Brief information
Lebanon has experienced many wars in its long history. But the wars could not destroy the unique nature of this country with its age-old cedar groves, mountains, valleys and beaches. In Lebanon, tourists can, for example, go skiing in the mountains in the morning, and swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea in the afternoon. Tourists in Lebanon are waiting for historical and architectural monuments of the Phoenicians and ancient Romans, the ancient cities of Tire and Sidon, as well as the fortresses of the Crusaders.
Geography of Lebanon
Lebanon is located in the Middle East. In the east and north, Lebanon borders on Syria, and in the south there is a border with Israel. In the west, the shores of Lebanon are washed by the Mediterranean Sea. The total area of the country is 10,452 sq. km.
The territory of Lebanon is divided into four physiographic regions: the coastal plain, the Lebanon mountain range, the Beqaa valley and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Mount Kurnet es Sauda, whose height reaches 3,083 meters, is considered the highest point in this Middle Eastern country.
The Litani River flows through the south and center of Lebanon, its length is 140 km. The Litani is the longest river in Lebanon.
Capital
According to itypemba.com, the capital of Lebanon is Beirut, which is now home to about 400 thousand people. Archaeologists believe that the Phoenicians founded the settlement of people on the site of modern Beirut.
Official language
The official language in Lebanon is Arabic, belonging to the Semitic group of the Afroasian language family.
Religion
About 57% of the population of Lebanon consider themselves Muslims (27% – Sunnis, 25% – Shiites, 5% – Druze), and about 41% – Christians (21% – Maronites, 8% – Orthodox Christians, etc.).
State structure of Lebanon
According to equzhou.net, Lebanon is a parliamentary republic. Its head is the President, elected for 6 years by deputies of the local unicameral parliament (Assembly of Representatives). Moreover, the president of Lebanon must necessarily be a Maronite Christian.
Other religious groups of the population, and not just the Maronites, also have political power in Lebanon. Thus, the Prime Minister of Lebanon must be a Sunni Muslim, the Speaker of the Assembly of Representatives must be a Shiite Muslim, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Vice Speaker of the Parliament must be an Orthodox Christian.
The Assembly of Representatives is composed of 128 deputies, of which half must be Christians and the other half must be Muslims.
Climate and weather
The climate in Lebanon is temperate Mediterranean. In coastal areas, winters tend to be cool and rainy, while summers are hot and humid. In summer in Lebanon, near the Mediterranean Sea, the average air temperature is + 20-32C, and in the mountains – + 6-22C.
In winter, in the coastal regions of Lebanon, the average air temperature is + 10-20C, and in the mountains – from -5C to + 5C.
Sea in Lebanon
In the west, Lebanon is washed by the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the coastline is 225 km. The Mediterranean coast in Lebanon is an excellent place for diving, because. there you can see not only a diverse living underwater world, but also sunken ancient ships.
Rivers and lakes
The longest river in Lebanon is the Litani, which flows through the south and center of the country. Its length reaches 140 km. On the territory of Levan, two more large rivers originate, also flowing through Israel and Syria. We are talking about the Orontes and El-Hasbani rivers.
Culture of Lebanon
In Lebanon, folk traditions and customs are very interesting. Perhaps some of the tourists will be able to attend a Lebanese wedding – a huge number of impressions are guaranteed. A wedding in Lebanon usually lasts three days. On the third day, the groom, accompanied by a large group of musicians and dancers, goes to his bride’s house. Guys and girls sprinkle rice and flower petals on newlyweds to make their life together happy.
Kitchen
Lebanese cuisine has been influenced by Arabic and Mediterranean culinary traditions. The main food products are meat (including pork), vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, cereals, dairy products, greens.
Mezze is a popular snack in Lebanon, which consists of 30 different cold and hot dishes.
Tourists are recommended to try in Lebanon yahnets stew, kafta cutlets, daoud-basha meatballs, ouara-orish salad, cube pies, dolma, mhalabie sweet milk pudding, mamul semolina cookies ” and much more.
An important element of Lebanese cuisine is lavash bread, which is often used instead of a fork.
Traditional alcoholic drinks in Lebanon are arak (aniseed vodka) and wine. By the way, wine-making traditions in Lebanon have a long history.
Landmarks of Lebanon
To this day in Lebanon, despite numerous wars, a huge number of historical and architectural monuments have been preserved. Many of them were built by the ancient Phoenicians and Romans. The top 10 best Lebanese attractions, in our opinion, may include the following:
- Grand Palace in Beirut
- Roman temple complex at Baalbek
- Fort Saint-Gilles in Tripoli
- Great Mosque at Faraya Mzaar
- Palace of Beit ad-Din
- Crusader Castle Beaufort (Qala’at ash-Shqif)
- Tombs of the Phoenician kings in Byblos
- Crusader Castle Toron (Tibnin)
- Lion Tower in Tripoli
- Roman triumphal arch in dash
Cities and resorts
The largest Lebanese cities are Tripoli, Zahla, Saida, Sur, and, of course, Beirut.
The Mediterranean coast of Lebanon presents excellent opportunities for a beach holiday. The length of the Mediterranean coast in Lebanon is 225 kilometers.
In recent years, active construction of ski resorts has been going on in Lebanon. The most popular of them are Cedar, Faraya, Lakluk, Fakra and Zaarur. The skiing season in Lebanon is from December to April. Moreover, the climatic conditions in Lebanon are such that tourists can, for example, go skiing in the mountains in the first half of the day, and swim in the Mediterranean Sea in the afternoon.
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists from Lebanon usually bring handicrafts, carpets, ceramics, dolls in folk costumes, pine nuts (make sure they are not Turkish, which are not of very high quality), cedar backgammon, cedar necklaces and bracelets, hookahs, Lebanese spices.
Office Hours
Offices:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-17:00
Public institutions:
Mon-Sat: 08:00-14:00
Banks:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-12:30
Saturday: 08:00-12:00
Visa
Ukrainians need to apply for a visa to visit Lebanon.
Currency of Lebanon
In Lebanon, the Lebanese pound (its international symbol: LBP) is in circulation. Credit cards (Master Card, American Express, Diner’s Club International, Visa International) are generally accepted only by prestigious hotels, restaurants and shops.
Customs restrictions
Export and import of local and foreign currency in Lebanon is allowed without any reservations. You can not import pornography, drugs, firearms into Lebanon. If you buy art in Lebanon that can be classified as “antiques”, then be sure to keep the receipt (or receipt) of the seller. Otherwise, you will not be able to take antiques out of Lebanon.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
Address of the Lebanese Embassy in Ukraine:
Kiev, st. A.Barbyusa 13 B
T: (044)
528-80-15 Email: [email protected]
Address of the Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon:
Province of Mount Lebanon, Baabda, st. Antoine El Raiz
P.S. 40268
T: (00 961)
5-921-975 Email: [email protected]
Emergency numbers
125 – call the police
140 – call an ambulance
112 – all emergencies
(01) 343 209 – tourist police
Time
Lebanon is in the same time zone as Ukraine. This means that if in Beirut, for example, it is 09:00 am, then in Kyiv it is also 09:00 am.
Tips
Tipping in Lebanon is widespread. Usually, 10% of the bill is left for tea.
The medicine
No special vaccinations are required to enter Lebanon.
Security
Foreigners can safely travel around Lebanon. True, it is better to photograph only tourist sites, otherwise you may be taken in by a foreign spy. Before traveling to Lebanon, familiarize yourself with the political situation in that country and make sure it is stable.
