The Paris of the Middle East & Beyond

Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has been nicknamed "the Paris of the Middle East’’ partly because of the French influence on the local culture but also because of the economic boom that the country experienced following the WW2. As I walk around the downtown area, I indeed feel like I am in a posh neighbourhood in Western Europe. There is not a single piece of trash on the sidewalk, the otherwise omnipresent honking by the all-too-anxious drivers cannot be heard as the roads are closed for traffic, and there is a plethora of finely ornamented cafés in well-preserved historic buildings. The “European” charm fades away as I approach Beirut Souks. What used to be a traditional souk, was destroyed during the civil war (1975 – 1990) and has now been turned into a luxurious mall with a bogus name. Mango, Bottega Veneta, Aldo, Pull and Bear … they are all here for the rich to indulge and for the tourists to admire. The poor do not seem to exist in this neighbourhood. 

 

A short walk away is Zeitunay Bay, a quiet but luxurious marina where young people come to walk by the modernist architecture, hold hands and kiss – a rare sighting that I did not encounter in other areas of the city. Here you can get a coffee for about 5 USD or admire Ferraris parked in front of yachts worth millions. But there must be something more for my taste, worthy of exploration in this country?! 

The next morning I head to the Cola bus station to get to what I learned from history books is called Sidon, a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast. It turns out that nobody calls it Sidon here – it’s Saida. The main reason for my visit is a Sea Castle built by the Crusaders in the 13th century, but when I reach the sight, I realize what “a strong sense of DIY exploration” mentioned in my guide book means. No guides, no signs, no tourists, no indication of preservation efforts, just two men sitting in a small ticket office, one to sell you a ticket and the other one to check that you actually purchased it. I do not spend much time in the caste, but rather set out to give Lebanese souks another chance. Indeed the one in old Sidon is quite a lot to take in: narrow alleyways, a gazillion of electrical wires above my head, lovely smelling citruses, chestnuts, woodcrafts, pottery, made-in-China clothes, and butchery after butchery. After I discover where these are getting stocked from, I quickly escape to a simple café by the shore. As I search the bus station to return to Beirut, I ask a friendly policeman for help. He turns out to be a very busy man, however. He is supposed to direct traffic, answer phone calls, cooperate with his colleague and on top of that search his memory for any English words. Since he cannot find many and it is too difficult to give me directions, he stops a random van, instructs me to get in and promises that the driver would take me to the bus station. So after only 15 minutes I am on the way to the bus station, which is only two or three blocks away! 

 

The journey to Beirut is a really fun one. There is a driver, a person who collects the ticket money, and their friend who does not seem to have a special role except for sharing cigarettes with the other two. The bus is going slow, so there is never really a need to close the front door. Also, because there are passengers getting on and off every 250 meters, it doesn’t make sense to close it anyway. The guy selling the tickets is just too busy to sit down, so he is standing on the first step at the open door, holds onto the metal handle as his entire torso is actually outside the vehicle, and waves at people as we are passing by. I wish I had this many friends! One of the side effects of his job is that his hair, which is constantly exposed to the wind, has taken up a particularly aerodynamic shape. The guy is in a really good mood until the time comes for the bus to stop and the three-person crew to get coffee. An elderly lady seems upset by the slow pace and utters a few strong Arabic words to the crew. Although it seems that none of the three takes her seriously, the second part of the journey to Beirut goes by much more quietly.

Lebanon is a rather small country of about 10,000 km2 and four million people, but in this small area, there is a wide range of landscapes to experience. In just one or two days, one can explore the stunning underground world in any of the caves (although Jeita is surely the most famous one as it is protected by the UNESCO), be sure to visit mountainous cedar tree reserves in the Chouf nature reserve, take a quick swim in the Mediterranean and learn a ton of history in Beirut’s National Museum or in any of the historic cities such as Byblos (Phoenician), Baalbek (Roman), Beit ed-Dine (Ottoman), or Anjar (early Christian). Even if you have little time to spare, get out there and explore the rich heritage. And don’t forget to taste some shish tawook and Arabic mezze!