organization AACO 141 the Union of Arab Banks 142 and the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges 143 and the World youth alliance are also headquartered in the city The International Labour Organization ILO 144 and UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization 145 both have regional offices in Beirut covering the Arab world Education EditHigher education throughout Lebanon is provided by universities colleges and technical and vocational institutes The Directorate General of Higher Education is responsible for managing universities colleges and institutes in Beirut and nationwide 146 The American University of Beirut AUB and Universite Saint Joseph USJ are the oldest English language and French language universities in the country respectively AUB was founded in 1866 and USJ in 1875 The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher education in Beirut 146 Beirut is also home to Lebanese American University LAU American University of Science and Technology AUST University of Balamand Ecole Superieure des Affaires ESA Beirut Arab University BAU Haigazian University HU Lebanese International University LIU Notre Dame University Louaize NDU and Universite La Sagesse ULS 147 148 149 150 151 Among the private secondary schools in Beirut are Lycee Abdel Kader Grand Lycee Franco Libanais Lycee Franco Libanais Verdun American Community School International College College Louise Wegmann Rawdah High School Saint Mary s Orthodox College 152 College Notre Dame de Nazareth College du Sacre Coeur Gemmayze College Protestant Francais Armenian Evangelical Central High School German School of Beirut and the Armenian Hamazkayin Arslanian College AUB established in 1866 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Saint Joseph University or Universite Saint Joseph founded by the Jesuits in 1875 American University of Science and Technology established in Beirut in 1989 Haigazian University was founded in 1955 by the Armenian Evangelical community Global University in Beirut Ecole superieure des affaires founded in 1996 as a joint co operation between the Paris Chamber of Commerce Chambre de Commerce et d Industrie de Paris and the Bank of LebanonTransportation EditMain article Transport in Beirut Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport The city s renovated airport is the Rafic Hariri International Airport located in the southern suburbs The Port of Beirut one of the largest and most commercial in the eastern Mediterranean is another port of entry As a final destination Lebanon can be reached by road from Damascus via the Beqaa valley in the east 153 Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria such as Homs and its capital Damascus There are a number of different companies providing public transport in Lebanon The publicly owned buses are managed by Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun OCFTC Railway and Public Transportation Authority Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station 154 The ministry of transport and public works purchased an extra 250 intra and inter buses in 2012 to better serve regions outside the capital as well as congestion choked Beirut hoping to lessen the use of private cars citation needed Beirut has also private buses that are provided by the Lebanese Commuting Company In 2017 Beirut introduced a bike sharing service in certain areas of the city Culture Edit The Garden Show amp Spring Festival at the Beirut Hippodrome The culture of Beirut has evolved under the influence of many different peoples and civilizations such as Greeks Romans Arabs Ottoman Turks and French The law school in downtown Beirut was one of the world s earliest and was considered to be a leading center of legal studies in the Eastern Roman Empire Beirut hosted the Francophonie and Arab League summits in 2002 and in 2007 it hosted the ceremony for the Prix Albert Londres 155 156 which rewards outstanding francophone journalists every year The city also hosted the Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009 157 158 In the same year it was proclaimed World Book Capital by UNESCO 159 Beirut has also been called the party capital of the Arab world 160 Rue Monnot has an international reputation among clubbers 161 and Rue Gouraud in districts such as Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael have emerged as new hotspots for bar patrons and clubbers as well as The Alleyway in Hamra Street Museums Edit The National Museum of Beirut Sursock Museum The National Museum of Beirut is the principal museum of archaeology in Lebanon It has about 1 300 exhibits ranging in date from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period 162 The Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut