Sightseeing in Beirut - what to see. Complete travel guide

Beirut is a city with rich historical heritage. When you visit all main sights of it, you will learn whole history of the country, because Beirut is rich in sights of different epochs.

Start your sightseeing from walking on the embankment. The locals often use it as a place for a picnic, and here you can see men who patiently smoke hookah or play backgammon. Sport lifestyle is very popular in Beirut, so many citizens of this wonderful city prefer spending their evenings riding a bicycle, roller-skating or simply running. Tourists will be interested in visiting multiple restaurants and cafes, where they will be able to try the dishes from the local cuisine as well as European cuisine dishes. The most romantic place of the embankment is Pigeon grotto. Several heartbreaking stories are connected with this place and almost any local will gladly tell you these legends.

One more sight that is definitely worth visiting is Omari Mosque. This is the oldest building of the city that was built in 1187. For a long time the mosque was used as Jupiter’s temple. During its long history the building changed its role several times. It was severely damaged during the Civil War, however, due to help of philanthropists the building was restored.

Star Square is located in the central part of the city. Many narrow and cozy streets end on this square. This part of the city can be considered the center of nightlife and trading, and here you will find main trading pavilions, restaurants and night clubs that are ready to accept tourists and other guests of the city every day. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Beirut, there is a very interesting Serail clock tower, it is not far from the Grand Palace. The clock on the site was established in 1897 on the 10th anniversary of the Sultan Abdul-Hamid II’s coronation. Later, this architectural monument was neglected, until in 1994 it was fully restored. For the construction of a new tower the highest quality materials were used, including locally produced sandstone and rare species of basalt. The height of the clock tower now stands at 25 meters, in the late 19th century it was the tallest building in the city. 

Among those fond of history in Beirut, Archaeological Park is very popular. In the second half of the 20th century during the Civil War this district was in ruins, and shortly after the situation has stabilized, the researchers were able to detect traces of ancient civilizations. Today, the archaeological park has an informal name - "Park of forgiveness." In addition to the oldest historical sites in this park you can see many more symbolic attractions. For example, there is an olive tree that was planted by three local women in 2005. They dedicated it to their relatives who died during the September 11 attacks in New York. Among the most interesting ancient attractions are the Roman Baths, located on the territory of the mentioned Archaeological Park. This complex of ancient baths was built during the reign of the Roman Empire. Today it attracts via its well-preserved mosaics and other elements of decoration, which remained intact after many hundreds of years. 

Beirut is not deprived of natural attractions either; in the immediate vicinity of the city is a wonderful Nahr Kadish valley. Its length is over 35 kilometres, this valley is surrounded by rocks, the height of which can reach more than 1000 meters. In the vicinity of this natural site lay a lot of interesting tourist routes. Here you can walk through beautiful forests and admire fascinating trees, of which there are more than 375 species here. Recently, researchers have found the two oldest trees, whose age is more than 3500 years old. Today this great canyon is listed as one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.