Beirut

Beirut is the capital of Lebanon. It is the commercial center of the region and was sometimes called "the Paris of the Middle East". The meaning of the Beirut is "The Wells". In 1888, Beirut was made capital of a Vilayet in Syria. It became a very cosmopolitan city and had close links with Europe and the United States. It is also the center of missionary activity. The city thrives on exporting silk grown on nearby Mount Lebanon. Lebanon attained independence after the Second World War and Beirut was made its capital city. Although, Israel-Lebanon conflict rose in the city in the beginning of 2006, the city regained its status as a tourist, cultural and intellectual center of the Middle East. However, it has again relapsed into the same condition as Israel began to hit Lebanon by the middle of 2006 killing many and destroying everything, losing its all ambitions.

Area & Location: Situated on a spur where the narrow coastal plain projects into the Mediterranean Sea and is backed by the Mount Lebanon Mountains. The city occupies a total area of 19.8 sq. km. The city has a population of 1,574,397.

Tourist Attractions: Being a war torn country, it is rarely visited by the tourists. But, its monuments lures in the visitors who wish to learn the history of the country.

Transportation: Beirut International Airport, situated in the heart of the city provides easy access to the city for those visiting from far off places. Frequent buses connect the city with other parts of the country. People often use taxis to visit the nearby places.

Hotels: Beirut has number of hotels, which provide adequate facilities to its guests. Serving traditional food, the hotels are also very cheap. It has many star hotels like Al Bustan Hotel Beirut, Le Royal Hotel Beirut, Le Meridien Commodore Hotel in Beirut, Sofitel Le Gabriel Beyrouth Hotel in Beirut, Century Park Hotel Beirut, Radisson Sas Martinez Hotel Beirut, Hazmieh Rotana Hotel Beirut and Mayflower Hotel Beirut.

Places of Attraction: The city of Beirut has many archaeological and historical sites that are often visited by the tourists. Baalbeck located in the Beqaa valley, undulating in the magnificent landscape, Byblos city, Qadisha -the "Holy Valley" that spreads from Bcharreh to the coast, Tripoli, Zahle- the village with red tiled roofs, erected on the shores of "Al Bardawni" river, Aanjar -the site of the Umayyad City, The palace of Beited-dine -one of the most precious Arabic architectural jewels, 'the Cedars' -the Arz-el-Rab massif, Deir El Qamar -one of Lebanon's best preserved towns, Sidon- capital of South Lebanon and Tyre's first archaeological site are the archaeological sites that are considered as the preservations of the ancient Beirut.

COUNTRY	Lebanon
LOCATION	Situated on a spur where the narrow coastal plain projects into the Mediterranean Sea and is backed by the Mount Lebanon Mountains.
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES	Latitude 33°:52' N, Longitude 35°:30' E
AREA	100 square km
POPULATION	1,250,000 (2007)