Beyrouth, Lebanon

The real leader of the planet by the number of old cities is Lebanon. The beautiful city of Beyrouth, whose history dates back more than 5000 years ago, is situated there. According to scientists, the city was founded no later than 3000 BC. Today Beyrouth is the capital of Lebanon and the most populous city in the country. It’s noteworthy that the exact number of its population isn’t known, as the last census was conducted in 1932.

Beyrouth differs not only with rich historical past, but also with surprisingly cosmopolitan present. Antique sites here border on ultra-modern skyscrapers, and respect for traditions and culture of their ancestors don’t prevent locals from keeping up with the times and being up to date in all respects. Beyrouth got the unofficial name, the "Paris of the Middle East", due to its abundance of expressive contrasts.

This focus on a particular way of life of modern city isn’t accidental. There are not so many towns in the world, where representatives of the Muslim community can go to one of the clubs to the concert of their favorite band after the evening prayer, and prefer to spend the morning on the beach to get the most even and beautiful tan. One of the most significant sites of historical heritage of Beyrouth is considered ancient monuments. The ruins of a Roman basilica have survived in the historic district; visitors can see ancient Roman baths and colonnade of Roman Berytus. For 5000 years, Beyrouth has changed a lot, but its people didn’t forget about its past and preserved the most vivid manifestation for their contemporaries. Next - Athens