Official name	Beirut
Other name	Beyrut(Turkish)
Native name	بيروت Bayrūt
Other name	Beyrouth (French)
City motto	BERYTUS NUTRIX LEGUM (Latin)
Image seal	BlasonBeyrouth4.jpg
Map caption	Location in Lebanon. The surrounding district can be seen on the map.
Pushpin map	Lebanon
Pushpin mapsize	300
Coordinates region	LB
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision type1	Governorate
Subdivision name	Lebanon
Subdivision name1	Beirut, Capital City
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Bilal Hamad
area total km2	20
area urban km2	100
area metro km2	200
population total	750000
population urban	1900000
population metro	2250000 ~ 3000000
Timezone	+2
Timezone dst	+3
Latitude	33°53' N
Longitude	35°30' E
Website	City of Beirut
Footnotes	}}

Beirut ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Lebanon with a population ranging from some 1 million to more than 2 million as of 2007. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan Area, which consists of the city and its suburbs. The first mention of this metropolis is found in the ancient Egyptian Tell el Amarna letters, dating to the 15th century BC, and the city has been continuously inhabited since.

Beirut holds Lebanon's seat of government, and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy with its city centre, Hamra, Verdun, and Ashrafieh-based corporate firms and banks. The city is the focal point of the region's cultural life, renowned for its press, theatres, cultural activities, and nightlife. After the destructive Lebanese civil war, Beirut underwent major reconstruction, and the redesigned historic city centre, marina, pubs and nightlife districts have once again rendered it a tourist attraction. Beirut was named the top place to visit in 2009 by The New York Times. It was also listed as one of the ten liveliest cities in the world by Lonely Planet in 2009.

In 2011, MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut has the second highest visiting spending levels in the Middle East and Africa. Dubai came in first with $7.8 billion, followed by Beirut with $6.5 billion, Tel Aviv with $3.8 billion, Cairo at $3.7 billion and Johannesburg with $3.3 billion. At the same time it was listed as the ninth most visited and as such it's still considered a "high-end" destination.

Archaeology and Prehistory

Several prehistoric archaeological sites were discovered within the urban area of Beirut, revealing flint tools of sequential periods dating from the Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic, through the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

Beirut I or Minet el Hosn was listed as "Beyrouth ville" by L. Burkhalter and said to be on the beach near the Orent and Bassoul Hotels in central Beirut on the Avenue de Français. The site was discovered by Lortet in 1894 and discussed by Jesuit Father Godefroy Zumoffen in 1900. The flint industry from the site was described as Mousterian and is held by the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.

Beirut II or Um el Khatib was suggested by L. Burkhalter to have been north of Tarik el Jedideh, where P.E. Gigues discovered an Énéolithique (Chalcolithic) flint industry at around one hundred meters above sea level. The site was built on and destroyed by 1948.

Beirut III, Furn esh Shebbak or Plateau Tabet was suggested to have been located on the left bank of the Nahr Beirut river. L. Burkhalter suggested that it was west of the Damascus road although this determination has faced criticism by Lorraine Copeland. P. E. Gigues discovered a series of Neolithic flint tools on the surface along with the remains of a structure suggested to be a hut circle. Auguste Bergy also discussed polished axes that were found at this site which has now completely disappeared due to construction and urbanization of the area.

Beirut IV or Furn esh Shebbak, river banks was also on the left bank of the river and on either side of the road leading eastwards from the Furn esh Shebbak Police Station towards the river that marked the city limits. The area was covered in red sand that represented Quaternary river terraces. The site was found by Jesuit Father Dillenseger and published by fellow Jesuits; Godefroy Zumoffen, Raoul Describes and Auguste Bergy. Collections from the site were made by Bergy, Describes and another member of the Society of Jesus, Paul Bovier-Lapierre. A large number of Middle Paleolithic flint tools were found on the surface and side gullies that drain into the river. These included around 50 varied bifaces accredited to the Acheulean period, some with a lustrous sheen, now held at the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory. Henri Fleisch also found an Emireh point amongst material from the site, which has now disappeared beneath buildings.

Beirut V or Nahr Beirut was discovered by Father Dillenseger and said to be in an orchard of Mulberry trees on the left bank of the river, near the mouth and said to be close to the railway station and bridge to Tripoli. Levallois flints and bones were found amongst brecciated deposits along with similar surface material. The area has now been built on.

Beirut VI or Patriarchate was a site discovered during building operations, somewhere on the property of the Lebanese Evangelical School for Girls in Beirut's Patriarchate area. It was notable for the discovery of a finely styled Canaanean blade javelin suggested to date to the Néolithique Ancien or Néolithique Moyen periods of Byblos and held in the school library.

Beirut VII or Rivoli Cinema and Byblos Cinema sites near the Bourj in the Rue el Arz area are two sites discovered by Lorraine Copeland and Peter Wescombe in 1964 and examined by Diana Kirkbride and Roger Saidah. One site was behind the parking lot of the "Byblos" Cinema and showed collapsed walls, pits, floors, charcoal, pottery and flints. The other overlooking a cliff west of the "Rivoli" Cinema was composed of three layers resting on limestone bedrock. Fragments of blades and broad flakes were recovered from the first layer of black soil, above which some Bronze Age pottery was recovered in a layer of grey soil. Pieces of Roman pottery and mosaics were found in the upper layer. Middle Bronze Age tombs were found in this area and the ancient tell of Beirut is thought to be in the Borj area.

