History

Beirut's history goes back more than 5000 years.Excavations in the downtown area have unearthed layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman civilizations.The first historical reference to Beirut dates from the 14th century BC, when it is mentioned in the cuneiformtablets of the "Amarna letters." Ammunira of Biruta(Beirut) sent 3 letters to the pharaoh of Egypt. Biruta is also referenced in the letters from Rib-Hadda of Byblos. The most ancient settlement was on an island in the river that progressively silted up. The city was known in antiquity as Berytus (see also List of traditional Greek place names); this name was taken in 1934 for the archaeological journal published by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut.


In 140 BC, the city was taken and destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon in his contest with Antiochus VII Sidetes for the throne of the Seleucid monarchy. Beirut was soon rebuilt on a more regularized Hellenistic plan, renamed Laodicea in Phoenicia or Laodicea in Canaan, in honor of a Seleucid Laodice. The modern city overlies the ancient one and little archaeology had been accomplished until after the end of the civil war in 1991; now large sites in the devastated city center have been opened to archaeological exploration. A dig in 1994 established that one of Beirut's modern streets, Souk Tawile, still follows the lines of an ancient Hellenistic/Roman one.

Beirut was conquered by Agrippa in 64 BC and the city was renamed in honor of the emperor's daughter, Julia; its full name became Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus.The veterans of two Roman legions were established in the city: the fifth Macedonian and the third Gallic. The city quickly became Romanized. Large public buildings and monuments were erected and Berytus enjoyed full status as a part of the empire.

Beirut passed to the Arabs in 635.As a trading centre of the eastern Mediterranean, Beirut was overshadowed by Akka during the Middle Ages. From 1110 to 1291 it was in the hands of the Crusaders.No matter who was its nominal overlord, whether Turk or Mamluk, Beirut was ruled locally by Druze emirs. One of these, Fakr ed-Din Maan II, fortified it early in the 17th century, but the Ottomans retook it in 1763 and thenceforth,with the help of Damascus, Beirut successfully broke Akka's monopoly on Syrian maritime trade and for a few years supplanted it as the main trading centre in the region. During the succeeding epoch of rebellion against Ottoman hegemony at Akka under Jezzar and Abdullah pashas, Beirut declined to a small town (population about 10,000), and was fought over among the Druze, the Turks and the pashas.
 
 
 
Geography
 
Backed by the Mount Lebanon mountains, Beirut is situated on a spur where the narrow coastal plain projects into the Mediterranean Sea. Beirut's coast is rather diverse; rocky beaches, sandy shores, and cliffs are situated beside one another.

Beirut is located halfway along the Lebanese coastline with Byblos and Tripoli to the North, and Sidon and Tyre to the South. The Lebanon Mountains surround much of Beirut, with Eastern Lebanon behind them. Its location makes it easy to reach from almost any location in Lebanon.
 
 
 
Climate
 
Beirut has a Mediterranean climate characterized by a hot and dry (but humid) summer, pleasant fall and spring, and cool, rainy winter. August is the hottest month of the year with a monthly average high temperature of 29 °C (85 °F), and January and February are the coldest months with a monthly average low temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). During the afternoon and evening the prevailing wind direction is from the west, i.e., onshore, or inland from the Mediterranean Sea; at night the wind direction reverses to offshore, i.e., blowing from the land out to the sea.

Winter is the rainy season, with major precipitation falling after December. The average annual rainfall is 860 millimetres (34.1 Inches); the rainfall is concentrated during scattered days in winter falling in heavy cloudbursts.
 
 
 
Education
 
Higher education in Beirut, and all over Lebanon, is provided by technical and vocational institutes, university colleges, university institutes and universities. Among these numbers of institutions nationwide, the Lebanese University is the only public institution in the capital. The responsibility of the Directorate General of Higher Education is responsible for managing the university colleges, university Institutes and Universities in Beirut and nationwide.

Among the most famous private schools in Beirut are the International College, the American Community School, the College Protestant Francais, the College Louise Wegman and the Grand Lycee Franco-Libanais.

The higher education system is based on the Baccalaureat libanais. Before admissing to any recognizable higher institution, one much already conclude his or her Baccalaureat examinations. Baccalaureat technique is an alternative to credentials.

