Anjar is the only site from the Umayyad Islamic dynasty in Lebanon. It was founded in the early 8th century by Caliph Walid I but was damaged and subsequently abandoned within the century. It existed as a carefully planned and vibrant trading hub between Beirut and Damascus and the Bekaa and Homs. Anjar was excavated in the 1940s, revealing that construction of the city was never completed.
What not to miss: Umayyad Ruins
Lebanese Visitors: LL 100,000
Arab Visitors: LL 400,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 800,000
Baalbek is home to the largest ever Roman temple. Originally a Phoenician settlement dedicated to the deity of the sun, Baal, Baalbeck was later known as Heliopolis to the Greeks. Baalbeck came under Roman control in 47 BC and became home to the temples of Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus over the next two centuries. After the Romans, Baalbeck passed into the hands of the Byzantine, the Muslim armies, and Arabs. Excavations of Baalbek began in the late 1800s.
What not to miss: Temple of Jupiter
Lebanese Visitors: LL 200,000
Arab Visitors: LL 500,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 1,000,000
Byblos, an ancient seaport, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. From the first settlement by a community of fishermen dating back 8,000 years to the temples of the Bronze Age, Persian fortifications, Roman roads, Byzantine churches, the Crusade citadel and Medieval and Ottoman structures. It was also the birthplace of the Phoenician alphabet. The Byblos Castle, known as the Castle of Gibelet in Crusader times, was built in the 12th century on the remains of Roman structures. Surrounding it are Egyptian temples, the Phonecian royal necropolis, and a Roman amphitheater.
What not to miss: Byblos Castle
Lebanese Visitors: LL 150,000
Arab Visitors: LL 400,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 800,000
The Holy Valley has been a place of meditation and refuge since the earliest years of Christianity. The valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Likely the oldest religious community in the valley is the still-working convent Deir Qannoubine. The convent acted as the residence of the Maronite Patriarchs between 1440 and 1790, and features frescos from these times.
What not to miss: Deir Qannoubine
Sour is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back over 4,000 years. It was one of the most important cities of Phoenicia. Sour is historically associated with the first production of Tyrian purple pigment, the construction of Jerusalem through the provision of materials and architects, and a partial trade monopoly of the Mediterranean Sea.
What not to miss: Sour Necropolis
Sour Sites
Lebanese Visitors: LL 100,000
Arab Visitors: LL 200,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 400,000
The ruins in Faqra are the most extensive Roman archaeological site in Mount Lebanon. It is split into three sectors: The Claudius Tower, the Small Temple, and the Great Sanctuary.
What not to miss: Claudius Tower
Lebanese Visitors: LL 50,000
Arab Visitors: LL 200,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 400,000
The ancient Phoenecian sea wall was originally a natural structure composed of petrified sand dunes and reinforced gradually with rocks, around the first century BC. The Phoenicians used the wall as protection against sea storms and invaders. It is 225 meters long and 1 to 1.5 meters thick, although parts of it have crumbled.
Saida’s castle was built by Crusaders in the 13th century. Today, the castle’s remains are primarily two towers built in two phases. The west tower is better preserved and leads to a domed Ottoman-era mosque. The east tower was built in two phases, with the lower half dating to the Crusader period and the upper-level dating to the Mamluks.
Lebanese Visitors: LL 75,000
Arab Visitors: LL 150,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 300,000
Evidence of settlement in Tripoli dates back as early as 1,400 BCE. In the 9th century, the Phonecians established a trading station in Tripoli. Under Persian rule, the city became the capital of a confederation of the Phonecian city-states of Saida, Sour and Arados Island. The city also has the second-highest concentration of Mamluk architecture after Cairo.
What not to miss: Tripoli Citadel
Lebanese Visitors: LL 75,000
Arab Visitors: LL 200,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 400,000
Beiteddine, in the Chouf District, is known for the Beiteddine Palace which was built by Emir Bashir II between 1788 and 1818. The palace combines Lebanese architecture with Italian influences. It was used by the Ottomans and the French as a government building. In 1943, the palace was declared the president’s summer residence. Today, it is partially open to the public.
Lebanese Visitors: LL 100,000
Arab Visitors: LL 400,000
Foreign Visitors: LL 800,000