History

Beirut's history goes back more than 5000 years. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, the antiquity of Beirut is indicated by its name, derived from the Canaanite name of Be'erot (wells), referring to the underground water table that is still tapped by the local inhabitants for general use. Excavations in the downtown area have unearthed layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader and Ottoman remains. The first historical reference to Beirut dates from the 14th century BC, when it is mentioned in the cuneiform tablets of the "Amarna letters". Ammunira of Biruta (Beirut) sent three letters to the pharaoh of Egypt. Biruta is also referenced in the letters from Rib-Hadda of Byblos. The most ancient settlement was on an island in the river that progressively silted up. The city was known in antiquity as Berytus, this name was taken in 1934 for the archaeological journal published by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut.

Hellenistic/Roman period

In 140 BC the city was destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon in his contest with Antiochus VII Sidetes for the throne of the Seleucid monarchy. Beirut was soon rebuilt on a more regularized Hellenistic plan, renamed Laodicea in Phoenicia () or Laodicea in Canaan, in honor of a Seleucid Laodice. The modern city overlies the ancient one and little archaeology had been accomplished until after the end of the civil war in 1991; now large sites in the devastated city center have been opened to archaeological exploration. A dig in 1994 established that one of Beirut's modern streets, Souk Tawile, still follows the lines of an ancient Hellenistic and Roman one.

Mid-first century coins of Berytus bear the head of Tyche, goddess of fortune; on the reverse, the city's symbol appears: a dolphin entwines an anchor. This symbol was taken up by the early printer Aldus Manutius in 15th century Venice. Beirut was conquered by Agrippa in 64 BC and the city was renamed in honor of the emperor's daughter, Julia; its full name became Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. The veterans of two Roman legions were established in the city: the fifth Macedonian and the third Gallic. The city quickly became Romanized. Large public buildings and monuments were erected and Berytus enjoyed full status as a part of the empire.

Under the Romans, it was enriched by the dynasty of Herod the Great, and was made a colonia, Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus, in 14 BC. Beirut's school of law was widely known at the time. Two of Rome's most famous jurists, Papinian and Ulpian, both natives of Phoenicia, taught at the law school under the Severan emperors. When Justinian assembled his Pandects in the 6th century, a large part of the corpus of laws were derived from these two jurists, and Justinian recognized the school as one of the three official law schools of the empire (533). Within a few years, as the result of a disastrous earthquake (551), the students were transferred to Sidon. About 30,000 were killed in Berytus alone and, along the Phoenician coast, total casualties were close to 250,000.

Middle Ages

Beirut passed to Arabs in 635. It was ruled by the Arslan (Turkish meaning "Lion") family (Arab origin from Yemen, relatives through marriage, descendants of the Lakhmids) for 477 years (635–1110). "Prince Arslan bin al-Mundhir" founded the Principality of Sin-el-Fil in 759 AD in Beirut. This Principality was the base of the afterwards "Principality of Mount Lebanon" who was the base of the establishment of "Greater Lebanon" (Lebanon today). As a trading centre of the eastern Mediterranean, Beirut was overshadowed by Akka during the Middle Ages. From 1110 to 1291 it was in the hands of the Crusaders Kingdom of Jerusalem. John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut (1179–1236) rebuilt the city after the battles with Saladin, and also built the Ibelin family palace in Beirut.

Ottoman rule

Beirut was controlled by local Druze emirs throughout the Ottoman period. One of these, Fakr ed-Din Maan II, fortified it early in the 17th century, but the Ottomans retook it in 1763. With the help of Damascus, Beirut successfully broke Akka's monopoly on Syrian maritime trade and for a few years supplanted it as the main trading centre in the region. During the succeeding epoch of rebellion against Ottoman hegemony at Akka under Jezzar and Abdullah pashas, Beirut declined to a small town (population about 10,000), and was an object of contention between the Ottomans, the local Druze, and the Mamluks. After Ibrahim Pasha captured Akka in 1832, Beirut began its revival.

By the second half of the nineteenth century, Beirut was in the process of developing close commercial and political ties with European imperial powers, France in particular. European interests in Lebanese silk and other export products transformed the city into a major port and commercial centre. Meanwhile, Ottoman power in the region continued to decline. Sectarian and religious conflicts, power vacuums, and changes in the political dynamics of the region culminated in the 1860 Lebanon conflict. Beirut became a destination for Maronite Christian refugees fleeing from the worst areas of the fighting on Mount Lebanon and in Damascus. This in turn altered the ethnic composition of Beirut itself, sowing the seeds of future ethnic and religious troubles there and in greater Lebanon. However, Beirut was able to prosper in the meantime. This was again a product of European intervention, and also a general realization amongst the city's residents that commerce, trade, and prosperity depended on domestic stability.

In 1888, Beirut was made capital of a vilayet in Syria, including the sanjaks Latakia, Tripoli, Beirut, Akka and Bekaa. By this time, Beirut had grown into a very cosmopolitan city, and had close links with Europe and the United States. Beirut also became a centre of missionary activity that spawned impressive educational institutions, such as the American University of Beirut. Provided with water from a British company and gas from a French one, silk exports to Europe came to dominate the local economy. After French engineers established a modern harbor (1894) and a rail link across Lebanon to Damascus, and then to Aleppo (1907), much of the trade was carried by French ships to Marseille. French influence in the area soon exceeded that of any other European power. In 1911, the population mix was reported in the Encyclopædia Britannica as Muslims, 36,000; Christians, 77,000; Jews, 2500; Druze, 400; foreigners, 4100.

