Serving tourism in Lebanon since 1959

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Website: www.nakhal.com - E-mail: tours@nakhal.com.lbP.O.Box: 11-4910 - Beirut - Lebanon

PHOENICIAN RUINS

ROMAN RUINS

CRUSADERS RUINS

ARAB RUINS

NATURAL SIGHTSEEING

CEDARS

SKIING CENTERS

TO DAMASCUS

BEIRUT: is a city of half a million

inhabitants, bright sunshine and

modern business activity mingled

with old traditions. It provides a

unique blend of ancient and

modern, of East and West, to an

extent not found elsewhere in

such a small area.

The National Museum, the Great

Mosque “Jameh-el-Umari”, the

Al Khodr Mosque built on the

spot where St. George, the

patron saint of Beirut is believed

to have killed the dragon and

innumerable ancient churches,

all bear testimony to the centuries of history that make Beirut what it is today.

Whale new districts have sprung up in the past decade. Beautiful modern buildings

along the Raouché Corniche, near the famed Pigeon Rock Grotto (just off the cost

and one of Beirut’s leading landmarks) provide a striking contrast with the older part

of the city and bear comparison with the best modern architecture of the world.

Life is pleasant in Beirut. Its lovely beaches are open most of the year, and its night-

clubs - probably more to the square mile than in any other metropolis - provide

entertainment both for the country’s fun-loving, carefree inhabitants and for the

visitors who, from the minute they step on Lebanese soil, feel the country’s welcome.

BAALBECK: one and a half hours from Beirut, on an

excellent highway, proudly stands Baalbeck, one of the

most ancient cities of the world, which was first built as a

center of pagan worship the Phoenicians later transformed

it into a temple in honor of the god Baal. After the conquest

of Alexander, Greeks settled in the country and named the

town Heliopolis (city of the sun). (X) The Romans built also

colossal temple here. With the crusader period came

important changes; a church was built in honor of St.

Barbara. In Baalbeck one may visit the Citadel, the Great

Mosque and the temples of Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus.

A yearly Festival of Music, dramatic art and folk-dancing is

held in the summer at the temples. The performances are

selected from among the world’s greatest artists in their

BYBLOS (JBEIL): Although Byblos is today only a small coastal

town 25 miles north of Beirut, it is in fact, one of the oldest cities

in the world and, according to legend, was founded by the

Cananean god El, son of Kronos.

A neolothic village, well preserved, bears witness to the fact

that the region was inhabited more than five thousand years

ago while the ramparts of the Phoenician city, together with

temples full of the old relics, date back three thousand years.

Many royal tombs have been discovered in that area. The

walls of Ahiram’s tomb (13th century B.C) bear inscriptions in

characters from which all modern alphabets are derived. The

Romans, for their part, left an amphitheatre and colonnades

and, after them, the Crusaders built the Church of St. John

(12th century A.D) which still stands with its remarkable

SIDON & TYRE: South from Beirut are the old

Phoenician cities of Sidon and Tyre of biblical

fame. Sidon contains the ruins of a 13th century

Crusader Castle and the remains of the Chateau

of St Louis. About 30 miles away lies Tyre with its

admirable monolithic sarcophagus, believed to

be the tomb of Phoenician king Hiram of Tyre.

Recent discoveries in Tyre have brought to light

vestiges dating from Alexander the Great.

Twenty miles from Sidon, the medieval Beaufort

Castle stands on a 1.000 foot high clif f overlooking

the Litany River.

BEITEDDIN: The palace of Beit-Eddin was built by Emir Bashir (1788 - 1840). It is a

fine example of old Oriental architecture and is rich in multicolored mosaic

floors of fascinating design. A folklore museum housing antiquities dating back

to the time of Emir Bashir, flanks the outer courtyard leading to the main

sections of the palace.

JEITA: The Jeita Grotto is the

source of the Dog River from

which Beirut gets its water

supply. Inside, the grotto is

artificially lit to enable visitors to

see the ferric and colorful rock

formations while they cruise

round the subterranean lake in

a boat. The grotto is considered

the most beautiful of its kind in

the world because of its

richness and variety of color.

THE CEDARS: about eighty miles from Beirut,

through the romantic Qadisha gorge, are the

Cedars. Before climbing the last ascent to this

beautiful locality one may visit the Qadisha

Grotto, a fairyland of stalactites and stalagmites,

through which gushes the ice-cold river of

Qadisha. The Cedars are also a famous ski resort,

with a skilift and two hotels.

selected from among the world’s greatest artists in their

particular fields.

(12th century A.D) which still stands with its remarkable

baptistery, a dungeon and a part of the fortified harbor.