Lebanon has so much more to offer than its seductive capital. Tom Otley takes time out to explore places outside the city boundaries and discovers a treasure trove
As you’ll be told at least 10 times a day when you’re in Lebanon, the country has an embarrassment of riches – in the winter you can swim in the sea in the morning and head for the mountains for skiing in the afternoon.
Assuming you have only a half-day free, any one of the trips mentioned here is possible. To make the most of your time, ask for an English-speaking taxi driver from the hotel concierge, negotiate a rate, tell him your preferred itinerary (if you have a full day you could cover several of the suggestions) and then sit back and enjoy the scenery.
NORTH
CILICIA MUSEUM
Still in Beirut but a 20- to 30-minute drive on your way to either the Jeita Grotto or Byblos, the Cilicia Museum off Sea Side Road is little visited yet has a priceless, world-class exhibition of Armenian religious artefacts. Much of the collection comprises vestments, bibles, relics and coins hurriedly smuggled out of Turkish Armenia during the genocide of 1915, when hundreds of thousands of Armenians fled their country, many settling in Lebanon.
There are three floors in the museum, with religious items on the first level, ancient bibles, psalters, lectionaries and hymn books on the second, and paintings, rugs and tapestries on the third level. The collection has been bolstered by gifts from the Armenian diaspora, particularly in the US, and is a moving record of a largely lost civilisation, one that was the first to adopt Christianity, in about 301AD.
CONTACT: Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, tel 961 4410 001. Open 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun, closed Mon. Free entry.
JEITA GROTTO
If the idea of going to a cave complete with stalactites, stalagmites, a cable car, a ride on a train and a boat trip sounds like your idea of hell, think again – this really is worth the price of admission. On your way out of Beirut, you’ll cross the Nahr al-Kalb (the Lycus River of antiquity) flowing through a gorge, the steep sides of which were a barrier to invading armies. Many conquerors, including the British and the French in the 20th century, have left commemorative carvings on the far side of the crevasse to record their success at overcoming the obstacle. (Lonely Planet’s guide to Syria and Lebanon has a list of the most interesting ones.)
From there, it’s a short drive up the hill to Jeita Grotto. A cable car takes you to the entrance, where you leave your camera and mobile phone in a locker before walking down a long tunnel to reach the opening. The first sight of the gorge is so astonishing that your first reaction is to take a photo – if only you were allowed to keep your camera.
The colours of the rock formations range from cream to alabaster by way of ivory, and the shapes range from phallic and coral to Greek columns as imagined by aliens. Most impressive are the salt crystals, which glisten like diamonds.
A concrete walkway takes you through the canyon, staying close to the undulating floor of the cave. As you climb from one viewing platform to another, the true size of the cave becomes apparent and you realise that the metal railing on which you are resting is stopping you from plunging several hundred feet into the cavern below. Upon exiting, it is also possible to explore the source of the river in the lower cavern by boat.
CONTACT: tel 961 9220 8403, www.jeitagrotto.com. In summer, open Tue-Fri 9am-6pm and Sat-Sun 9am-7pm; closed Mon except in Jul-Aug.
BYBLOS
Signposted “Jbail”, Byblos has everything you’d want from a historic Mediterranean fishing village, from a picturesque harbour with excellent waterside restaurants and a restored souk, to a ruined castle and a church dating back to the Crusades.
However, its real claim to fame is that it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. Remains have been found here dating back to 5,000BC, and it is said to be the birthplace of the modern alphabet. The Phoenicians occupied the Levantine coast, where modern Lebanon is today, although Phoenicia was less a nation state and more a confederation of traders then.
Start your visit at the ruins, where each civilisation built on the work of the last – the Romans used the foundations laid thousands of years before by the Phoenicians, and the Crusaders, in turn, used the remains of the Roman buildings to construct their own castle, the pillars being used as headers in the walls of the keep, something you can also see at the castle in Sidon (see page 363 of the Lonely Planet guide).
The town itself is easy to negotiate on foot and it won’t take more than an hour to see the highlights, although you could spend a day and a night here without getting bored. Don’t miss the Church of St John the Baptist, dating back to 1115, and the remains of an earlier Byzantine church in the gardens. If you are feeling peckish, eat by the harbour at Bab El Mina (tel 961 954 0475, www.babelmina.com) or the Byblos Fishing Club (tel 961 954 0213), where you can peruse photos of the hundreds of famous – and not so famous – people who have visited over the past 45 years.
SOUTH
DEIR AL-QAMAR
The Chouf mountains to the south-east of Beirut are where you’ll see your first fine specimens of Lebanese cedar trees, the wood of which was used to build the first Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. In nearby nature reserves a few remaining trees are estimated to be up to a thousand years old.
A good place to stop and take in the fresh air is Deir al-Qamar (which translates as “monastery of the moon”), a pretty village with several interesting buildings set around a scenic square. These include the Mosque of Emir Fakhreddine Maan, built in 1493; the 18th-century Palace of Emir Younes Maan, with its impressive entrance; the 1595 qaissariyyeh (silk market), similar to the one in Sidon (see overleaf); and the 17th-century Italian Renaissance-style Palace of Fakhreddine.
