BEIRUT - Originally a Phoenician city called Beroth (The City of Wells)
- Arabic BAYRUT, French BEYROUTH, is the capital, chief port, and largest city of Lebanon. It occupies a metropolitan area of approximately 26 square miles (67 square kilometres) on the Mediterranean coast, and is located at the foot of the Lebanon mountains.
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Beirut is a city of beauty and a blend of the sophisticated and cosmopolitan.
Before 1975, Beirut was widely considered the most thoroughly westernized city in the Arab Middle East and was once known as the Paris of the Middle East.
However, 15 years of civil war have ravaged most parts of the city and eroded much of the lustre that had formerly concealed the Arab side of its character. Despite the religious and ideological passions unleashed by the civil war, Beirut is still a basically liberal city, whose people lead a tolerant way of life.
- The Lebanese capital enjoys a vigorous press that publishes scores of newspapers and magazines in Arabic, French, English and Armenian. Five universities help keep ideas and innovations flowing. The flourishing art scene, including theater, film making, music and plastic arts adds to the sense that this is indeed a city on the move.
Rawshe and Martyr's Square
- On February 16 2005, 1 million Lebanese (third of the population) of all religions and social backgrounds descended on Martyr's Square to mourn Hariri's assassination and protest the continued occupation of Lebanon by Syria.
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