Lebanon, again

Beirut (in the distance) seen from Byblos

For the second time in less than a year, I had the privilege to visit Lebanon. Starting in Beirut, where we visited the splendid National Museum again, we embarked upon a very, very leisurely trip around. At the Nahr al-Kalb, we managed to reach the inscription of Nebuchadnezzar, which is covered by all kinds of vegetation, and will soon have disappeared.

Byblos, which I could not really appreciate during my earlier visit because I did not understand its stratigraphy, turned out to be a lot more accessible now that I knew what to expect. It was interesting to think where Wen Amun must have built his tent and where the king must have had his throne.

We proceeded to the Kadisha valley, which is the heartland of Maronite Christianity. Before entering it, we visited Amioun, Bziza, and Aïn Akrine, three sites with Roman temples. In Bsharre (the town of Kahlil Gibran), we climbed to a Phoenician tomb, and had lunch with a view of the snow-covered cedar trees.

Cedar tree

After this, we visited the Bekaa valley and Baalbek. Because we had started early and had slept in a hotel in the valley, we could arrive very early in the morning, and were almost the only people at the site, except for the guards. Returning to our hotel, we passed along Qsarnaba, Niha, and Nabi Ayla.

We also saw the Palestinian refugees who had been bombed away from Damascus – but this is not the place to write about those poor people, who most certainly did not deserve this.

Sidon

Next day, it was raining cats and dogs, but we were in Sidon, where we greatly enjoyed watching how the storm pushed the surf against the sea castle. Some of the waves must have been fifteen meters high and it was really spectacular. The same can be said of the lovely mosaics in the Beiteddin palace. The last place we visited in Beirut was the museum of the American University.

There was a bonus, though: our airplane was delayed and we were unable to catch the connecting flight in Istanbul. So, our trip lasted an additional day, and we saw a snow-covered Hagia Sophia and, in the archaeological museum, the royal sarcophagi from Sidon.

Beiteddin

I cannot wait to go back to the only place in the world where you can listen to “o come let us adore him” and at the same time hear a mu’ezzin’s call for prayer. My Facebook photos are here and here; and today I added photos of the temples of Aïn Akrine, the rock tombs of Amioun, the Phoenician tomb at Bsharre, the sanctuary at Bziza, and the temple at Qsarnaba. Some older stuff from Lebanon is here.

Baalbek, Tyre, Belgrade

Tyre, Al-Bass: Great Arch, probably dedicated to Hadrian.

Over the past months, I have traveled to Lebanon and along the Danube. I have put online quite a lot of stuff.

• Baalbek: some twenty pages, including an interesting inscription
• Tyre: forty-seven pages – history, sources, photos
• Belgrade (ancient Singidunum): one page about a not-so-interesting site
• The cedar
• Menander of Ephesus: a Phoenician historian, quoted by Flavius Josephus

That’s it for today.

 

Nahr al-Kalb

Reliefs of Ramesses II (left) and Esarhaddon (right).

In the thirteenth century BCE, the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II left three reliefs on the south bank of the Nahr al-Kalb, north of Beyrut, which commemorated the northern campaigns that culminated in the battle of Kadesh (1274). Several centuries later, the Assyrian king Esarhaddon conquered Egypt, and chose to put a memorial opposite the relief of Ramesses. Ever since, armies have left inscription at the Nahr al-Kalb, a custom known to Herodotus (more).

All in all, there are twenty-two inscriptions and two monuments, with texts in seven languages (Egyptian, Akkadian, Greek, Latin, Arabic, French, and English). Together, they give a nice overview of Lebanese history.

A complete overview is here (and an overview of all Lebanese posts on this blog is here).

Roman Beyrut

Roman baths

I have now blogged about the new web pages about the Bekaa Valley and the Lebanon, about Niha, about Faqra, and about Machnaqa. There’s a lot more to be written – think of Baalbek, Byblus, Sidon, and Tyre – but for the moment, I will only add Beyrut.

We found it a lovely city, with two beautiful museums (the National Museum and the Archaeological Museum of the American University) and a couple of ancient ruins, which were not very special. Nevertheless, the city’s history is quite interesting, and some objects from the museums are really important.

My favorite is an amulet from the Louvre, in which many celestial beings are invoked to protect one Alexandra. Officially, she was Christian, so she mentions “the One who sits among two cherubs” and “the One God and His Christ”, but after that, we read about the seven lords of the seven heavens (Marmarioth, Uriel, Ael, Gabriel, Chael, Moriath, Chachth), the beings responsible for the weather (Riopha, Zonchar, Tebriel, Tobriel), the protectors of the sea and mountains (Suriel and Nuchael), the celestial dragon keeper Iathennuian, and a protector of the firmament named Chrara. So much for orthodoxy.

Two new webpages can be found here. Enjoy!

Faqra (Lebanon)

The Small Altar at Faqra

One of the most spectacular sites we visited during our trip through Lebanon was Faqra. It is situated along the road from the coast to a ski resort with the same name.

When we visited the place, it was covered with snow.  It was the Easter Weekend (according to the Maronite calendar) and many people had a day off, which meant that they were snowboarding, picnicking, barbecuing, and even dancing at the place where – in the Summer – you would have crossed the mountain pass. To judge from the scarfs, Christians were not the only one enjoying a holiday.

Faqra itself consists of two parts. To the north of the road are four altars, to the south are two temples, dedicated to Adonis and Atargatis, and a church.

Eight small but new pages on the Livius website can be found here. Other recent pages are about the Bekaa Valley and the Lebanon, about Niha, and about Machnaqa.

