Beirut Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Beirut

How many times can a city die? Beirut, in 5,000 years, has died and come back many times. Archeological digs downtown have revealed Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader and Ottoman remains and signs of influence.

In 140 BC the city was destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon, a king of the Seleucid Empire. His Hellenistic city lies over the Phoenician one. Pompey the Great arrived in 64 BC and the city was called "Berytus." Berytus was destroyed by the earthquake of 551.

Beirut was conquered by Muslims in 635. Crusaders and Muslims swapped the city back and forth until 1512 when the Ottomans took control. Beirut grew to be the main trading center of the region. The Ottoman period was tumultuous, finally ending after World War I. The French Mandate for Lebanon lasted until 1943.

The civil war, lasting from 1975 until 1990, killed thousands of Lebanese and foreigners and gutted the city. In August 2020 a massive explosion ripped the port, killing over 200 and making thousands homeless. Through all this, the magic and spirit of the city does not die.

The Beirut Central District (BCD) is thousands of years old. It is a center for business, finance, culture, leisure and amusement. Its area covers nearly 51,000 square feet. It has more than 60 gardens and squares, landscaped streets, pedestrian areas and promenades by the sea. There are over 100 cafes, pubs, nightclubs and restaurants, and 350 retail outlets.

The Beirut Souks, the renovated medieval market, has more than 200 stores, restaurants and cafes.

Visit the Mohammad Al Amin Mosque, called the Blue Mosque for its blue tiled domes. The Nicholas Sursock Museum houses modern art. The National Museum of Beirut is the go-to museum for Lebanese archeology. The Neo-classical St George Maronite Cathedral is a restored Greek orthodox church. Martyrs' Square, with its monument to the patriots of 1916, remains.

An old Japanese saying advises, if you fall down seven times, stand up eight times. To visit Beirut is not simply an exciting holiday. It is an adventure of the spirit. Come to the city that always stands up after falling.