Modern era

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I Beirut, along with the rest of Lebanon, was placed under the French Mandate. After Lebanon achieved independence in 1943, Beirut became its capital city. The city remained a regional intellectual capital, becoming a major tourist destination, and a banking haven especially for the Persian Gulf Oil Boom. This era of relative prosperity ended in 1975 when the Lebanese Civil War broke out throughout the country. During most of the war, Beirut was divided between a Muslim west part and the Christian east. The downtown area, previously the home of much of the city's commercial and cultural activities, became a no man's land known as the "Green Line." Many inhabitants fled to other countries. About 60,000 people died in the first two years of the war (1975–1976), and much of the city was devastated. One particularly destructive period was the 1978 Syrian siege against Achrafiyeh, the main Christian district of Beirut. Syrian troops relentlessly bombed the eastern quarter of the city, whereby Christian militias managed to counter and defeat multiple attempts by Syria's elite forces to capture the strategic area, in a three months campaign later known as the "100 days war." Another destructive chapter was the 1982 Israeli invasion, during which most of West Beirut was under siege by Israeli troops. In 1983, French and US barracks were bombed by Hezbollah, killing 241 American servicemen, 58 French servicemen, 6 civilians and the 2 suicide bombers.

Since the end of the war in 1990, the people of Lebanon have been rebuilding Beirut, and by the start of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict the city had somewhat regained its status as a tourist, cultural, and intellectual centre in the Middle East, as well as a centre for commerce, fashion, and media. Reconstruction of downtown Beirut has been largely driven by Solidere, a development company established in 1994 by Rafik Hariri. Beirut is home to the international designer Elie Saab, jeweller Robert Moawad, and to some popular satellite television stations, such as Future TV, New TV and others. The city was host to the Asian Club Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Cup. Beirut also successfully hosted the Miss Europe pageant eight times, 1960–1964, 1999, 2001–2002.

The 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri near the Saint George Bay in Beirut shook the entire country. Approximately one million people gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut, a month after the death of Hariri. The "Cedar Revolution" was the largest rally in Lebanon's history at that time. The last Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut on 26 April 2005. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 15 October 2008. During the 2006 Lebanon War, however, Israeli bombardments seeking Hezbollah targets resulted in damage in many parts of Beirut, especially the poorer and largely Shiite South Beirut, which is controlled by Hezbollah. In May 2008, violent clashes broke out in Beirut, after the government decided to disband Hezbollah's network of communications (which it later rescinded), between the government allies that were relocated in the capital and the forces of the opposition briefly before handing it over to the control of the Lebanese Army.

In the aftermath of these events, all clashing parties travelled to the Qatari capital, Doha, in a national dialogue conference after an invitation from the prince of the country. On the conclusion of the meeting, many decisions were reached, the appointment of a new president of the country, and the establishment of a new national government with all the political adversaries involved. As a result the opposition's camp in the capital was removed, something underlined in the Doha Agreement.

Geography

Beirut is positioned on a peninsula extending westward into the Mediterranean Sea, about north of the Lebanon-Israel border. The city is flanked by the Lebanon mountains; it has taken on a triangular shape, largely influenced by its situation between and atop two hills: Al-Ashrafieh and Al-Musaytibah. The Beirut Governorate area is of , and the city's metropolitan area is of . Beirut's coast is rather diverse; rocky beaches, sandy shores, and cliffs are situated beside one another.

Climate

Beirut has a Mediterranean climate characterized by a hot, dry summer, a pleasant autumn and spring, and a cool, rainy winter. August is the hottest month, with a monthly average high temperature of 29 °C (84 °F), and January and February are the coldest months with a monthly average low temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). During the afternoon and evening, the prevailing wind direction is from the west, i.e., onshore, or inland from the Mediterranean Sea; at night the wind direction reverses to offshore, i.e., blowing from the land out to the sea.

The average annual rainfall is 860 millimetres (34.1 inches), virtually all of which falls in winter, autumn and spring. Much of the rain in autumn and spring falls on a limited number of days in heavy downpours. In winter, however, the rain is more evenly spread over a large number of days. Summer receives very little (if any) rainfall. Snow in Beirut is rare and usually occurs without accumulation. However, hail and sleet can occur quite frequently in winter. Exceptions are 3 big snowstorms that occurred in 1920, 1942 and 1950.

|source 2 = World Meteorological Organisation (UN) |date=August 2010 }}

Quarters and sectors

Beirut is divided into 12 municipality recognized quarters (quartiers):

Achrafieh

Dar El Mreisse

Bachoura

Mazraa

Medawar

Minet El Hosn

Moussaitbeh

Port Beirut

Ras Beirut

Rmeil

Saifi Village

Zoukak El Blatt

These quarters are divided into sectors (secteurs).

Three of the 12 official Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are located in Beirut: Burj el-Barajneh, Shatila and Mar Elias refugee camp, all located in the south of the city. Of the fifteen unregistered or unofficial refugee camps, Sabra, which lies adjacent to Shatila, is also located in Beirut.

