Things to see and do Lebanon

Built by the Emir Bachir II Chéhab in the early th century, the palace will be built on the site of a Khalwa (Druze prayer place) based on plans made by Italian architects. Overlooking the valley, set in 60 000 m ² of gardens and orchards arranged in terraces, the palace with its large courses plays with the sun and outlook. Originally Lebanese architecture, built between the th and th centuries, it consists of cours-centric courses.

From the end of the 1914 th century to 1982, the palace became the residence of the government of the moutassarefs and, of independence to, the summer residence of the Presidents of the Lebanese Republic. In 1934, the Palace of the People was classified as a historic monument and the management of the Antiquities was responsible for its restoration. In 1982, the Israeli invasion unfortunately led to a number of ravages and looting.

Since then, renovation work led by Druze political leader Walid Jumblat, the opening of museums and the creation of a summer festival in August have enabled the Beiteddine Palace to become a dynamic cultural centre. This palace is absolutely superb and is one of the most important tourist sites in Lebanon.

Grand court (midan). A large courtyard, metres long, opens to the southwest on the valley. At the opposite is the madafa, a large building reserved for the guests in the past. Lamartine would have benefited from this hospitality during his trip to the East. In the centre of the midan a large basalt slab in the middle of which flows the "immortal flame", lit in 1984 in memory of the men fallen into the field of honour during the war of the Mountain. At the bottom of the court, the pink granite bust of Kamal Jumblat, offered by the Soviet Union, seems to supervise visitors to the visitors.

Rachid Karami Museum. Set in the mafada, the Rachid Karami Museum (former Lebanese Prime Minister, assassinated) presents a collection of ancient objects, some of which go back to the age of bronze, antique jewels (mainly earrings and rings), photographs - black and white - of Lebanon of the 1950 s and of Roman metal sarcophagi. An arms exhibition, the oldest of which dates back to the th century, followed by a presentation of traditional costumes dating from the feudal period of Mount Lebanon, closing the visit.

Dar el Wousta or flag Sheikh Bachir Jumblat. At the end of the midan, you can reach a two-volées staircase at the central part of the palace (Dar el Wousta) built around a courtyard with a water jet and guarded by a sentinel. This part of the palace, known as the «Sheikh Bachir Jumblat» in the memory of the politician who stood at Bachir II, is now reserved for guests. From the entrance gate, a vaulted corridor leads to the right of the apartments of the Hamadeh family which was once entrusted with the protection of the palace. The beautiful reception rooms, located on the ground floor, expose visitors to their sumptuous woodwork painted by damascènes artists called «comandaloune».

In the southwest part of the central courtyard, a terrace overlooks the gardens of the palace. At this level, the reception hall - a magnificent piece - called the Salamlik, adorned with a patchwork of marble and carved wood and built on two levels was originally intended to receive dignitaries from the palace or the visitors of the mark.

Dar el Harim, the private apartments. In front of the entrance to the central court, the private apartments of the Amir Bachir. This part of the palace is the oldest and consists of the superior harem, the reception hall, the lower harem, the kitchens and the baths. A large portal with polychrome marbles gave access to the harem that retains all its intimacy around its closed courtyard of the jet fountains of marble.

Left of the portal, a small door opens onto the Diwan, a boardroom of the Sovereign or the ministers richly decorated with mosaics of marble, stucco and coloured woodwork. Here, the Amir settled the major problems of the Principality. For the main circumstances, it would install itself in the raised apse, thus keeping distance from its visitors.

Hammam. In the north of the harem pavilion are the sumptuous baths which present, as in ancient tradition, cold and hot rooms. On the ceiling, domes with centre glass centre allow light to be filtered. In the first room, sofas, located around a basin, allowed users to rest before or after the bath by chatting and smoking the shisha. In the following rooms, as in the Roman baths, came, Tépidarium and Calidarium were came.

Byzantine Mosaic Museum and stables. Housed in the former stables Dar el-Wousta and Dar el-Harim, formerly used to host more than six hundred riders - and horses - and five hundred foot soldiers, is the Museum of Mosaics. These splendid mosaics - carried at Walid Jumblat's request at the Beiteddine Palace - come from churches such as Jiyyé, former port of Porphyrion or Ouzaï (which represents a Ktisis of Ktisis «the Foundation» in the form of a character dressed in military costume). Once restored, these works dating from the Fifth and life centuries of our era were installed with other floors in the old stables and palace gardens. This collection of Byzantine mosaics is currently one of the most important in the Middle East.

