I used to spot this mysterious monument on my way to school, and I’ve always wondered about its origins. I’ve even once tried to reach it by foot during my school days, but I didn’t succeed.
Continue reading “Haidara, Lebanon’s Litte Petra”
When I first saw this map back in 2021, I thought it was exaggerating the size of the Islands near the coast of Tripoli. I saved it and I never checked it back until I heard over the news that Rabbits Islands are remnants of much larger Islands that used to exist facing Tripoli before a devastating earthquake and a resulting Tsunami hit our region back in 1202.
Continue reading “The lost islands of Tripoli”
I came across an old illustration of Baalbeck complex from 1757 and I noticed that Jupiter temple had 9 columns while only 6 stand still today! Doing some research, I discovered that they fell during the 1759 devastating earthquakes that hit the Near East.
Continue reading “Back when Jupiter temple had 9 columns”
Back in May 1948, Ivan Dmitri, a well-known American Photographer, decided to travel across Lebanon with his crew in a Woodie Wagon. They visited many places around the country, starting from Beirut and the coastal cities all the way up to Bsharri and the Cedars, Bekaa Valley, Hammana, and many other places.
Let’s travel 74 years back in time and discover Lebanon through his lens.
Continue reading “A roadtrip in Lebanon back in 1948”
This 100-year-old event happens yearly on the last Sunday before the Orthodox Lent and is believed to have South American origins.
Continue reading “The controversial “Zambo” event of El-Mina”
Located on the foothills of Mount Barouk, my hometown “Kherbet Qanafar” is a spectacular town in West-Bekaa. Boasting splendid scenery and a whole host of activities, this destination is perfect for adventure seekers. I’ve previously worked with Lebanon Traveler magazine on this mini-guide, I’m re-sharing this updated version with more insights and places.
Continue reading “Qanafar’s mini guide”
Most Lebanese think that El-Mina is just the coastal part of Tripoli. In fact it’s not, it’s an independent city with its own municipality. Vast Orange Orchards used to geographically separate the two cities, but with the exponential increase in the number of residential units they now look like one city.
Continue reading “Relax you’re in El-Mina”
Qubbat Dûris was built in 1243 during the Ayyubid era. Its eight columns were probably borrowed from the ruins of the nearby Baalbeck Complex and were randomly assembled, one being upside-down. A dome used to exist atop these columns.
Continue reading “The neglected “Qubbat Dûris””
Beirut Port was mentioned for the first time in mutual letters between the Pharaohs and the Phoenicians around 1500 BC. During the Roman Era (64 BC–636 AD), the port was developed into a commercial and economic center. During the Umayyad Era (661–750), it hosted the First Arabic fleet. The port gained an important role in the maritime trade between East and West during the rule of the Crusaders (1099-1291). This role became even stronger during the Mameluke Era (1291–1515) when the port was turned into a commercial center for the whole region. The port as we know it was founded by the end of the 19th century and has always been a crucial part of Lebanese development and politics.
I went over thousands of old photos, postcards, paintings and lithographs of Lebanon and came out with this timeline (from 1838 till today).
Continue reading “Beirut Port over the years”
So glad to announce my 1000-piece puzzle collaboration with YaHabibiMarket, a super cool shop that started in the US few months ago and that sells goods for charity.
The star of this collaboration is ‘Ammo Jameel Ghanem (90 years old) who runs his local shop in Baabdat since 1982 and who became the icon of authentic Lebanese Dekkans after I shared his story back in 2018.
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