is the third oldest museum in the Middle East exhibiting a wide range of artefacts from Lebanon and neighboring countries 163 Sursock Museum was built by the illustrious Sursock family at the end of the 19th century as a private villa for Nicolas Sursock and then donated to the Lebanese state upon his death It now houses Beirut s most influential and popular art museum The permanent collection shows a set of Japanese engravings numerous works of Islamic art and classic Italian paintings while temporary exhibitions are also shown throughout the year The Robert Mouawad Private Museum near Beirut s Grand Serail exhibits Henri Pharaon s private collection of archaeology and antiques 164 165 Planet Discovery is a children s science museum with interactive experiments exhibitions performances workshops and awareness competitions 166 The Saint Joseph University opened the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory in 2000 the first prehistory museum in the Arabic Middle East displaying bones stone tools and neolithic pottery collected by Jesuits 167 In October 2013 Mim Museum a private mineral museum opened its doors to the public It has on display some 2000 minerals from more than 70 countries Mim museum s collection is considered to be one of the world s paramount private collection for the variety and quality of its minerals 168 169 A didactic circuit accompanied by screens showing films and scientific applications of mineralogy will reveal a world of unsuspected marvels priceless both from an aesthetic and scientific point of view Mimodactylus libanensis mimo the fossil of a pterodactyl is featured in a special wing This one of a kind complete specimen in the Middle East was found in Lebanon It is promoted by means of state of the art modern techniques a hologram an auto stereoscopic movie a full scale reconstitution and a game fly with mimo an entertainment that delights children and adults Moreover Mim hosts a thematic exhibition of 200 marine fossils Fish n Stone was organised with the collaboration of Memoire du Temps Known throughout the world those fossils were quarried in the Lebanese mountains The history of the fossil formation is shown through an animation that submerses you in the marine life a time capsule that takes you in a journey to some 100 million of years ago Tourism Edit Beirut was named the top place to visit by The New York Times in 2009 129 and as one of the ten liveliest cities in the world by Lonely Planet in the same year 170 According to a 2010 study by the American global consulting firm Mercer comparing high end items such as upscale residential areas and entertainment venues Beirut was ranked as the 4th most expensive city in the Middle East and 15th among the Upper Middle Income Countries included in the survey 171 Beirut came in first place regionally and 10th place internationally in a 2010 study by EuroCost International about the rental markets for high quality housing 172 173 Beirut is an international hub of highly active and diverse nightlife with bars dance bars and nightclubs staying open well past midnight 174 175 The 2011 MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut had the second highest visitor spending levels in the Middle East and Africa totaling 6 5 billion 130 Beirut was chosen in 2012 by Conde Nast Traveller as the best city in the Middle East 131 In 2013 Conde Nast Traveller ranked Beirut in the top 20 best cities in the world 176 On 7 December 2014 Beirut was selected to be among the New 7 Wonders of Cities along with Doha Durban La Paz Havana Kuala Lumpur and Vigan 177 The campaign was held by New 7 Wonders 178 In 2016 Yahoo listed Beirut as the best international city for food 179 Travel and Leisure ranked Beirut in the top 15 of the world s best cities 180 It was voted the must visit city for the year 2019 by World Tourists citation needed Due to anti government protests as of October 2019 followed by dire economic situation and travel bans due to coronavirus outbreak the tourism sector was badly affected resulting in decrease of number of tourists Media Edit Beirut is a main centre for the television radio stations newspaper and book publishing industries Television stations based in Beirut include Tele Liban LBC oTV Orange TV MTV Lebanon Tele Lumiere Catholic TV Future TV New TV NBN ANB and Saudi TV 1 on 33 UHF and MBC 1 MBC 4 MBC Action Fox Al Jazeera Rotana OSN First OSN News Al Yawm and Arabic Series Channel on 45 UHF Radio Stations include Mix FM Lebanon Virgin Radio Lebanon Radio One Lebanon Sawt el Ghad RLL Jaras Scoop NRJ Lebanon Newspapers include Daily Beirut An Nahar Al Joumhouria As Safir Al Mustaqbal Al Akhbar Al Balad Ad Diyar Al Anwar Al Sharq Newspapers and magazines published in