Khalwa de Beiteddine. Located at the end of the palace - right next to the museum of Mosaics - the «Khalwa», the Druze prayer place, which existed well before the palace.

Tomb of the Emir Bachir II Chehab (Sitt Chams). The remains of Bashir II, died in Constantinople in 1840, were brought back to Turkey in 1943 by Bechara el Khoury, then President of the Lebanese Republic. The tomb of the Amir is currently stored in the garden located north-east of the palace. Emir Bachir II had built a palace for each of his three sons: Qassim, Khalil and Amine. Celui is now in ruins and can be seen at the top of the hill facing the Grand Palais. The second, that of Khalil serves as a seraglio and is occupied by the administration of Beiteddine. The palace of Amine, the third son of the Emir Bachir and his wife sits Chams, was built by the Amir and completed in 1838. The palace is now restored to 950 m, the true feat of oriental architecture. In 1987, it was transformed into a luxury hotel after serving as a private club in the army during the 1970 s.

To the west of the current city, the Roman acropolis surprises travellers with its gigantic proportions. In winter on a sunny day, the site is exceptional with its colours and snow-covered neighbouring peaks. In summer, in full sunlight, the visit can be tiring. It is therefore preferable to arrive early in the morning. You can request a guide to comment on your visit. It takes about two hours to visit the ruins.

Propylae. The ruins can be reached by a monumental staircase leading to the propylées (entrance to the sanctuary). It was built by the Germans between 1900 and 1904. The original staircase was used to build the ramparts of the Arab fortress. At the top of the stairs, there was a portico supported by twelve columns 8 m high and delimited by two towers erected at each end. A cedar wood frame once covered the portico. The back wall had three doors through it. The large central gate was reserved for the clergy while the other two allowed access for the people.

The hexagonal courtyard. Behind the propylées, the courtyard in the shape of an oriental star was reserved for the recollection of the faithful. A portico surrounded this space on which exedras opened (rectangular rooms decorated with niches and preceded by columns). The hexagonal courtyard was transformed by Theodosius into a church, then the Arabs in the 7th century modified the structure of the surrounding wall for military purposes. A bas-relief of Jupiter-Héliopolitain, found near Baalbek, has been deposited by German archaeologists near the entrance to the Great Court. The god is represented in the form of a man carrying a basket (calathos) on his head. Surrounded by two bulls, he wields a whip in his right hand while his left hand grabs the lightning bolt.

The big courtyard. Main courtyard of the acropolis, it was here that the main rites of purification were performed. Surrounded by twelve exedras opening onto a portico, it had two altars in its centre. Probably the most important was used for the solemn ceremonies; or perhaps it was a platform for the faithful to contemplate the statue of Jupiter Heliopolitan erected at the bottom of the temple. It is also not known what use the second, smaller altar was intended for. Some see a base that supported the statue of Jupiter; others see a terrace reserved for the clergy and more specifically for the priests. On either side of the two altars, a basin decorated with bas-reliefs shows various scenes from Roman mythology (Medusa, Cupid riding dragons, funeral geniuses...). A system of pipes brought the water to the basins where ritual ablutions and the purification of the animal to be sacrificed were carried out. Theodosius disrupted the architecture of the great courtyard by building a Christian basilica on the site of the two altars. The French archaeological mission decided to dismantle the building, thus restoring the acropolis to its original appearance.

Temple of Jupiter. Unique in its kind, the temple of Jupiter surpassed all the temples of the ancient Greek-Roman world in size and beauty. Dominating the large courtyard thanks to its enormous basement formed by titanic blocks, the temple was 89 m long and 50 m wide. It would appear that the transport of these blocks - from the quarries to the site - was made possible by the construction of an inclined road where the stones were slid with the help of rollers placed underneath. The entrance is accessed by a huge three-panel staircase. Fifty-four Corinthian columns surrounded the cella: ten columns, 21 m high, formed the frontal peristyle while nineteen, six of which are still standing, formed the lateral part. These six columns are a strong symbol of Lebanon's history. Behind this peristyle, a second row of columns reinforced the building facing the Levant. An entablature 5.30 m high rested on the capitals. The details of the frieze can still be seen above the remaining six columns where young lions and calves, lost in a fine lace of bas-reliefs, share the decor. A miraculously preserved fragment of a cornice (lion's head as a gargoyle) is still visible in the courtyard along the Bacchus Temple. At the bottom of the temple was the statue of Jupiter Heliopolitan.

