Beirut, one of the most ancient cities on earth, is at the same time Phoenician, Roman and Greek, Muslim and Christian, Arabic, Byzantine and Turkish: Evidence of the many varieties of culture and knowledge gathered throughout its long history is clearly apparent in the modern capital.
"I know the road I must take", declared Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka, the world-renowned Hungarian artist who created visionary paintings of the ruins of Beelbek and the solitary cedar of Lebanon, as he journeyed through the biblical landscapes. Lebanon, one of the most important stopping places on his itinerary, is a meeting point of different cultures, languages and faiths.
Over the centuries its capital city, Beirut, this metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, has been home to many visitors and conquerors, curious travelers and scientist. It was governed by the Canaanites of the Holy Land for thirteen centuries. It was here that the Phoenicians lived, a noble and learned Mesopotamian people from whom modern writing originates. They, in turn, were followed by the Greeks and the Romans. It was also an outpost used by the Crusaders on their way to liberate the Holy Land. After the Crusaders came the Arabic conquest in 1500 AD, and the region was also subject to waves of invasion by the Ottoman Turks. The Turks did not leave the territory until the French Mandate, which was eventually followed by Lebanon's independence, declared in 1947.
The city, which in the 1970s was known as the "Paris of the East" - and the country as a whole, which at one time was referred to as the "Switzerland of the East" - may appear to the contemporary traveler as one enormous construction site. The recent, sixteen-year-long civil war ravaged Beirut, as well as settlements lying in the fertile Al-Biqa' Valley. However, Beirut's once devastated, bomb-damaged and depopulated city centre is now thriving once again: It is taking on an entirely new appearance based on ambitious, daring and modern architectural plans, which answer the challenges of the new millennium in every respect. Luxury hotels, American-style business centres and bank complexes are springing up on every side, while the houses and churches of the historical old town are being restored to look exactly as they have throughout the centuries. Alongside the exciting architectural innovations and the city's bustling trade activities, the Near Eastern mentality, so characteristic of the Lebanese, has also been preserved, and is evident everywhere in the form of hospitality, an amicable, peaceful lifestyle, and strong family ties. More and more of the Lebanese who fled abroad during the civil war are now returning home to their old houses, bringing with them the knowledge they have acquired in the meantime, as well as the money they have earned.
There is no denying that Beirut is attractive to the foreign visitor, doubtless in part because of its many contrasts: its legendary night life, casinos and bars are a match for anything to be found in Paris, while its intellectual life and the education provided by its universities can complete with the world's best institutions. The European traveler will find here the atmosphere of the Arabic world, while for those arriving from the more traditional countries of the Near East, Beirut is a land that belongs to the West, to freedom and democracy. Beirut has long been renowned as a city of intellect and erudition. Many Western educational institutions have found a home here, and have been able to flourish alongside their Arabic counterparts. These institutions have borrowed and learned from one another, thus helping to transform the city's population into a broad-mined community able to accept and tolerate a variety of beliefs. As a peaceful harbour, the city has given shelter and nourishment to the scientists, thinkers and writers of the region.
This coastal capital city is characterized by security and elegance. Its economy is improving gradually, although the old splendour has not yet been fully restored. A long section of the promenade remains without street lighting, although there is still a thriving Mediterranean night life here. Families lie around on beautiful carpets. The head of a family chats, leaning against a beach wall: on all sides hookahs glow in the dark while children scamper around them. The lights on the street vendors' barrows are like myriad fireflies: these resourceful traders run the tube lighting from car batteries. Passers-by can stop to drink coffee or freshly squeezed fruit juice, or to eat salads prepared on the spot, or perhaps ring of unleavened bread.
The Al-Biqa' Valley runs between two important mountain ranges: the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. Succulent fruits and vegetables have been grown here for thousands of years. Mount Hermon, Lebanon's highest peak, is capped with snow even in July. Attempts are being made to preserve the famous biblical cedar trees for the world in national parks. There are also efforts to protect the heritage of the ancient world, including the renowned ruined city of Baalbek, which lies between the two mountain ranges, and other cities as along the coast, such as Tyre, Biblos and Sidon. There is no doubt that these sea-ports, from which the beauties of this culture were once exported to Europe, should today themselves be visited and enjoyed by the European traveler.