2019-09-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

THE URBAN EDIT

5 BEITBEIRUT

Thisuniqueprojectis

dedicatedto thememoryof

localconflict,andalsolooks

to thefuturewithtemporary

artandphotoexhibitions.

ButwhatmakestheBeitBeirut

museumtrulyspecialis the

buildingitself.Situatedon

theGreenLinethatdivided

MuslimandChristianBeirut

duringthecivilwar,this1920s

ochreNeo-Ottomanvilla

servedas a sniperbunker

andhasbeendeliberately

preservedin its crumbling,

half-destroyedstate.The

architect,YoussefHaidar,

says,‘Inside,wehave

preservedthebombdamage,

wallsriddledwithbullets,

snipers’graffiti.A visitis

intenselyemotionalforboth

Lebaneseandforeigners.’

beitbeirut.org

3 ARMENIA STREET

Beiruthasmadeanartof
reinventingitselfas theparty
capitalof theArabworld.The
perfectexampleis Armenia
Street,whicha fewyearsago
featurednothingmorethan
rundowngaragesin crumbling
buildings.Today,everyspace
hasbeenconvertedinto
a bar,boutique,bistroor club,
creatinganeternaltraffic
jamafterdark.Theretro
Internazionaleresembles
a modishMilancafécirca
1960,andat CentralStation
BoutiqueBar,themixologist
willtellyouthathelearnthis
craftin a fashionableLondon
wateringhole.Theromantic
Prunelooksmoreauthentic
thanmanyParisianbistros,
andthewhite-jacketed
barmenof Aniseserve 30
differentabsinthesand
araksfromacrossLebanon.
Armenia Street, Mar Mikhael

6 MOHAMMAD AL-AMIN

MOSQUE

Knownas Lebanon’sBlue

Mosque,withits azuredomes

andslenderminarets,the

Mohammadal-AminMosque

wascompletedin 2008,and

dominatesthecityskyline.

Visitorsarewelcome,outside

prayertimes.Theinteriorsare

breathtaking,lit byenormous

crystalchandeliers,the

immensedomecoveredwith

intricateIslamicmotifs.

Illustrativeof Beirut’scultural

diversityandancientheritage,

amazeof Romanruinslies

rightbehindthemosque,

whilenextdoorstandsthe

maincathedralof the

ChristianMaronites,Levantine

Catholicswithrootsin

Lebanonthatmaygoback

tothefourthcentury.

Martyrs’ Square, Central

4 BYBLOS

CRUSADER CASTLE

ThePhoenicianportof

Byblosliesnortheastof Beirut,

a swift20-milecabridefrom

thecitycentre.Ona slighthill

abovethewalledharboursits

a majesticCrusadercastle,

builtduringthe12th-century

religiouswarswhenChristian

knightsfromEuropefought

to takecontrolof Jerusalem.

Theviewtakesin Greekand

Romantemples,Ottoman

souqsandthebeautifully

preservedSt JohntheBaptist

church.Byblostodayis a

summerresort– Beirut’s

St Tropez– andits inestimable

monumentsareUnesco-listed.

Thecastlehasa smallmuseum;

a highlightis to climbthesteep

stepsto theroofof thefortified

towerfora panoramathathas

barely changed in centuries.

NEED TO KNOW

Beirutis a sprawling

metropolis,so take

taxisbetween

neighbourhoods,rather

thanwalking,on this

four-day trail.