French include L Orient Le Jour since 1970 La Revue Du Liban Al Balad French Version Al Intiqad Magazine L Hebdo and Le Commerce du Levant English newspapers published in Beirut are The Daily Star Executive Magazine weekly Beirut Online Beirut Times weekly and Monday Morning Sports Edit The Lebanese capital hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1959 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in 1999 2000 2012 the AFC Asian Cup in 2000 and the FIBA Asia Cup in 2010 Beirut was the host city for the 6th Annual Games of the Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009 Beirut also hosted the Pan Arab Games in 1957 1997 and did so again in 2015 In 2017 Beirut also hosted the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Beirut with Sidon and Tripoli hosted the 2000 AFC Asian Cup 181 182 There are two stadiums in the city Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and Beirut Municipal Stadium Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon Currently 4 Beirut teams play in Lebanese Basketball League Hekmeh Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut Homenetmen Beirut and Beirut Other sports events in Beirut include the annual Beirut Marathon hip ball weekly horse racing at the Beirut Hippodrome and golf and tennis tournaments that take place at Golf Club of Lebanon Three out of the five teams in the Lebanese rugby league championship are based in Beirut Lebanon men s national ice hockey team plays out of Montreal in Canada Art and fashion Edit Beirut Souks shopping mall There are hundreds of art galleries in Beirut and its suburbs Every year hundreds of fine art students graduate from universities and institutions Artist workshops exist all over Lebanon The inauguration of the Beirut Art Center a non profit association space and platform dedicated to contemporary art in Lebanon 183 in the Mkalles suburb of Beirut added to the number of exhibition spaces available in the city with a screening and performance room mediatheque book store cafe and terrace Adjacent to the latter is the Ashkal Alwan Home Workspace a venue hosting cultural events and educational programs A number of international fashion designers who have displayed their work in big fashion shows 184 Most major fashion labels have shops in Beirut s shopping districts and the city is home to a number of local fashion designers some of whom like Elie Saab Yara Farhat Reem Acra Zuhair Murad Georges Chakra Georges Hobeika Jean Faris Nicolas Jebran Rabih Kayrouz and Abed Mahfouz have achieved international fame 184 Beirut is also the home for a dynamic street art scene that has developed after the Lebanese Civil War one of the most notable street artists is Yazan Halwani who is known to produce the largest murals on the walls of Beirut in areas such as Gemmayzeh Hamra Verdun and Achrafieh 185 Beirut is also international artists concert tour stop city Artists like Shakira Mariah Carey Enrique Iglesias Andrea Bocelli Pitbull Engelbert Humperdinck Scorpions and many more have included Beirut on their concert tours In art literature and popular culture EditTawfiq Yusuf Awwad s 1972 novel Death In Beirut Arabic طواحين بيروت takes place in Beirut in the late 1960s Ghada al Samman s 1977 book Beirut Nightmares Arabic كوابيس بيروت describes Beirut during the civil war in the mid 1970s Caramel a 2007 film by Nadine Labaki tells the story of five women who work in a beauty salon in Beirut The 2008 Israeli animated film Waltz with Bashir portrays Beirut during the Israeli invasion in 1982 William Henry Bartlett painted a view of the city with Mount Lebanon in the background in 1838 with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon as The Cedars of Lebanon 186 American rock band Beirut is named for the city 187 In the American television series Homeland the episode Beirut Is Back 2012 was widely mocked for its portrayal of Beirut s Hamra neighborhood which the show depicted as being a Hezbollah stronghold Lebanon s government considered filing a lawsuit in response to the episode 188 Gallery Edit Beirut 1913 Aerial view of Beirut 1970 source source source source source source source source Beirut 1965 Beirut Corniche Cliffs Beirut source source source source source source source source source source source Beirut 1919 Martyrs Monument Central Beirut Passage Beirut Beirut at nightTwin towns and sister cities EditBeirut is twinned with 189 Athens Greece Los Angeles United States Paris France Yerevan Armenia 190 191 Lusaka ZambiaSee also EditBeirut International Exhibition amp Leisure Center 2020 Beirut explosionNotes Edit b eɪ ˈ r uː t bay ROOT 3 Arabic بيروت romanized Bayrut French Beyrouth The Roman name was taken in 1934 for the archaeological journal published