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From the Roman temples of Baalbek and the Phoenician ports of Byblos and Tyre to the Cedars of God in the Qadisha Valley: the culture and history of Lebanon.
الثقافة
Lebanon is the homeland of the Phoenicians, the seafarers who spread the alphabet across the Mediterranean. Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world, and Tyre, the island city that withstood Alexander the Great's siege for seven months, are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In the Beqaa Valley, the Roman temples of Baalbek are among the largest and best preserved anywhere, and the Umayyad city of Anjar dates from the eighth century. In the mountains, the Qadisha Valley shelters ancient monasteries beneath the last groves of the Cedars of God, the tree on the national flag.
This is a page of culture and history. No hotel, restaurant or beach club yet meets our standard. Before planning any visit, check your own government's current travel advice.
| English | Lebanese Arabic | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | مرحبا | MAR-ha-ba |
| Please | إذا بتريد | iza bit-REED (to a woman: iza bit-REE-dee) |
| Thank you | شكراً | SHUK-ran (merci is also very common) |
| Good evening | مسا الخير | MA-sa el-KHEYR |
| Nice to meet you | تشرفنا | tshar-RAF-na |
Where to go
The great sites of Lebanon, each a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The great sites
In the Beqaa Valley, the Roman sanctuary of Heliopolis has some of the largest and best-preserved temples of the Roman world, including the Temple of Bacchus and the six standing columns of the Temple of Jupiter. Baalbek was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
A deep gorge in the north Lebanon mountains sheltered Christian hermitages and monasteries for centuries, and above it stands one of the last groves of the cedars of Lebanon. Ouadi Qadisha and the Forest of the Cedars of God were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
An early 8th-century Umayyad city in the Beqaa Valley, laid out on a Roman-style grid with walls, gates, palaces and shops. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Experience
The finest things to do in and around Lebanon.
Lebanon's national archaeological museum, opened in 1942.
Founded in 1956 among the Roman temples of Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the 2025 edition staged Bizet's Carmen at the Temple of Bacchus. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗
More of the Mediterranean
Customs and etiquette
How Lebanon does things.
Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.
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