The medieval citadel. Between the temples of Jupiter and Bacchus, there are the Arabic fortifications. Some pillars mark the location of an old mosque. Inscriptions from 1238 have been found there.

The temple of Bacchus. One of the best preserved architectural works in the ancient world, the Bacchus Temple, although it appears small in comparison to its neighbour, is nevertheless larger than the Parthenon of Athens. 68 m long and 36 m wide, this peripatetic temple, which was accessed by a wide staircase, was preceded by a courtyard with porticoes. A peristyle, consisting of forty-two 8 m high columns and a pronaos (a kind of vestibule) decorated with eight fluted columns, surrounded the cella (the main element of the temple). The peristyle supports an entablature decorated with very beautiful bas-reliefs, connected to the cella by large slabs forming a beautifully decorated barrel ceiling. Geometric drawings frame the bust of various mythological deities. Among them, on the northern peristyle, we can recognize Cleopatra - stung by an aspic -, Mars, a winged victory.... The south-eastern part is less well preserved, with many columns collapsing below. The wonderfully carved cella portal will surprise visitors with its imposing dimensions. On the lintel, we can still see an eagle enclosing a caduceus and holding in its beak the ends of two garlands held by two winged geniuses. Inside the cella, the side walls are decorated with Corinthian columns. At the back, a staircase leads to the adyton, a sanctuary reserved for priests where the statue of the god was enthroned. Not all archaeologists agree on the nature of the divinity honored in this temple. For some, it would be Bacchus, others see it as the consecration of Venus or Jupiter. Some of the graffiti that covers the southwest wall of the sanctuary dates back to the 19th century. This temple was transformed into a barracks during the Arab period. To the left of the entrance to the Bacchus Temple, a tower built by the Mamluks in the 14th century reinforced the fortress. A small museum is located there. A staircase leads down to a small room where sarcophagi are kept, including the one of Douris which still contains a skeleton.

The exit from the acropolis is via an underground tunnel dating back to Roman times. These large galleries dug under the great courtyard accessed sort of stables housing animals for sacrifice and, on the outer sides, large recesses led to dwellings reserved for temple servants.

Trilithon. Leaving the acropolis, walk around the surrounding wall to contemplate a set of 3 stone blocks measuring approximately 19.5 m long by 4.5 m high and 4 m wide. Each weighs between 750 and 1,000 t.

The museum. Before reaching the exit of the site, it is possible to visit a small museum that exhibits some objects. The interest is mainly in the panels that retrace the history of the site and the archaeological excavations. Do not hesitate to take the time to stroll through this longitudinal museum. It is interesting and well done.

Temple of Venus. Located opposite the acropolis parking lot, from which it is separated by the road, the temple of Venus stands on a pentagonal podium. Its original design, in the shape of a horseshoe, and the interior sculptures (shells, doves) that decorate the cella pay homage to Venus, goddess of Love, Beauty and Fertility. Under the reign of Emperor Constantine, the temple was transformed into a church dedicated to Saint Barbara. On the other side of the street along the temple of Venus emerge the ruins of the great Umayyad mosque, apparently built on the remains of a church dedicated to Saint John.

The site is accessed by road along the Palestinian camp of Al Bass east of Tyre. It is 500 m south of the roundabout Al Bass. This site is very broad. In summer, under a sun of lead, the visit can be busy, so come early in the morning.

Once inside the site, you must take the Byzantine path made of rafters limestone slabs. On both sides, there is a vast Romano-Byzantine necropolis that includes a large number of sarcophagi and buildings and funeral pens. The whole was built between the second and the Ve s. of our era.