Interactive Panorama

Beirut Central District Panorama by Karim Saad 2010-12-27

Demographics

There are wide-ranging estimates of Beirut's population, from as low as 938,940 people, to 1,303,129 people, to as high as 2,012,000. The lack of an exact figure is due to the fact that no population census has been taken in Lebanon since 1932.

Beirut is the most religiously diverse city of Lebanon and all of the Middle East, with a significant presence of both Christians and Muslims. There are nine major religious communities in Beirut (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic, Protestant, Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim, Druze). Family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith (the "millet" system). Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities. Until the mid-20th century, Beirut was also home to a Jewish community in the Wadi Abu Jamil neighbourhood in the Bab Idriss sector of Zokak el-Blat. See History of the Jews in Lebanon. According to the 2009 Lebanese general elections, a total of 435,462 people voted in Beirut, of them 192,910 (45%) were Sunni Muslims, 60,202 (14%) were Shia Muslims, 46,744 (11%) were Armenian Orthodox, 42,728 (10%) were Greek Orthodox, 24,800 (6%) were Maronite Catholics, 18,923 (4%) were Greek Catholics, 9,623 (2%) were Armenian Catholics, 6,883 (1%) were Protestant, 5,374 (1%) were Jews, 5,251 (1%) were Druze, 218 were Alawis, and 21,806 were Other Christians.

Before the civil war the neighborhoods of Beirut were fairly heterogeneous, but they have become largely segregated by religion since the conflict. East Beirut is characterized by a largely Christian population, with a small Sunni Muslim minority. Meanwhile, West Beirut is categorized by a Sunni Muslim majority with small minorities of Christians and Druze. Since the end of the civil war, East and West Beirut have begun to see an increase in Sunni Muslims and Christians moving into each half. Beirut's southern suburbs are largely populated by Shi'ite Muslims, while Beirut's Eastern suburbs are largely Christian. Northern Beirut has had and continues to have a large Lebanese Protestant community since the 19th century.

Economy

The economy of Beirut is diverse, ranging from publishing, banking, trade to a diverse industry. From the 1950s to the start of the conflict in 1975, Beirut was the region's financial services center. At the onset of the oil boom starting in the 1960s, Lebanon-based banks were the main recipients of the region's petrodollars. Middle East Airlines has its head office in Beirut. In addition, the Banque du Liban, the central bank of Lebanon, is headquartered in Beirut.

Government

The capital Beirut is the seat of the Lebanese Parliament and of the government, and encompasses all the Ministries, most of the public administrations, embassies and consulates. Beirut is one of six mohafazat (state governorates; mohafazah, singular), with the others being Beqaa, North Lebanon, South Lebanon, Mount Lebanon and Nabatiye.

+ Governors of Beirut	!	! Name	! Took office	! Left office
1	Kamel Abbas Hamieh	1936	1941
2	Nicolas Rizk	1946	1952
3	George Assi	1952	1956
4	Bachour Haddad	1956	1958
5	Philip Boulos	1959	1960
6	Emile Yanni	1960	1967
7	Chafik Abou Haydar	1967	1977
8	Mitri El Nammar	1977	1987
9	George Smaha	1987	1991
10	Nayef Al Maaloof	1992	1995
11	Nicolas Saba	1995	1999
12	Yaacoub Sarraf	1999	2005
13	Nassif Kaloosh	2005

International organizations

The city is home to numerous international organizations. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is headquartered in Downtown Beirut while the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) both have regional offices in Beirut covering the Arab world. The Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), the Union of Arab Banks and the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges are also headquartered in Beirut.

Education

Higher education in Beirut, and all over Lebanon, is provided by technical and vocational institutes, university colleges, university institutes and universities. Among these numbers of institutions nationwide, the Lebanese University is the only public institution in the capital. The responsibility of the Directorate General of Higher Education is responsible for managing the university colleges, university Institutes and Universities in Beirut and nationwide.

Among the private schools in Beirut are the American Community School, the Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour, International College, Beirut, the Carmel Saint-Joseph, the Collège Louise Wegmann, Rawdah High School, the Saint Mary's Orthodox College, the Collège Protestant Français, the Lycée Franco-Libanais Verdun, the Collège du Sacré-Coeur Gemmayzé, the Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais, the Collège Notre Dame de Nazareth, the Armenian Evangelical Central High School and the German School of Beirut.

The higher education system is based on the Lebanese Baccalaureate but the French Baccalaureate is accepted as an equivalent. Before being admitted to any higher education institution, one must achieve his or her Baccalaureate examinations. Baccalaureate technique is an alternative to credentials.

Foreign students who wish to study in higher Lebanese institutions must also meet Lebanese qualifications. Their examinations must be equivalent to the Baccalaureate system before they are granted admission to higher institutions. They are not subject to any special quota system, and scholarships are granted within the framework of bilateral agreements concluded with other countries. Degrees obtained outside Lebanon must be certified by the Lebanese embassy abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lebanon. Then, candidates must go in person to the Secretariat of the Equivalence Committee with required documents.

