Beirut

Introduction There are many ancient, mysterious and fascinating cities around the world. The great ones have gone through many changes throughout the ages from their creation and dominance to devastationand destruction followed by their reconstruction and flourishing. One of these cities is the city of Beirut. Geography Beirut is the capital of Lebanon. It is the largest city ranging from 1 to 2 million. This fluctuates because there hasn’t been a census taking since 1932. Beirut is situated on a peninsula along the Mediterranean sea north of the Lebanon-Israel border. Mountains stand tall behind Beirut. It is the largest and main in Lebanon. The Coast is filled with beaches, sandy shores and cliffs located beside one another. Nassif Kaloosh has been the governor since 2005 and the government, parliament and ministries are located in the city. History Beirut’s history goes back more than 5000 years. The modern city lies on top of ancient Beirut. Archaeology began mostly after the 1991 civil war. Now large areas are being excavated. From roman to Arab rule in 635 to crusaders kingdom of Jerusalem from 1100-1250 AD. Beirut underwent many charges. Change continued with the ottoman rule well into the 17th century. After the rebellion against the Ottoman rule Beirut declined to 10,000 people. However by 1882 it began to revive with the help of Ibrahum Pasha. Beirut started to emerge with commercial and political ties with France. France was very interested in Lebanese silk and Beirut became a major port with conflicts and fighting on Mount Lebanese and Damascus, Christian refugees fled to Beirut. This resulted in a change of ethnic content and in fueling future ethnic and religious troubles in Lebanon. By 1911, Christians outnumbered the Muslims 2 to 1. (77,000-36,000). After WWI, Lebanon was placed under the French mandate until 1943 when it became an Independent nation with Beirut as its capital. Civil war broke out in 1911 with the city being mostly destroyed, a devastating bombing in 1983 of us and French barracks brought on new issues of fighting. Rebuilding of Beirut only began in 1990 with the war ending. The city and country was shaken by the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime minister Rafik Hariri who helped to restore the city in 1994. In April 2005, Syrian troops withdrew from the country and established diplomatic relations in October 2008. Prior to this the Hez bollah known for being a terrorist group by U.S. and Canada controlled the poorer areas of Beirut. The government tried to disband the Hez bollah’s network which resulted in violent clashes in May 2008. The Lebanese army was given control of the city until the establishment of a new national government outlined in the Doha agreement. Climate The climate in Beirut is of Mediterranean nature. The summers are hot and rain free. The Spring and fall are warm with downpours of rain. The winter is cool and most of the rain occurring over days at a time. The average rainfall is 34”. August is the hottest month with an average of 29 degrees. January/February are the coldest months averaging 10 degrees. Hail and sleet can accompany winter months but snow is very rare. The wind depends on the time of day. Day and evening winds blow from the sea bringing in the tide and the night winds flow from the land to the sea. Demographics As mentioned the population in Beirut fluctuates from 1 to 2 million. It is the most religiously diverse city of Lebanon and all of the Middle East, with Christians and Muslims both having a significant presence. Prior to the civil war, Beirut was mixed with Muslims and Christians however the war split the 2 religions with East Beirut being mostly Christians, while West Beirut was largely inhabited by Muslims. Northern Beirut has a large Lebanese Protestant community. Lebanon has the largest Christian population in the Middle East. Education Education is provided by technical and Vocational institutes, University colleges, University institutes, and universities such as American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University. The Lebanese University is the only public institution in Beirut. Many private schools are available in Beirut from American to French. Tourism Despite the war that took a major toll on Beirut, it rebounded to regain its former reputation as the “gateway” to the East and crossroads between 3 continents. Shops like Versace and Gucci, theatres, are just a handful of things to do in Beirut. Beirut has been commonly known as the party capital of the world. There are hundreds of art galleries in Beirut with more than 2000 fine art artists and those working in music and design. Sports As a sports enthusiast, Beirut is exciting. It has been host to many sports and many international events. In 2000, Beirut hosted the AFC (Asian football club) Asian cup. There are 2 stadiums in the city. Eight football teams in the Lebanese premier league are based in Beirut with an additional 2 basketball teams that participate in the premiere divisions of Lebanese basketball league. Beirut also hosted the Asian club basketball championships. Other sports include Beirut marathon, weekly horse racing, golf and tennis tournaments. Recently, Beirut has included rugby as a sport with 5 teams based in Beirut. Conclusion Despite all the changes and hardships Beirut has had to endure, it has shown the world that nothing, not even many conflicts and wars can keep Beirut from flourishing and being one of the world’s most fascinating and favourite cities on the planet.