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Souk Sursock :
The Sursock Quarter has some of the loveliest old homes left in
Beirut, as well as the Sursock Art Museum (pictured).
The National Museum, which houses an impressive collection of
Lebanon's historyfrom pre-historic times to the present, is still
closed. The only other museum open is the archaeology museum at
the American University of Beirut. |
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Raucheh :
Beirut's famous Pigeon Rocks stand tall in the sea. Restaurants
in this area serve local and foreign cuisine, and cliff-side cafes
offer a good range of snacks |
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The Corniche :
A walk along Beirut's Corniche (coast) is a pleasant
way to pass the time. Push cart vendors offer an array of local
snacks and drinks, and there are open-air cafes Where tea, turkish
coffee or narguileh are served. |
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The Martyre Place :
The Martyre place is one of the old places in Beirut.
It is the centre or down-town Beirut. During the war it has been
totally demolished because it was the centre of the fighting.
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Horse Racing :
On Sunday at Beirut's racetrack, racing enthusiasts can watch
pure bred Arabian horses run.
Within an hour's drive of Beirut are
many attractions -- beach resorts, historical sites, orange
groves, and spectacular mountain scenery -- that are easy
to get to on a day trip from the capital.
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Dog River :
Just 15km from Beirut on the northern highway are commemorative
inscriptions and bas-relief sculptures carved into the limestone
cliffs. Rameses II, Nebuchadnezzar, Marcus Aurelius -- some
of history's most famous military men -- left steles behind
to record their victories in this ancient form of carving.
The Tunnel of Nahr Al-Kalb (which is known as Dog River) is
located near Jeita's cave, north of Beirut. It is also the
most famous and sacred Roman's natural setting. On the stelae
carved on the rocky cliffs, you can read inscriptions of Egyptian
Pharaohs, Assyrian kings and Roman commanders. One tablet
tells of the entry into Damascus of General Gouraud's troops
in 1920, and the most recent celebrates the evacuation of
foreign troops in 1946 in the wake of Lebanon's independence
in 1943.
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Jounieh/Harissa :
Jounieh has grown from a cluster of red tile roofed houses into
a city of high rise buildings on the mountainside. The old town
is full of interesting sights and for a good view of the city
and coast line, take the cable car up to Harissa, a climb of 620
metres. |
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Je'ita Grottos :
The grottos consist of a 6km labyrinth of galleries
on two levels. A flat bottomed boat offers a unique tour of
the lower level past weeping willows and gigantic stone flowers.
Equally impressive is the upper grotto (pictured) where monstrous
mineral deposits crouch in shady corners. |
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