The American University of Beirut is the oldest university in the country and the region. In 1862 American missionaries in Lebanon and Syria, under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, asked Dr. Daniel Bliss to establish a college of higher learning that would include medical training. On April 24, 1863, while Dr. Daniel Bliss was raising money for the new college in the United States and England, the State of New York granted a charter for the Syrian Protestant College. The college, which was renamed the American University of Beirut in 1920, opened with a class of 16 students on December 3, 1866. Dr. Bliss served as its first president, from 1866 until 1902. The American University of Beirut (AUB) has been accredited as an institution since 2004 by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Tel. 267-284-5000). AUB’s accreditation was most recently reaffirmed in June 2009, after the completion of an extensive self-study that was reviewed by educational experts chosen in consultation with Middle States. The University’s next full accreditation cycle is due in 2018–19. Over the last several years, a number of University programs and faculties have also sought accreditation with more specialized bodies. The Faculty of Health Sciences’ Graduate Public Health program became the first such program to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) outside of North America. Similarly, the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing became the first nursing school beyond American territories to have BSN and MSN programs accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In April 2009, undergraduate and graduate programs at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business were accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Most recently, in July 2010, four undergraduate Engineering programs at AUB’s Faculty of Engineering and Architecture were accredited by ABET Inc. (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). In general, the accreditation process is intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of a university, faculty, or program, confirming that it is worthy of public confidence. AUB has been registered with and recognized by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) since 1863. Its degrees are recognized by the Lebanese government through the equivalence committees of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Beirut is home to the Lebanese American University which is Chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and fully accredited by the NEASC. LAU also offers the only PharmD program outside the US that is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as well as an architecture degree equivalent to the French DEA allowing graduates to practice in the European Union, and is in the process of securing ABET and European accreditation for the School of Engineering with all its programs. Other universities in Beirut include the University of Balamand (Faculty of Health Sciences), Université Saint-Joseph, and École Supérieure des Affaires (business school).

Transportation

The city's renovated airport is the Rafic Hariri International Airport and is located in the southern suburbs.Turkish Airlines operates daily 3 flights between Istanbul and Beirut and Vice Versa . By land, the latter are served by either service taxi or taxicab. Service taxis are cheaper than normal taxis, but to avoid misunderstandings, an agreement over pricing needs to be made before setting off.

Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major cities in Syria. The Lebanese Commuting Company, or LCC in short, is just one of a handful brands of public transportation all over Lebanon. On the other hand, the publicly owned buses are managed by Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Commun (OCFTC), or the "Railway and Public Transportation Authority" in English. Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station.

Apart from the international airport, the Port of Beirut is another port of entry. As a final destination, Lebanon can be reached by ferry from Cyprus or by road from Damascus.

Culture

The culture of Beirut has evolved under the influence of many different peoples and civilizations, such as Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and French, among others. The law school in downtown Beirut was one of the world's earliest and was considered to be a leading center of legal studies in the Eastern Roman Empire. All in all, the ruins of downtown Beirut have been found to contain seven layers of civilization. This history of cosmopolitanism is a point of pride for many Lebanese.

Beirut hosted the Francophonie and the Arab League summits in 2002. In 2007, Beirut hosted the ceremony for Le Prix Albert Londres, which rewards outstanding francophone journalists every year. The city also hosted the Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009. In 2009, Beirut was proclaimed World Capital of the Book by UNESCO.

Beirut has also been called the "party capital of the Arab world". Monot Street had an international reputation among clubbers before political violence stymied its reputation. However new districts such as Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael have emerged as new hotspots for bar patrons and clubbers.

Museums

The National Museum of Beirut is the principal museum of archaeology in Lebanon. About 1,300 artifacts are exhibited, ranging in date from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period. The American University of Beirut (AUB) archaeological museum is the third oldest museum in the Middle East, exhibiting a wide range of artifacts from Lebanon and neighboring countries. Sursock Museum was built by the Sursock family at the end of the 19th century as a private villa. It was then donated to the Lebanese state and now houses Beirut's most influential and popular art museum. The permanent collection shows a collection of Japanese engravings and numerous works of Islamic art, and temporary exhibitions are shown throughout the year. Robert Mouawad Private Museum exhibits Henri Pharaon's private archaeology and antiques collection, located near Beirut's the Grand Serail. Planet Discovery is a children’s science museum with interactive experiments, exhibitions, performances and workshops and awareness competitions. The Saint Joseph University opened the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory in 2000, the first prehistory museum in the Arabic Middle East displaying bones, stone tools and neolithic pottery collected by Jesuits.

Media

Beirut is the main center in Lebanon for the television, newspaper, and book publishing industries. The television stations include Tele Liban, LBC, Future TV, OTV (Orange TV), MTV, New TV, Al-Manar, ANB, and NBN. The newspapers include An-Nahar, As-Safir, Al Mustaqbal, Al Akhbar, Al-Balad, Ad-Diyar, Al Anwar, Al Sharq, L'Orient Le Jour and the Daily Star. Beirut is one of the main media hubs in the Arab world, the others being Cairo and Dubai.

Sports

Beirut, in addition to Sidon and Tripoli, hosted the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. There are two stadiums in the city, Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and Beirut Municipal Stadium.

Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon. Currently four teams playing in the Lebanese Basketball League div. 1 are located in Beirut. Best two teams in Lebanese Basketball history : Sagesse and Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut in addition of Hoops Club and Antranik SC.

Other sports events in Beirut include the annual Beirut Marathon, Hip ball, a weekly horse racing at Beirut Hippodrome, and golf and tennis tournaments that take place at Golf Club of Lebanon.

Recently Beirut has taken to rugby league as well, with three out of the five teams in the Lebanon Championship based in Beirut.