The town’s Church of Saidet et Tallé was originally built on the site of a temple dedicated to the goddess Astarte, which is described eloquently by Colin Thubron in his excellent travel book The Hills of Adonis: A Journey in Lebanon. Although the original church dates back to the seventh century, it was destroyed by a violent earthquake a century later. It was rebuilt by Fakhreddine in the 16th century.
BEITEDDINE PALACE
Close to Deir al-Qamar, this 18th-century palace complex sits high on the side of a gorge, surrounded by mature cedar trees and housing three courtyards and many luxurious rooms. As most of these are locked, your first task is to befriend one of the custodians to take you on a tour. The first courtyard you will come to is Dar al-Baraniyyeh, which is more than 60m long and large enough for music festivals. (I was told U2 performed here – they have a new song called Cedars of Lebanon, so perhaps it is true.)
At the end of the courtyard, climb up the stairs to the second one, Dar al-Wousta. This has marble-edged fountains, views over the valley and a series of carved cedar-wood rooms including a majlis for meetings, which has a fountain in one corner spurting mountain water (an early form of air conditioning and source of refreshment). There is also a hammam steam room, warmed both by fires and under-floor heating, as well as a series of small porthole windows made from Murano glass that allow sunlight to stream in.
The final courtyard, Dar al-Harim, is closed to the public and used by the president as a summer retreat. Underneath these courtyards are huge former stables that now house a fabulous collection of Roman mosaics and a secret Druze place of worship – this is one door that will always be locked to those not of the faith.
SIDON
If Sidon, signposted “Saida”, was anywhere else on the Mediterranean coast it would have been completely spoiled by development. Instead, it has had to deal with far more violent problems. Some 48km south of Beirut, it has had Israeli incursions from the southern border and there is a large Hezbollah camp on the outskirts of town.
Even now, when exploring the souk, it’s probably a good idea if your driver comes with you, if only to ask directions in Arabic since it is easy to get lost in the dark winding passageways, and tourists aren’t a common sight. That said, it’s a friendly place where school children practise their English on you and anyone you smile at smiles back.
There are big plans for Sidon, and it has benefited from the extremely rich families of Rafik Hariri, the former prime minister assassinated in 2005, and Raymond Audi, spending huge amounts on renovating parts of the old quarter.
Head first for the Musée du Savon, an old soap factory turned into an exhibition about this former industry by the Audi Foundation (Audi is a well-known bank in Lebanon rather than the German car manufacturer). English-speaking guides will give you a 15-minute tour and a shop has maps of Sidon with the sites of historic interest labelled. Like Byblos and Tyre it was a Phoenician port, and was ancient when Paul the Apostle stopped here on his way to Rome and Jesus was said to be performing miracles.
Greek poet Homer wrote in the 8BC of the impressive craftsmanship of the Sidonians, and evidence of their trade can still be found in the local khans (inns). There are six existing khans, but it is the painstakingly restored Khan al-Franj (Khan of the Foreigners) that is the most impressive – a large, two-storey building set around a courtyard with barrel-vaulted ceilings for the stables on the ground floor and travellers’ lodgings upstairs. For some fresh air, walk out to the remains of the Crusader Sea Castle along the 80m causeway, noting the Roman columns once more incorporated into the castle’s keep.
CONTACT: Musée du Savon, Haret Awdeh, Rue el Moutran, tel 961 775 3599, www.fondationaudi.org. Open Sat-Thu, 9am-6pm.
TIP OFF: Smart Travel Intelligence
Getting around a cultural diverse city like Beirut can be easy, where Arabic and French are the official first languages but English is also widely spoken.VISAS
Except for nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE, everyone else needs to produce a visa on arrival for stays of up to three months – ie, nationals of the European Union, Commonwealth, American continent, Russia and Japan can obtain theirs at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry at the Lebanese border. A visitor or business visa costs around the region of LL50,000 (US$33).
MONEY
The Lebanese Lira (LL) or Lebanese Pound is used, with an exchange rate of about US$1 to LL1,500. Most shops, hotels and restaurants quote their prices in US dollars, and those that do not will provide a conversion upon request. US dollars can also be dispensed at ATMs.
MOBILE PHONE
Despite Beirut having a well-developed telephone system in place, payphones are difficult to find and international calls are expensive. The locals prefer to use mobile phones as coverage extends throughout Lebanon, and travellers are advised to either get global SIM cards or prepaid cards. MTC Touch, one of two mobile service providers in Lebanon, offers Magic prepaid mobile service for US$22.73 per line, not including VAT.
INTERNET
Most hotels in the Beirut provide Wi-Fi services for free or at a charge. Public spaces like Starbucks offer Wi-Fi as well. And if all else fails, there are plenty of internet cafés around that charge a nominal fee for internet usage.
GETTING AROUND
Taxis are a convenient form of transportation, with a taxi ride between the airport and Beirut city costing about LL25,000 (US$16). Lebanon Taxi, which operates Lebanon’s first 24-hour taxi service, also provides bus, van and car hire services.
HELP ONLINE
www.lebanontourism.org
