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North Beruit




Byblos :

The ancient city of Byblos, 37km from Beirut, gave its name to the Bible and over the centuries has been home to the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and Ottomans.
Excavations show that Byblos was inhabited more than 7000 years ago making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

It became an important trading port during the 3rd century BC when it exported cedar wood and oil to Egypt in exchange for gold, alabaster, papyrus and linen.

It was a major Phoenician centre where the phonetic alphabetic script, on which our modern alphabet is based, was developed.

The Greeks called it Byblos, after the Greek word for papyrus, bublos, because Egyptian papyrus was shipped to Greece through the Phoenician port.

Archaeological highlights at Byblos include the remains of the 12th-century Crusader castle which dominates the city's medieval ramparts, the Phoenician temple with its miniature obelisks, the tomb chambers of the Phoenician kings with the oldestalphabetic inscription ever discovered, and a Greco-Roman amphitheatre overlooking the sea.





Tripoli (Tarablus):

Tripoli, 85km north of Beirut, is Lebanon's second largest city and the port for northern Lebanon. It was founded by the Phoenicians in 800 BC, although there are no remains of the city's Phoenician past. Most of Tripoli's historical sites date from its crusader and Islamic periods.

There are two main parts to Tripoli, Al Mina -- the port area -- and the city proper which contains the modern centre as well as the old quarter. Of most interest are the Great Mosque and the Lion Tower, a beautiful example of Mamluk military architecture.

The city of Tripoli as it stands today is essentially a Mamluk creation. It consists of two distinct parts, the small harbor, or minah, and the city proper, or madaniah, separated by orchards planted where the ancient and medieval Tripoli once stood. The madinah was built inland at the foot of Mount Peregrinus (Today Abu Samra) along both banks of the Qadisha River, known locally as Abu Ali , just above the point where it flows into the sea. This provide a site, partly level and partly on a mountainside, which had the advantages of proximity to both seas and coutryside. Of the Mamluk city 195 monuments remain. The monuments include the whole range of religious, civil, and military architecture such as mosques, madrasahs, hammams, khans, and the Citadel. They display a wide range of both secular and religious buildings and provide a fairly good idea of what the city must have been like when the Mamluks built it in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Tripoli was in 300 B.C. the capital of Tripolis, a Phoenician fedreation including Sidon, Tyre, and Arwad. Tripoli was ruled by the Seleucids (198-64 B.C.), Romans and Byzantines (64 B.C.-A.D. 638), and Arabs (from A.D. 638). The city and its famous library were destroyed in the early 12th century during the first Crusade. Crusaders rebuilt the city and made it a bishopric, but it was destroyed in 1289 by Mamluks, who ruled until 1516. Tripoli became part of Lebanon in 1920.

Descriptions of Tripoli in the fourteenth century often remark both on its rate of growth and on thespeed with which that spacious city was constructed. Travelers mention its numerous mosques and madrasahs, its beautiful markets and luxurious baths, and its construction of whitewashed stone, but what most impressed everyone who visited the new city was the water system - running water was supplied to every house. Water channels were everywhere and the water piped from the neighboring hills that could reach the top of houses several stories high. Today Tripoli remains prosperous. It is the second largest city in Lebanon and still an important port. Agriculture and small industries plays a big role in the economy of Tripoli. It’s fertile soil was put to good work since the Mamluks. Presses extracts oil from the olives harvested from the groves surrounding the city, and small factories make soap for export from the extracted oil. Sugar is extracted from the cane that Tripoli raised; sugar refining continued uninterrupted from the first Arab occupation through the Mumluks till today. Citrus, olive oil, and wool are the cities major exports.





Bsharre and the Cedars :

The journey to Bsharre and the Cedars passes through some of Lebanon's most spectacular scenery. The mountain road winds through the countryside where red-tile roofed houses cling precariously to the cliffs, and a patchwork of vineyards and olive groves stretch out into the lush valleys. The mountain town of Bsharre is the birth and resting place of Lebanon's famous artist/author Gibran Khalil Gibran. From Bsharre the road climbs some 400 metres until it reaches the last remaining forest of cedars in Lebanon.

The grove of 400 trees, some of which are more than 1,500 years old, are on the slopes of Mt. Makmal. The Cedars is a prime ski resort for both downhill and cross country skiing. There are ski hire shops and accommodation in the village below the forest. One of the country's most unforgettable vistas is of the Qadisha valley which plunges down toward the coast from the Cedars.

From the Cedars it is a 4-hour hike to Lebanon's highest peak, Qornet Es Sauda. Cedars are found in the Besharre region of North Lebanon. Back in history, Lebanon was once covered by Cedar trees. Now, there are about 400 trees, and many between 1,200 and 2,000 years old. They stand on slopes 2,000 meters high in the shadow of the 3,100 meter peak of Qornet es-Sawda.

The cedar tree is the country's symbol, which is located on the center of Lebanon's flag. Religious point of view, Solomon got the wood from Lebanon's cedar forests for his temple and palace and from its wood the pharaohs carved their sarcophagi and their "sun ships.".

Batroun :

The northern sector of Lebanon begins at the Phoenician-founded town of Batroun, 50km from Beirut. In Greco-Roman times it made a name for itself as a pirate lair. A walk through the old town's twisting lanes and a visit to its architecturally eclectic cathedral are recommended for anyone who enjoys exploring picturesque corners of old Lebanon. Six kilometres from Batroun is Museilha castle, a 16th century fortress perched on top of a rocky spur.