Arts and fashion

There are hundreds of art galleries in Beirut and its suburbs. Lebanese people are very involved in art and art production. More than 5000 fine art artists and equal artists working in music, design, architecture, theatre, film, photography and other forms of art are producing in Lebanon. Every year hundreds of fine art students graduate from universities and institutions. Artist workshops exist all over Lebanon. Recently, the inauguration of the Beirut Art Center in the Jisr El Wati district of Beirut added to the number of exhibition spaces available in Beirut, with an addition of a screening and performance room, mediatheque, bookstore, cafe and terrace. On another scale, fashion and couture are thriving. Fashion houses are opening up and a number of international fashion designers have displayed their work in various fashion shows. Most major fashion labels have shops in Beirut, but the city is also home to a number of local fashion designers, some of whom have reached international fame and success. These include Elie Saab, Zuhair Mrad, Jean Faris, and Abed Mahfouz.

Tourism

Beirut is a destination for tourists from both the Arab world and West. The once destroyed city centre is thriving once again. Its former reputation as a crossroads between three continents and gateway to the East has been restored. Beirut is one of several so called “Paris[es] of the East”, and there is plenty of sightseeing, shopping, cuisine, and nightlife to keep a tourist within the city limits. The city has sleek, modern buildings alongside arabesque Ottoman buildings, giving Beirut a unique and distinctive style often not seen in other Middle Eastern cities.

In Travel + Leisure magazine's World Best Awards 2006, Beirut was ranked 9th best city in the world. However, the list was voted upon before the war broke out in Lebanon that same year. The Guardian claimed Beirut as one of the top ten cities in the world in 2008. The New York Times ranked Beirut as the number one place to go in 2009 on its "44 places to go" list of 2009. Many of the tourists are returning Lebanese expatriates, but many are also from Western countries. Approximately 4.6 million visitors were expected to visit in 2010; the previous record was 1.4 million in 1974.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Beirut is twinned with:

* Amman, Jordan

* Athens, Greece

* Baghdad, Iraq

* Bogotá, Colombia

Brest, France>Brest, France

* Cairo, Egypt

* Damascus, Syria

* Tripoli, Libya

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

* Isfahan, Iran

* Istanbul, Turkey

* Kuwait City, Kuwait

* Los Angeles, United States

* Lyon, France

* Marseille, France

* Mexico City, Mexico

* Moscow, Russia

* Nicosia, Cyprus

* Quebec City, Canada

* Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Split, Croatia>Split, Croatia

* Strasbourg, France

* Yerevan, Armenia

See also

Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center

References

Bibliography

Kassir, Samir. Beirut (University of California Press; 2010) a scholarly history

Linda Jones Hall, Roman Berytus: Beirut in Late Antiquity, 2004.

Samir Kassir, Histoire de Beyrouth, Fayard 2003.

Richard Talbert, Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, (ISBN 0-691-03169-X), p. 69.

Rabih Alameddine, "Koolaids: The Art of War", Abacus 1998, a novel

Notes

External links

Official website of Beirut

Beirut City Guide

Downtown Beirut Guide

Category:Beirut Category:Amarna letters locations Category:Ancient cities Category:Ancient Greek sites in Lebanon Category:Ancient mints Category:Archaeological sites in Lebanon Category:Capitals in Asia Category:Populated places in the Beirut Governorate Category:Populated coastal places in Lebanon Category:Crusades Category:Hellenistic colonies Category:Mediterranean Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Lebanon Category:Phoenician cities Category:Phoenician sites in Lebanon Category:Roman colonies Category:Roman sites in Lebanon Category:Populated places established in the 3rd millennium BC Category:Paleolithic Category:Neolithic settlements Category:Fertile Crescent Category:Ancient Levant

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name	Haifa Wehbe
background	solo_singer
birth place	Mahrouna, Lebanon
genre	Arabic pop, World
occupation	Singer, model, Designer, Actress
years active	1990s- (model) 2002–present (Singer) 2007–present (Actress)
website	http://www.haifawehbe.com }}

Haifa Wehbe (Arabic: هيفاء وهبي) born in Mahrouna, Lebanon), is a Lebanese model, actress, and singer born to a Lebanese father and Egyptian mother who rose to fame in the Arab world as runner up for Miss Lebanon and later through the release of her debut album Houwa El-Zaman (Arabic: هو الزمن) in 2002 and is best known through her music for her sex appeal, provocative mannerisms and image, Wehbe is also widely considered a sex symbol in the Middle East. She has so far released four studio albums and made her acting debut in 2008 Pepsi-produced film "Sea of Stars". Wehbe is one of the most well-known female singers in the Arab World and is considered one of the most successful Lebanese singers. In 2006, she was on People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people list.

Early life

Wehbe was born in Mahrouna, a small Shia farming town in Southern Lebanon, to a Lebanese father and Egyptian mother, but shortly after her family had moved to Beirut where she grew up listening to jazz and R&B; and began to work as a full-time model at a young age. Wehbe won the title of Miss South Lebanon at the age of sixteen. Wehbe won an ancillary title at the Miss Lebanon competition, which she had to relinquish when it was discovered that she had already been married to nadim anntar(at age 18) and had a baby girl called Zeineb, disqualifying her.

Wehbe also made a name for herself when she starred in a music video clip for the famous Arabic crooner, George Wassouf. By 1996, she had appeared on over one hundred magazine covers.

