I came to Lebanon on a quick weekend getaway without knowing what to expect and left simply impressed by the snowy peaked mountains embracing the cities, magnificent Jeita caves, beautiful coastline along the Mediterranean and bohemian streets of Beirut.
Being strategically located among the neighbouring countries in turmoil Lebanon is rather safe and peaceful although it had its share of rough period.
The war scarred buildings still stand tall all around Beirut as a reminder of heavy civil war between 1975-90. It is hard to judge rather it was the result of contradictions between Manorites Christians and Arabs or simply a puppet game of more powerful world forces for their own benefits. Again the history just seems to repeat itself.
From ancient times Lebanon has survived nearly 16 civilizations and all of them have left their trace. Most of it can be found in one of the oldest cities in the world, Byblos, just an hour drive north of Beirut. The city is 8000 years old and was originally a Phoenician’s settlement. They were the first to develop the alphabetic letters and writing system hence the name Byblos. It is a small little town full of Greek,Roman,Persian and Crusadic influences.
Although the Middle East is unfortunately often associated with negative image (portrayed mostly from the media), it is more worth mentioning that it holds a vital historical and cultural treasures of the origin of our civilization.