Beirut is home to some of the most well-renowned universities in the middle East, such as the American University of Beirut, Universite Saint-Joseph and the Lebanese American University.
 
 
 
Transportation

The city's airport is the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport and is located in the southern suburbs.

By land, the latter are served by either service or taxis. Service is a lot cheaper than taxis however, to avoid misunderstanding, agreement over the pricing need to be made before setting off.

Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria. The Lebanese Commuting Company, or LCC in short, is just one of a handful brands of public transportations all over Lebanon.On the other hand, the publicly owned buses are managed by le Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun (OCFTC), or the "Railway and Public Transportation Authority" in English. Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station.

Apart from the international airport, the Port of Beirut is another port of entry. As a final destination, anyone can also reach Lebanon by ferry from Cyprus or by road from Damascus.
 
 
 
Culture
 
Beirut has been exposed to cultural changes due to contact with so many civilizations. As mentioned under the history of Beirut, this city had interacted with cultures from the Greeks to the Romans and, presently, to the Arabs. Not only was there a law school under the Romanized Berytus, it was also believed to be the first law school in the world. Because of this, this is currently part of the cultural pride of the Lebanese.

The national museum is situated in Beirut. The National Museum of Beirut is just a few blocks from the French Embassy and the Military Tribunal, and it is founded just at the corner of the Damascus Expressway.] Apart from this, however, there is a more private museum within the courtyards of the American University of Beirut, the third oldest museum in the Middle East.

Despite Beirut dating back over 5000 it is only recently that ruins have been discovered, the finds are from numerous civilizations: Canaanite, Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman. The architecture in Beirut reflects the varied influences from different religions to different civilizations. Since the civil war massive regeneration has happened to Beirut, most visibly the Beirut Central District (BCD) which was completed in 2001 .
 
 
 
Media
 
Beirut is the main center in Lebanon for the television, newspaper, and book publishing industries. The television stations include Tele Liban, LBC, Future TV, New TV, Al-Manar, ANB, NBN , and OTV. The newspapers include An-Nahar, As-Safir, Al Mustaqbal, Al Akhbar, Al-Balad, Ad-Diyar, Al Anwar, Al Sharq, L'Orient Le Jour and the Daily Star.
 
 
 
Religion
 
Beirut is one of the most religiously diverse cities of the Middle East, with Christians, and Muslims both having a significant presence. Beirut is the most Christian capital of the Middle East. There are nine major religious sects in Beirut (Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim, Druze, Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, and Protestant). Family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities.
 
Beirut has had a history of political strife due to religious divisions. Religion has historically divided Lebanese society decisively, evident in its prolonged civil war.

Although it is generally assumed that Muslims and Christians are divided into West and East Beirut respectively, the 2005 election results indicated that as much as 60% of the Beirut district is Sunni Muslim.
 
 
 
Sports
 
Beirut, in addition to Sidon and Tripoli, hosted the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. There are two stadiums in the city, Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and Beirut Municipal Stadium.

There are eight football teams in the Lebanese Premier League that are based in Beirut: Nejmeh, Al-Ansar, Al-Hikma, Al Ahed, Al-Mabarrah, Safa, Racing Beirut and Shabab Al-Sahel.

Beirut has two Basketball teams, Al Riyadi and Al Hikma, that participate in the premiere division of the Lebanese Basketball Championship.

Other sports events in Beirut include the annual Beirut Marathon, a weekly Horse racing at Beirut Hippodrome, and Golf and Tennis tournaments that take place at Golf Club of Lebanon.

Recently Beirut has taken to rugby league as well, with three out of the five teams in the Lebanon Championship based in Beirut.
 
 
 
Arts & Fashion
 
There are hundreds of art galleries in Beirut and its suburbs. Lebanese people are very involved in art and art production. More than 5000 fine art artists and equal artists working in music, design, architecture, theatre, movie industry, photography and all other forms of art are producing in Lebanon. Every year hundreds of fine art students graduate from universities and institutions. Artist Workshops are flourishing all around Lebanon. In Beirut specifically, the art scene is very rich, vibrant and diverse.

On another scale, fashion and couture are very much thriving throughout the city. Fashion houses are opening up and a number of international fashion designers have displayed their work in various fashion shows. Beirut is also home to international fashion designers such as Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, and Georges Chakra.
 
 
 

 
 
 
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