Career

Houwa El-Zaman (2002-2003)

In 2002, Wehbe released her first album, titled Houwa El-Zaman (Arabic: هو الزمن, English: "It Is The Time"), which became a commercial success, in part thanks to the popularity of her first single "Agoul Ahwak" (Arabic: أقول أهواك, English: "I Say I Love You").

Baddi Eish and Television Career (2004-2007)

Wehbe released her second studio album Baddi Eesh (Arabic: بدي عيش, English: "I Want to Live") in early 2005 and lived up to expectations due to the success of its lead single "Ya Hayat Albi." Released after the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri, the title single of the album is about "freedom, considered to be among the most basic of human rights". Her follow-up single became her biggest hit to date, "Ana Haifa" (Arabic: أنا هيفاء, English: "I Am Haifa"), which became her novelty song. In 2006 she released a follow up single "Bus al-Wawa" (Arabic: بوس الواوا, English: "Kiss the booboo"), the song was later used in a Pepsi advertisement. The song was also voted Song of the Year in 2006 by Radio Scope and Sawt Al Musika.

In July 2005, Wehbe, along with 14 other celebrities from the Arab world, appeared on the live pan-Arab reality series Al-Wadi (Arabic: الوادي, English: The Farm‎), based on the French reality show La Ferme Célébrités. Wehbe's role featured songs from her then new album.

Wehbe was the first Arab artist appear on the Italian television channel Rai Uno at Piazza Navona in Rome, performing in front of celebrities and fashion designers. Haifa Wehbe has also performed with artists from outside the Arab world. On June 10, 2006, Wehbe became the first artist in the Arab world to perform with rapper 50 Cent when she performed the opening act for his first concert in Lebanon, at BIEL in Beirut.

In summer 2006 she was a spokesperson for Pepsi, and worked on Pepsi ads with football star Thierry Henry which were aired on Lebanese television during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Film Career Beginnings and Habibi Ana (2008-2009)

Wehbe starred in the Pepsi-produced film Sea of Stars released in early 2008, along with Carole Samaha, Ahmad el Sherif, Wael Kfoury, Brigitte Yaghi, and Ruwaida al-Mahrooqi

On July 4, 2008, Wehbe released her third studio album Habibi Ana (Arabic: حبيبي أنا, English: "My Love") which contains 15 songs including the lead single "Mosh Adra Astana". In the Middle East album sales struggled due to Haifa's lack of promotion as she was concentrating more on her acting and film career.

In 2009 Wehbe starred in Dokkan Shehata, a high-grossing Egyptian drama film. The film was produced by Khaled Youssef. It was released in June 2009 and immediately became a huge success in the Middle East whilst gaining tremendous publicity.

Baby Haifa (2010-present)

After a lengthy delay, Wehbe released a children's album titled Baby Haifa in March 2010 under Rotana Records.

Wehbe was scheduled to work on the Egyptian movie Leilet El-Baby Doll, but canceled due to her overbooked schedule. The singer will be starring in another movie with producer Muhammad Al Sabki scheduled for sometime in 2011.

In April 2010, Wehbe was featured on French DJ David Vendetta's album Vendetta on the song Yama Layali. Wehbe is currently working on her fifth studio album. In an interview she said the album will be released in the start of summer.

Other works

Wehbe occasionally works as a television host and has also designed her own selection of diamond jewellery.

Personal life

Wehbe is a Shia Lebanese Muslim, and she has three sisters. Wehbe's brother died at the age of 24 during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Wehbe's daughter has been living with her father since her parents divorce. In 2008 Wehbe's daughter was married in a private ceremony. As of 2010, Zeinab Zaza and her father are living in Kuwait.

In 2005, Wehbe announced her engagement to a Saudi businessman Tariq Al-Jaffali. After only a few weeks, she and her fiancé decided to split for personal reasons and family issues.

On June 25, 2007, Wehbe survived an accident while filming a music video for the song "Hasa Ma Bena" in Lebanon. In the video, a single engine airplane was to chase Wehbe as she drove a car. However, the airplane inadvertently hit the car, taking off the front windshield of the convertible she was driving. Despite the severity of the accident, Wehbe suffered only minor cuts and bruises.

Wehbe married Egyptian businessman Ahmad Abu Husheima on April 24, 2009 in Beirut. Among the guests at the wedding party were singer Anastacia, Googoosh, Kim Kardashian, Samar Ibrahim, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Najwa Karam, Ragheb Alama, Ahlam, and Sherine.

Criticism and controversy

Elissa rivalry

Haifa is known for her enmity and rivalry with Lebanese singer Elissa. In 2009 Haifa compared the two singers to 'cars' by saying that Elissa is an 'old car' while she is a 'new' one. This statement was highly publicised and talked about in the media and press, causing anger between fans. Elissa refused to reply and just stated carelessly: "When someone compares me to a car, is there anything left for me to say?". This enmity stopped when Nishan had Elissa live on his show and called Haifa. Both Elissa and Haifa were surprised, but assured people that there are no problems or issues between the two singers.

Further controversy started when Haifa claimed that Elissa's perfume, "Elle D'Elissa", was supposed to be hers, but Elissa didn't reply and said that the perfume is hers and only hers yet again, Haifa and Elissa announced the love and peace between them. During the Murex d'Or 2010, after Haifa had finished her performance and accepted her award, she said that Lebanon is a country of love and that all Lebanese people love and respect each other. And to prove to people that what she was saying was true, she said "There's no problem with Elissa, and this is the proof to all people," she shook hands with Elissa and congratulated her on her success.