A first sarcophagus was exhumed in 1940 by French soldiers stationed in Tyre, but it was necessary to wait a few years before the whole necropolis was discovered. It is rich in hundreds of marble or stone sarcophagi. With bas-reliefs, they are now exposed to the National museum in Beirut. This is the case of magnificent tombs tracing episodes of the life of Achille, according to Homer's Iliad. Engraved on marble, the name and profession of the deceased indicate that many sarcophagi inhabited the body of large purple manufacturers.

On your left, the funeral chapel dates back to the th century. It consists of a small courtyard with a fountain, a semicircular room (its soil is paved with marble). Unlike the Byzantine path, the tomb-tower dating from the th century is distinguished. C.C.

At the end of the Byzantine road - shortly before it gives way to the Roman way - rises a monumental arc, high 20 m, built of sandy stone by the Romans in the second century. He collapsed in the Fifth or the th century during one of the earthquakes. There is a very clear distinction between wheel traces in the limestone Paving of the Roman track. To the south of this route, the pedestrian pavement retained its pavement in chevron. It was lined with a row of shops sheltered by the aqueduct that brought fresh water from Ras el-Ain to the city (6 km from Tyre).

The kings fountain is preceded by a small mosaic courtyard. This funeral complex is decorated with several niches and various basins. The deceased was buried behind the fountain. To the south of this fountain, the blues of the Blues include a mosaic where the blues'victory is inscribed.

480 m long and 160 m wide, the Tyre racetrack, built in the th century as a hair pin, is one of the largest and best preserved in the Roman world. Its stone stands on the ground allowed for up to 20 000 seated spectators. Spina, like long wall, marked the centre of the track. In his midst, a granite obelisk was found (now raised) and a little further the statue of Hercules. Later, a Byzantine chapel was built on the abandoned site. In Roman times, races attracted passionate crowds. Pending the departure, ten tanks took place at the end of the spina for which they had to do seven times the tour. During the fall of the Roman Empire, the racecourse was abandoned and buried over the centuries under six metres of sand.

The Al Medina site is just a few minutes'walk from the port of Tyre. These are the ruins of the imperial Roman city which extends to the southern end of the peninsula. The site is also known as El Mina. The visit is splendid at the end of the afternoon at sunset. The lights on the main road to the colonnade are very beautiful with the sea view.

A 11 m wide Roman path, lined with columns of cipolin marble, led to the Egyptian port. This gangway was originally covered in a mosaic area forming large white circles. Because of the fragility of the materials used, we decided in the th century. to cover these mosaics of a marble slab.

On the other side of the Roman trail, the arena was extended to approximately 2 000 spectators. It was raised in the first century. Rectangulaire (which is very rare), this arena is surrounded by five rows of stands. All around, large tanks made of lime, used to serve as freshwater reservoirs.

Left of the Roman lane extended the thermal baths built on the embankment of the old port. To avoid infiltration of moisture, the thermal baths were installed on a set of limestone vaults surmounted by brick walls covered with marble and stone. Small pillars or hypocaustes, formed of pieces of terracotta, polishes the soil. The warm air, fed by a stove, was used for the different parts.

At the end of the large aisle was the Greek era (th century. The palaestra (gymnasium), which, following a fire, collapsed in the «Egyptian» port. The inhabitants built this place in public landfill and then, having gained land on the sea, the Romans took ownership to build the palaestra. One can still see the nine grey granite columns in Aswan (Upper Egypt) that were part of this building. In Byzantine times, a purple factory was created on this site.

Located near this site (see map), it is possible to visit the remains of the cathedral. Originally, the site appears to have been occupied by the famous temple of Melkart-Hercules. According to the stories, this temple surpassed all the monuments of the region. Two columns of gold and emerald were planted at the entrance to the building. Unfortunately, there's nothing left of this temple, if these are the huge columns of Aswan Pink Granite, recovered by the crusaders to raise their cathedral. It, built above a Roman track, is no longer just a vast field of ruins. Yet it was - in the th century - the place of grandiose ceremonies. Indeed, in 1187, following the resumption of Jerusalem by Saladin, the crusaders travelled to Tyre and celebrated in the cathedral of weddings and royal coronations. Similarly, in 1192 the remains of Fréderic I Barbarossa, the emperor of the West, was temporarily deposited in the cross cathedral. A grid gives access to the ruins, it is generally open. If not, the site can only be observed from the street.