by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut 15 References EditCitations Edit Cooke Rachel 22 November 2006 Paris of the east More like Athens on speed The Guardian a b Lebanon Administrative Division Governorates and Districts Population Statistics Charts and Map Jones Daniel 2011 Roach Peter Setter Jane Esling John eds Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary 18th ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 15255 6 Questions amp Answers Water Supply Augmentation Project Lebanon The World Bank 30 September 2016 Retrieved 20 March 2016 The World According to GaWC 2020 GaWC Research Network Globalization and World Cities Retrieved 31 August 2020 Reconstruction of Beirut Archived 16 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Macalester College Lebanon s Reconstruction A Work in Progress VOA News Beirut Between Memory And Desire Worldview Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 The New Encyclopaedia Britannica 1993 Macropaedia volume 14 15th edition Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc Chicago a b c Profile of Lebanon History on the former website of the Lebanese Embassy of the U S EA 141 43 Phoenicia in Encyclopaedia Biblica Case Western Reserve University Cooke George Albert 1911 Phoenicia In Chisholm Hugh ed Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 21 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 451 E g EA 105 where he complains to the pharaoh that Beirut s king had stolen two of his merchants ships Berytus Archeological Studies Archived 23 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine American University of Beirut AUB Under Beirut s Rubble Remnants of 5 000 Years of Civilization NYTimes 23 February 1997 Burkhalter L Bibliographie prehistorique a suivre List of prehistoric sites continuation and end Bulletin du Musee de Beyrouth Tome VIII 1946 1948 Beyrouth in 4 br 173 pages Burkhalter L Bibliographie prehistorique suite et fin List of prehistoric sites continuation and end Bulletin du Musee de Beyrouth Tome IX 1949 1950 Beyrouth in 4 br 117 pages a b Godefroy Zumoffen 1900 La Phenicie avant les pheniciens l age de la pierre Impr catholique a b c d e Lorraine Copeland P Wescombe 1965 Inventory of Stone Age sites 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autonomous bronze coins had a Tyche on the obverse The reverse often had Poseidon or Astarte standing on the prow of a ship the letters BH or LA and the monogram F that is the initials of Berytos Laodikeia and Phoenicia and on a few coins the Phoenician legend LL DK S BKN N or LL DK M BKN N which has been read as Of Laodikcia which is in Canaan or Of Laodikcia Mother in Canaan The quasi municipal coins issued under Antiochos IV Epiphanes 175 164 BC and continuing with Alexander I Balas 150 145 BC Demetrios II Nikator 146 138 BC and Alexander II Zabinas 128 123 BC contained the king s head on the obverse and on the reverse the name of the king in Greek the city name in Phoenician LL DK S BKN N or LL DK M BKN N the Greek letters LA and the monogram F After c 123 BC the Phoenician Of Laodikcia which is in Canaan Of Laodikcia Mother in Canaan is no longer attested a b About Beirut and Downtown Beirut DownTownBeirut com Retrieved 17 November 2007 a b Beirut Lonely Planet Retrieved 25 August 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Archived from the original on 21 February 2008 Retrieved 13 January 2008 better source needed Yerevan Twin Towns amp Sister Cities Yerevan Municipality Official Website 2005 2013 www yerevan am Retrieved 4 November 2013 ԵՐԵՎԱՆԻ ՔԱՂԱՔԱՊԵՏԱՐԱՆՊԱՇՏՈՆԱԿԱՆ ԿԱՅՔ Yerevan expanding its international relations www yerevan am in Armenian Archived from the original on 12 May 2013 Retrieved 5 August 2013 Bibliography Edit Hall Linda Jones 2004 Roman Berytus Beirut in Late Antiquity Head Barclay et al 1911 Phoenicia Historia Numorum 2nd ed Oxford Clarendon Press pp 788 801 Kassir Samir 2003 Histoire de Beyrouth in French Fayard Kassir Samir 2010 Beirut Berkeley University of California Press Mansel Philip 2010 Levant Splendour and Catastrophe on the Mediterranean London John Murray ISBN 978 0 7195 6707 0 Talbert Richard 2000 Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World p 69 ISBN 0 691 03169 X External links EditBeirut at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Resources from Wikiversity Travel information from Wikivoyage Wikimedia Atlas of Lebanon Beirut at Curlie Map of Beirut 1936 Eran Laor Cartographich Collection The National Library of Israel Historic Cities Research Project Portal Lebanon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Beirut amp oldid 1148677067, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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