Top Lebanon hotels
Al Omari Mosque Beirut
11 Reviews One of Beirut's most important mosques, al-Omari is named after the second Caliph, Omar ibn al-Khattab, under whose leadership Beirut was conquered by Moslem armies in 635 AD. It is likely that the...
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Al Amin Mosque Beirut
6 Reviews The Mohammad El-Amin Mosque, also known as Hariri’s Mosque or the Blue Mosque, is one of the premier tourist attractions of the Lebanese capital. It is called the Hariri Mosque informally because its...
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Baalbek Beirut
4 Reviews A must see - I believe it is the home of largest Roman Temple in the world. And the site was much larger then I anticipated (actually home to over 3 temples) and was a stop along an ancient trade...
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Do take time to stroll through the gardens at Beit ed-Dine. As well as the mosaics placed there, there are lovely walks - covered and uncovered, pretty latticed balconies, charming views and quiet corners - all especially nice if you are there on a busy weekend or holiday.
The stables and barracks at Beit ed-Dine house an extensive collection of Byzantine mosaics. They may not be the most splendid mosaics you will ever see, but they do have a naive, provincial charm and vitality that is most appealing and are well worth a look. Don't miss the mosaics that have been placed in the gardens.The building itself that houses the mosaics is most impressive. With wonderful stone vaulting, it was big enough to house 500 horses, their riders and another 600 men.
The hammam at Beit ed-Dine is absolutely splendid. The three rooms (cold, tepid and hot) are lined and panelled with carved and inlaid marble in wondeful shades of cream, peach and terracotta browns. Taking a bath here must have been wonderfully self-indulgent and sociable - a far cry from the bathtubs that Europeans were using at the time this was built.
Two Druze leaders, both named Fakir ud-Din, have left their mark on Deir el-Qamar. The first Fakir built the village's mosque in 1493, but it was the later Fakir ud-Din Maar who made the village his main seat and who exerted such influence in the region that his Ottoman overlords banished, and finally executed, him in 1635, who left his mark on Lebanon itself. Virtually all Lebanon was united under his rule and through his vision and influence the first modern-era trade connections were established with Europe. He is regarded by many as the man who conceived the idea of the modern state of Lebanon. His palace is next to the silk souq and now houses a museum.
The Chouffe mountains, south of Beirut, are attractively green and forested. Neither as rugged nor as high as the mountains north of Beirut, they are popular day trip territory from the city, with the carefully preserved village of Deir el Qamar and the beautiful palace of Beit ed-Dine the main destinations. As always, weekends are to be avoided if possible.With your own transport you can easily visit both Deir el Qamar and Beit ed-Dine in a day and still have time for a leisurely lunch at the Mir Palace Hotel, or a drink on the terrace with a wonderful view.
Byblos is actually known as Jbail these days, and the charming mediaeval heart of the city is only a small part of this busy, bustling town north of Beirut. Most of the town consists of the ubiquitous high-rise buildings that crowd the coastline with one town running into the next so that it all seems one big conurbation. There really isn't anything in the newer parts of town to attract the visitor apart from the beaches north and south of the archaeological site and some reasonable places to eat - places here are certainly cheaper than those down by the fishing harbour.
The new part of Tripoli, El Mina, actually stands where the ancient city once did, before the Mamelukes rebuilt it near the Citadel. Little remains to tell of the succession of people who lived here - Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and the early Caliphates all called this part of the site their home, during which times it was a thriving port and industrial and agricultural city. It was a great prize for the Crusaders who held it for nearly 200 years.After the Crusaders left and the city was moved further inland, this area reverted to orchards and gardens with just a small port, but nowadays the city has grown so much the two areas have merged completely.There's not much here for the visitor - recycled Roman columns form a Mameluke tower, the small Corniche is pleasant in the evening and there is a picturesque little fishing harbour.
Known locally as Qalat Sanjil, the huge citadel built by the Crusader, Raymond St Gilles, dominates the old city. The castle's state of preservation is due in part to rebuilding by first the Mamelukes - who rebuilt the ancient city in a new position around the castle - and later the Ottomans.Inside the walls there are any number of buildings, terraces, courtyards and staircases -it's all rather confusing but interesting to explore as you try to work out who built what and why.The views from higher parts of the castle, over the city and across to the sea, are excellent. The citadel is open every day from 0800 - 1800 (summer) and 1600 (winter)
Tripoli is perhaps the most Arab of all Lebanon's cities. Certainly the souqs and the mediaeval city feels far less European than Beirut or Byblos. Whilst only small, the old city is packed with interesting and lovely buildings and it's all to easy to get quite lost in the maze of winding alleys and narrow streets. Much of it is very dilapidated but there is a lot of restoration going on and it is to be hoped that this will be sensitively done to retain the authenticity of the place and not turn it in to another somewhat-sanitised Byblos.The city is full of mosques, madrassas and khans, many of them dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, with odd bits of the Roman and Crusader past appearing here and there.This is a much more conservative city than Beirut, so modest dress is fitting.
Looking at the tiny harbour that serves modern Byblos, it's hard to imagine this was once a bustling sea port and trading centre. The few small fishing boats moored in the little basin are the merest shadow of the great galleys that would have crammed the docks in the port's heyday . One of the Crusader towers still stands, but of the chain they used to control the harbour, there is no sign.The Byblos Fishing Club overlooking the harbour is an institution here -stop by for a drink if not a meal, to enjoy the view and inspect the owner's collection of antiquities and photographs of the rich and famous who have eaten here.
InterContinental Hotels IC PHOENICIA BEIRUT Beirut
5 Reviews and 99 Opinions Beirut
Palmyra Hotel Baalbeck
4 Reviews and 22 Opinions Charl digol..had been there....that's enough..for me Old lebanese hotel..you want to go back in...
Quality Inn Tripoli Tripoli
1 Review and 15 Opinions There is not much choice of good quality hotels in Tripoli, so the Quality Inn it had to be. It was...
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Q: Hi, I am traveling from the USA to northern Lebanon to see my girlfriend who I met in the states a year ago. I have been to Europe...
A: It would probably help if you identified the culture of her family. Are they Christian or Muslim? Are they educated or not? Are they well-integrated with Western society...
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