 | Beirut General Tips | Tips 1 - 10 of 136 |  |
Popular General Tips | Miscellaneous General Tips Tips | All Tips (136) A good map to bring is GEO Projects map of Lebanon and Beirut. I enjoyed it very much. You can buy it in English, Arabic or French. The Lebanese map is in scale 1: 200 000 and the Beirut map (on the other side) is in scale 1: 10 000. The maps are easy to read and the Beirut map much better than the one you get at the tourist office. The map can be bought at several places in Beirut (Virgin Mega Store and National Museum) for 12 000 LL. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |  | Lebanese Pounds | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
The exchange rate of the Lebanese Pound (LBP) to the US dollar (USD) is approximately 1500 to one (1514.30), which converts to 1855 against the EUR and 2725 against the British Pound at today's exchange rates. The Lebanese Pound has been a stable currency recently, so there is no worry about holding small amounts or soaring rates of inflation which would devalue your left-over Pounds. There are bank machines everywhere in the city center. You will see some majors such as Societe Generale and Credit Lyonnaise, due to the French colonial influence, and France's influence in the Middle East, as well as, many pan-Arab banks, such as Arab Bank, which is active outside of the ME as well. Of course, there is also the Bank of Beirut, which is also an international bank. Therefore, I would not be too concerned about the security of your bank card. You can either look for a name of a bank you know and trust, or for the banking network, such as Cirrus or Maestro, which your local bank is a member, and then use your bank card.
Most of the bank machines give you a choice of USD or LBP, so if you do not know how long you will be in the city and do not want to be bothered reconverting unspent Pounds, you can take out a small amount of LBP for spending money, and then carry some dollars in reserve. Of course, you can pay with credit card almost everywhere in the city center without any difficulties. Also, everyone from store keepers, to waiters, to the taxi drviers are keenly aware of the various exchange rates between dollars, euros and pounds, so you can usually pay for anything in cash, and receive a fair exchange rate. However, you may get your change back in local pounds, and do not expect to give a taxi driver a $50 dollar note for a $3 taxi ride, and expect him to have the correct change on hand. Money changing and getting around in Beirut is not a problem at all, so don't worry about it. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Although I have not used this facility, it's pretty new, having just opened (about Feb. 2004), and it's billed as "Lebanon's 1st ever coin operated laundromat". The 2 washing machines and 1 dryer are self-service, and you get free detergent and free softener for the 3000 LL ($2 US) that each washer load costs (I'm not sure if that includes the dryer or whether that's extra). An added plus is the soft water that they advertise they use, as the water in Beirut is very hard... and hard on the fabrics. There is also an ironing service, which I think is also extra, plus a lounge area with TV and coffee and snack machines. It's located on Sidani Street, Hamra, opposite Marroush; mobile 03 376187; e-mail laundromatic1@hotmail.com Leave a Comment
|
Modern Capital, Venerable Past Beirut, with its million-plus inhabitants, conveys a sense of life and energy that is immediately apparent. This dynamism is echoed by Capital’s geographical position: a great promontory jutting into the blue sea with dramatic mountains rising behind it. A city with a venerable past, 5,000 years ago Beirut was a prosperous town on the Canaanite and Phoenician coast. The City That Would Not Die Beirut survived a decade and a half of conflict and so has earned the right to call itself "the City that would not die." As if to demonstrate this resiliency, the Lebanese have launched a great rush of building activity, including the public service infrastructure. In the ruined City Center, a huge reconstruction project is underway to create a new commercial and residential district for the 21st century. Commerce is second nature to Beirutis, who long ago discovered that their port city on the East-West cross-roads was ideally placed for trading and business all kinds. A banking center with free currency ex-change, the chief employment here is in trade, banking, construction, import-export and service industries. The Lebanese capital enjoys a vigorous press that publishes in Arabic, English, French and Armenian. Five Universities help keep ideas and innovations flowing.
Historical Heritage Beirut stands on the site of a very ancient settlement going back at least 5,000 years. Its name appeared in cuneiform inscriptions as early as the 14th century B.C. In the first century B.C., Berytus, as it was then called, became a Roman Colony and under Roman rule was the seat of a famous Law school which continued into the Byzantine era. But the power and the glory of Berytus were destroyed by a triple catastrophe of earthquake, tidal wave and fire in 551 A.D. In the following century Arab Muslim forces took the city and in 1110 it fell into the Crusaders. Beirut remained in Crusader hands until 1291 when it was conquered by the Mamlukes. Ottoman rule began in 1516, continuing for 400 years later until the defeat of the Turks in World War I. The French Mandate Period followed and in 1943 Lebanon gained its independence. Uncovering the Past A city continuously inhabited for millennia, until recently most of the few archaeological discoveries in Beirut were accidental. However the war's end in 1991 provided opportunity for more comprehensive and scientific investigation. Beneath the ruined downtown area, which is under reconstruction, lie the remains of Ottoman, Mamluke, Crusader, Abbassid, Omayyad, Byzantine, Roman, Persian, Phoenician and Canaanite Beirut. With luck, a good portion of Beirut's history will be uncovered before reconstruction is complete. Beginning in 1993, archaeologists and builders began cooperating on just such a project. Teams from Lebanese and foreign institutions have found significant remains from each of Beirut's historical periods. All discoveries are being carefully recorded and many will be preserved. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
More Sponsored Links for Beirut |
 |
 |
Search Hotels
Find the best room rates |
|
 |
|
on May 15, 2005
Beirut
on May 10, 2006
on May 27, 2004
on September 30, 2004
on October 12, 2003
on April 12, 2005