Allegations of Racism

In 2009, lyrics in one of Wehbe song's Baba Fein (from her unreleased 2010 kids album) seemed to refer to Nubians as "monkeys". Exact translation: "Where is my teddy bear and the Nubian monkey?". Black Egyptians accused the artist of racism and singing a song that fueled racism and discrimination against them. In 2010 a lawsuit filed against Wehbe was dropped.

Another serious incident occurred after the 2009 Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute, adding to the diplomatic tension between the two countries. Wehbe went on to make statements that she would not be performing in Algeria anytime soon, because Algerians "...wouldn't understand her music". Algerian officials and many Algerians responded to Wehbe's statements stating she would not be welcome in Algeria anyway. Algeria's cultural minister stated that Wehbe would be banned from performing in Algeria for insulting Algeria and the Algerian people regardless of whether she apologizes.

Wehbe went on to explain her initial comments to Lebanese host Tony Khalife, saying that she didn't mean to offend Algerians or Algeria as a country but was condemning the actions of a few Algerians during the match. She then added saying: "I couldn’t help it but cry when I saw the blood of an Egyptian woman on the stadium!".

Political views

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, she left her home, in Verdun, Beirut and moved to Egypt for the duration of the conflict. In a concert in the Lebanese town of Jounieh, Wehbe congratulated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for his stand against Israel during the war.

In a further interview with Reuters, Wehbe stated that Israel attacked Lebanese civilians intentionally while Hezbollah attacked only military targets: }}

Wehbe also refused to perform at any concert during the 34 days of the war including fundraisers, saying that there were more ways than one to show support for Lebanon.

Wehbe has also urged fans to support Japanese victims of the Tsunami.

2007 Lebanon elections and concert in Beirut

Wehbe wore a shirt with the face of President Michel Suleiman during her performance at the election celebrations in downtown Beirut.

Lebanese newspapers said scores went onstage when Haifa appeared, despite attempts by police to prevent them from reaching the pop star. She also sang the Fairuz classic "Ya Hawa Beirut" ("Oh my love Beirut"), which is nostalgic song written during the Lebanese Civil War that reminisces on the "Glorious Days" of Lebanon prior to 1975.

Image

Wehbe was ranked 49^th in the 2006 Edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women by the website AskMen.com. Wehbe was also ranked number 6 in the AskMen.com's 10 Hottest Arab Women article.

Some in the more conservative Arab countries deem her revealing outfits scandalous. One Bahraini member of parliament called her a sexual singer who spoke with her body, not her voice. Wehbe said she was aware of the efforts to ban her from performing at the concert but had chosen to ignore their attempts to silence her.

"I am a performer and not a politician," Haifa said. "I know my fans want me I am there for them. I am not concerned with the other issues."

In April 2008, the Islamist-dominated parliament of Bahrain passed a motion urging the government to ban Haifa Wehbe's show in the country. As a result of the motion, Wehbe performed in Bahrain with more modest dress, wearing a long green gown with a low V-neckline during the performance.

Discography

Studio albums

Houwa El-Zaman (2002)

Baddi Eesh (2005)

Habibi Ana (2008)

Other albums

Baby Haifa (2010)

Soundtracks

2008: Sea of Stars

Singles

" 80 Million Ehsas"

"Enta Tany"

"Yama Layali"

"Samaani"

Concert Tours

2011

January 29- Amsterdam, Netherlands (TBA)

2010

November 18- Al Massa Hotel, Cairo

November 17- Movempic Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon

July 31 - Movempic Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon

July 24 - Chouf, Lebanon

July 22 - Batroun, Lebanon

July 16–19 - Casablanca, Morocco

July 4 - PRIVATE CONCERT, Monaco

July 2 - Zahle Festival, Zahle, Lebanon

May 8 - Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut

March 13 - Houston, Texas

Filmography

Films

Sea of Stars (produced by Pepsi) - released July, 2008

Dokkan Shihata - June 2009

Television

Al Wadi (2005) - reality television show based on the French reality show La Ferme Célébrités.

Awards

2002: The "Golden Lion" Award in Egypt. 2004: Best Young Female Arab singer in Egypt. 2005: The Oscar for "ninashnash" for her song Baddi Eesh from her second album. 2005: The "Murex d'Or" award with the title "Best Artist of the Year". 2006: The "Murex d'Or" award with the title "Best Artist of the Year". 2009: The "Murex d'Or" award with title "Most Popular Lebanese Singer"

2010: The "Murex d'Or" award with the title "Best singer actress"

2010: The "ART" Award for her role in her first Egyptian Film "Dokkan Shehata"

2011: World's Most Desirable Woman List #49 Rank 2011: Most beautiful Arabian model cum actress list Ranked #2 2011: Murex d'Or best song award, for "Yama Layaly."

References

Further reading

Arab youth revel in pop revolution by Sebastian Usher, 21 May 2007, BBC

External links

Most Desirable Arabian:Haifa Wehbe

Haifa Wehbe.com: Official website

Haifa Fans: Official FanClub

Haifa Wehbe Music Videos

Haifa's Official Fanpage

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Arabic-language singers Category:Lebanese female singers Category:Rotana artists Category:Lebanese female models Category:Lebanese people of Egyptian descent Category:Lebanese Shi'a Muslims Category:Shi'a Islamists Category:Lebanese Islamists Category:Hezbollah Category:People from South Lebanon

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