Lebanon Tourism, culture, music and events

BEIRUT: In the days of flashy pubs and pounding music, the dimly lit wooden facade of Captain’s Cabin stands out as a relic of a bygone era. Now over 50 years old, the ramshackle bar is one of Beirut’s historic landmarks. Tucked away along Sadat Street, a few meters off the main Hamra Street, Captain’s Cabin has weathered the storm of decades of war. Andre Toriz, an amicable man of Mexican origin, had just been born when his father and three Middle East Airlines pilots begun looking for a place to drink and play cards away from their wives’ reproachful looks. It was 1964 when the four men rented an old fish shop, covered its yellow tiles in wood, and transformed it into their new getaway. “My father was the only one among them not to be a pilot, but they all called him captain,” Toriz told The Daily Star. As more men started spending their layovers there, the place was expanded, and opened as a fully licensed bar and restaurant in 1972. Alongside its original decor, which inc...

Lebanon is a complex country of charm, chaos and contradiction. Beirut, it’s capital, is the wild child of the Middle East. The country hasn’t fully recovered from its 15 year civil war, but people are eternally optimistic and live every day as if its their last. With the utmost respect to my Lebanese friends, I bring you the Lebanon Survival Guide:   Ignore soldiers on the street. Don't panic when you see armed troops or even tanks, it’s normal. Don’t join any protests or take pictures of them and you’ll be fine. Locals are experts at distinguishing between fireworks and gunshots, so if they if they aren’t panicking you shouldn’t either.   Use the triple greeting. The quickest way to fit in (especially if you’re a pale westerner) is to greet everyone in English, Arabic and French at once. Hi, kifak, ça va? After that, if you can’t speak the language, simply throw in the three most common expressions every few minutes: Laaa (you’re kidding, repeated quickly three tim...

The hidden riches of Souk al-Ahad   Date: Saturday, December 17, 2016 By: Victoria Yan  Source:  The Daily Star BEIRUT: “[One] shouldn’t regret anything, even if their childhood was very very poor and miserable, and harsh,” Abu Walid advised. “You shouldn’t bemoan it, you know, because this is called an experience.” Abu Walid is among a myriad of vendors who carves out a meager living at Tripoli’s Souk al-Ahad (Sunday Market). His is among the assortment of voices that aspiring filmmaker Yahya Mourad has compiled for his forthcoming documentary project “Sunday Market: Tripoli.” For the past 11 months, the 25-year-old Tripoli native has been working to embed himself within the fabric of this market space, which he learned is as much a treasure trove of culture as commerce. “I was very curious about the market because I used to go every Sunday to look for filmmaking things – like a Super 8 millimeter [film camera],” Mourad recalled. “You can’t find any of these thing...

A street in Lebanon is one of the most expensive streets in the world Date: Monday, November 28, 2016 By: World News Source: Beirut.com The 2016 - 2017 survey of the world's most expensive retail rental locations by property consultants Cushman & Wakefield ranked Hamra as the 2nd most expensive streetin the Arab region and 44 th  most expensive worldwide. Last year, Hamra was ranked as the 48 th most expensive rental location and now renting in Hamra costs on average 93$/sq FT. Prime street in Qatar follows Lebanon in the ranking as the 45 th  where it costs on average 92$/sq FT per year. City Centre in Jordan is ranked as the 50 th  where it cost on average 65$/sq FT per year. Naturally, the first in the world was named to be Upper 5th Avenue (49th - 60th Sts) in New York - USA where it costs on average 3000$/sq FT per year followed by Hon Kong...

Remnants of a great past: Lebanese hotel that has remained open since 1874 stands emptied as nearby civil war rages Date: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 By: GIANLUCA MEZZOFIORE Source: Daily Mail Hotel Palmyra in the Roman city of Baalbek hosted international figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Charles de Gaulle  It became top destination for tourists and academics looking to visit Roman ruins  Now stands emptied due to growing security concerns in the Bekaa valley, close to the Syrian border  'No one has a right to touch Hotel Palmyra, except for time' defiant owner says With its windows facing the ancient Roman temple ruins of Heliopolis, the Palmyra hotel in Lebanon's Baalbek attracted renowned international figures since it opened in 1874.  Jazz singers Ella...

The flight from Beirut international airport to Dubai international airport (terminal 2) took us around 4 hours with Flydubai airways. We arrived around 5PM Dubai time (+1 Lebanon time). We caught the Dubai taxi which are the best taxis in Dubai.  Note that all airport taxis' counter start at 25 U.A.D. The ride to our hotel, the Hawthorn Suites hotel, was smooth and interesting; it took us around 35min on a Thursday afternoon. The hotel receptionist was so welcoming and nice, we checked in and headed toward our room on the first floor. We had booked a suite, the room was nice but didn't have a nice view since our balcony overlooked the restaurant terrace. Staying in a room on the first floor has some advantages when you're staying in a hotel of 30 floors, quick access to your room. However, the only disadvantage was the noise coming from the restaurant terrace and from the staff early in the morning. The hotel pool is small, I expected it to be a lot bigger since ...

Lebanese Bar Listed Among The Top 50 Best Bars In The World   Date: Monday, October 10, 2016 By: Nouchka Boustany  Source:  Beirut.com Lebanon has always been the cocktail and nightlife capital of the region, and last week, the country received worldwide recognition for one of its top bars, Central Station , which landed the 26th spot on the list of the  World’s 50 Best Bars 2016 , representing the Middle East and Africa as the best bar in the region!  Drinks International  magazine's prestigious list of the top bars was announced on October 6th in London, recognizing drink excellence around the world. The awards were given by numerous experts including renowned mixologists and cocktail historians. The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog of New York City earned the top spot, followed by the American Bar in London in close second.  Central Station, which is located in Mar Mikhael, has some of the finest and most creative drinks that ...

Atelier Du Miel, a bee's path through Lebanon   Date: Monday, October 10, 2016 By: Dana Halawi  Source:  The Daily Star Editor’s note: This is part of a series of weekly articles interviewing successful Lebanese entrepreneurs. BEIRUT: The increased number of illnesses over the past few years raised awareness about the importance of using natural remedies to boost the immune system and help the body to better fight diseases. Raw honey is one of the healthiest and most natural food supplements used by people all around the world to boost their immunity and help treat a wide range of health issues. But while all honey is natural because it is derived from the nectar of flowers, not all honey is raw or pure. This is because honey is often heated and processed for pasteurization in a bid to prolong its shelf life. But Marc Antoine Bou Nassif, owner of L’Atelier Du Miel, makes sure to let his customers benefit the most from his products by extracting different kinds of...

The 10 Oldest Cities In The World (3 in Lebanon)   Date: Monday, June 27, 2016 Source:  Arabic Pages THERE’S A CERTAIN AESTHETIC ATTACHED  to the oldest cities in the world: bustling souks beneath a bright blue sky, flowing garments made of whispery white cotton, stone masonry painted yellow by the sun. In reality, however, the oldest cities in the world have faced deep unrest throughout their long histories. Tragically, some are still uninhabitable. The Syrian town of Aleppo, for example, is likely the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world but rages with civil war today. Damascus too is categorically off limits. That’s not to say the ideal is lost. Some of the oldest cities in the world are flourishing. Places like Plovdiv in Bulgaria have adapted to modern society while preserving the beauty of times long past. We examine below both sets of cities: those that flourish and those that still fight. 10. Beirut, Lebanon 3,000 BC Beirut, often lik...