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St Stephens Church
Batrouns main Maronite church is set on a square right next to the harbour. The stone building with its arched entrance, decorated facade and square crellated towers is quietly imposing and usually packed with worshippers on a Sunday.
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Taynal Mosque
Standing on its own to the south of the souqs on the outskirts of the Old City but well worth the walk is this restored mosque. Dating from 1336, it represents probably the most outstanding example of Islamic religious architecture in Tripoli.
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Our Lady of the Sea
Overlooking the remains of a Phoenician sea wall, this simple Greek Orthodox church is built right on the waters edge, and has a charming terrace with an arched belvedere framing sea views. The small church has a vaulted ceiling and stone walls.
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Jounieh Teleferique
Dubbed the Terrorifique by some, this attraction runs cable cars from its base behind the St Louis Hospital to the mountaintop statue of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa. The views from the summit are spectacular. Note that it doesnt operate in windy weather.
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Omari Mosque
Facing the northern tip of the harbour, the Omari (Great) Mosque is said to be one of the finest examples of Islamic religious architecture of the 13th century, and was originally converted from a fortified Knights Hospitaller structure. It’s open to non-Muslims outside prayer time
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Beirut Art Center
Dedicated to contemporary local and international art, the centre hosts exhibitions in a diverse range of media including painting, sculpture, photography, architecture and drawing. It’s in the industrial zone off Corniche an Nahr, east of Achrafiye, about 3km from the town centre.
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Grand Serail
The Grand Serail, a majestic Ottoman-era building that has been restored to its former grandeur and now houses government offices should not be missed. The roads around the Grand Serail, however, are largely blocked off at present in a tangle of tanks and razor-wire, so you may not
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Ras al
To the southeast of Baalbeks centre is the source of the Ras al-Ain Spring. The area has pleasant, shady parks along the spring and is the site of occasional festivities with horses and camels and side stalls. At the head of the spring is a ruined early mosque, which at some point
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Citadel of Raymond de Saint
Towering above Tripoli, this Crusader fortress was originally built during the period from 1103 to 1104. Burned down in 1297, it was partly rebuilt the following century by a Mamluk emir. Today, its most impressive element is the imposing entrance with its moat and three gateways (
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Casino du Liban
The historic casino, once host to celebrities such as Liz Taylor and David Niven, still has a kitsch charm for those longing for a taste of days gone by. Guests must be over 21 and wear smart casual gear (no jeans or sports shoes); a suit and tie are required (for men, of course) i
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Castle Moussa
Just outside town, 2km down the road towards Beiteddine, is the kitschy ‘outsider art’ masterpiece of Castle Moussa, a modern castle built by an eccentric businessman that houses an eclectic collection of moving dioramas, mechanical tableaux, and thousands upon thousands of guns. P
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Place des Martyrs
Place des Martyrs has been the location of some of the largest ever Lebanese public gathering, notably the March 14th demonstration held on the one-month anniversary of the murder of Hariri, which brought 1 million Lebanese - a quarter of the countrys population - to the streets, r
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Souq al
At the northern end of the old town is Souq al-Haraj, which is thought to have been built on the site of a Crusader church. Its high, vaulted ceiling is supported by 14 granite columns, two at the centre and 12 ranged around the sides, which are probably a leftover from the earlier
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Sursock Museum
This privately owned contemporary art museum is housed in a 1902 mansion located in one of Achrafiyes most attractive streets. It originally opened its doors to the public in 1952 but at the time of research was closed for restoration. When it re-opens, expect to be impressed by th
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Planet Discovery
One of the more educationally stimulating activities on offer can be found at Planet Discovery, an interactive science museum especially designed for three- to 15-year-olds. Adults will be unable to resist the soap bubble display, where bubbles big enough to encase their young char
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Main Square
The main square is a showcase of fine Arab architecture, including the Mosque of Emir Fakhreddine Maan , built in 1493, and, behind it, a cobblers souq housing shops and cafes. Above and behind the souq is a silk khan built in 1595 that now houses a French Cultural Centre. Nearby a
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Musée du Savon
Located in an old soap factory dating from the 17th century, this is Lebanon’s only museum of that most humble yet indispensable of products. Well laid-out, with trilingual explanations (Arabic, English, French) on the art of ‘saponification’ (which we nonsaponifiers might simply c
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Khan al
Believed to date from the 14th century when it was used by Egyptian merchants, this dilapidated khan is home to one of the citys most famous businesses, Sharkass . Making olive-oil soap since 1803, this family-run company produces good-quality, authentic Tripoli soap; you’re welcom
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Church of St John the Baptist
Construction of this Romanesque-style church in the medieval streets above the harbour commenced in 1115 and the structure was extended and improved over subsequent centuries. It’s thus an interesting mixture of Arab and Italian designs, with remains of Byzantine mosaics from an ea
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Khan el
A highlight of the souq area is the Khan el-Franj (Inn of the Foreigners), the most beautiful and best preserved of all the limestone khans built by Fakhreddine (Fakhr ad-Din al-Maan II) in the 17th century. Wonderfully restored courtesy of the Hariri Foundation (www.hariri-foundat
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