Beirut
Beirut is built
on a rocky promontory.It is Lebanon's capital and largest city with a population
of 1.4 million. Before the war (1975-92),
Beirut was known as the Paris of the East .The destroyed city center is
once again active. City planners are constructing their new Beirut with
high-rise buildings, commercial complexes and cultural centers. They see
its former reputation as a crossroads between three continents and gateway
to the east not only restored but also updated.
The Sursock Quarter has
some of the loveliest old homes left in Beirut, as well as the Sursock
Art Museum (pictured).The National Museum, which houses an impressive collection
of Lebanon's history from pre-historic times to the present, is still closed.
The only other museum open is the archaeology museum at the American University
of Beirut.