Nihata

The high priest Narkisos

Our visit to the temples of ancient Nihata (modern Niha) was one of the highlights of our visit to Lebanon. There are two sanctuaries, an oracle dedicated to the Syrian goddess Atargatis and a smaller shrine for Hadanares, who was comparable to the Baal-Zeus-Jupiter of Baalbek. There are two other temples, never finished, at nearby Hosn Niha.

The site must have been well-known, as it was situated along the main road from Antioch to the south: along the Orontes to Aleppo and Baalbek, and down to Tyre through the Bekaa valley. Many travelers must have seen the shrines of Nihata, and must have stayed there, as it is exactly one day from Baalbek.

My new webpages are here.

Lebanese Antiquities

The Great Temple of Niha

When we announced that we wanted to visit Lebanon, many people thought that we had gone mad. After all, when we in Holland read about the country of the ancient Phoenicians, it is usually because of some eruption of violence. And indeed, the last chapter of the Footprint Handbook for Lebanon is a depressing catalog of disasters.

Nevertheless, the country appears to have come to rest, and I think it is useful to write briefly about our too short holiday. We were not disappointed and have already decided to return. Lebanon has much to offer to tourists, and tourists – for example, the lovers of ancient history that read this little blog – may help the country overcome some of its traumas. I promise you: you will like it.

• A Nation Divided
• Travel
• Hotels and Restaurants
• Books
• What to see
• Other

And related:

• National Museum, Beirut
• Archaeological Museum of the American University, Beirut
• Google Earth markers of ancient monuments in Lebanon
• The abduction of Europe
• Gaius Velius Rufus
• Aïn Akrine
• Amioun
• Baalbek
• Beyrut
• Bsharre
• Bziza
• Faqra
• Lebanon and Bekaa
• Machnaqa
• Nahr al-Kalb
• Nihata
• Qsarnaba
• Tyre
• My Dutch notes

Lebanese Antiquities: A Nation Divided

The Lebanese flag

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It’s a cliché, but Lebanon is indeed a country of minorities. There have been no censuses since 1932, but it is estimated that about ninety percent of the four million inhabitants are Lebanese Arabs. The remainder consists mainly of Palestinians, who settled in camps like Sabra and Shatila (southern Beirut) after 1948, and Armenians, who fled from the Ottoman Empire during the First World War and live mainly in eastern Beirut.

Tomb of the assassinated prime minister Hariri

Other divisions are religious. Generally speaking, the people of the coast and center are Christians, with the northern part of the country following the Sunnite Islam, and the eastern part (the Bekaa Valley) and the south being Shi’ite. This division is, however, misleading on three points.

In the first place, because these religious groups are divided into smaller groups: the Shi’ites in the deep south are ‘twelvers’ who are waiting for the return of the twelfth imam (among these Shi’ites, Hezbollah finds its supporters), while the Druzes in the central south are an unusual type of ‘seveners’. The Alawis are another offshoot of the sevener Shia. Christians can be subdivided into Maronites and Greek Orthodox, although we also saw a Melkite church.

Tyre; memorial for the Unifil soldiers who gave the last full measure of devotion

In the second place, the geographical division is not as smooth as it seems. For example, although the Bekaa Valley is mainly Shi’ite, the cities of Zahle and Chtaura are Christian. In the third place, some people are pious and orthodox and really define themselves in religious terms, while others are more secular.

So, there’s no denying that Lebanon is a divided country. And it still matters. A man we met in Beirut, presumably Christian, was surprised we had gone to Tyre (Shi’ite), where he had never been. He believed tourists could go there without fear, but he was clearly not interested in going there personally.

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Lebanese Antiquities: Travel

Roadblock near Tyre

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As I said, the violence that so often attracts western attention, has come to an end. There are probably more people killed in Lebanese traffic, which is a nightmare indeed. It seems to be perfectly acceptable to have lunch while driving or to park your car on the right lane of the coastal highway. Incidental roadblocks do not add to easy travel. Of the places I have visited, only Tehran and Lahore resemble Lebanese chaos. On the other hand, if you make a mistake, no one is angry. The insulting gestures you will see over here in Amsterdam, are mercifully absent.

If you are not very confident of your skills as a driver, it is probably best to use a taxi. We rented a car, and the man who had to drive it, was also the man who was, every afternoon, most exhausted. Our agency was Avis, which has its Beirut office on the first floor of the Phoenicia Hotel; we very happy with the way they dealt with everything (more).

The beauty of the Lebanon Mountains: natural bridge near Kfardebian

We severely underestimated the Lebanon Mountain Range. The slopes are pretty steep, and in the first days of April, the passes are still closed. This made our visit to Faqra unforgettable – snow-covered Roman ruins! – but it was quite surprising that even good roads like those from Tripoli or Jounieh to Baalbek became inaccessible. High up the mountains, people were skiing, snowboarding, picnicking, and enjoying ourselves; nice for them, and an unexpected surprise for us.

A problem we were not able to solve was finding a really good map. Sometimes, towns were not indicated where they actually were, and the rendering of Arab words is not always identical to the transcription on the road signs. And speaking about road signs: they are never there when you need them most, which gives a certain urgency to finding a decent map. We found this the only real problem, and had to abandon our trip to Sfiré because we simply could not find our way through Tripoli.

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Lebanese Antiquities: Books

A nice archaeological travel guide

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A good preparation is always useful, for every country, and Lebanon is no exception. In advance, we read Jessica Lee’s Footprint Handbook Lebanon. For someone interested in ancient history, it is quite unpleasant to see that the author confuses Antoninus and Antonius or Alexander Severus and Septimius Severus (to name but two mistakes) but it is a good book.

I also liked Le Liban. De la Préhistoire à l’Antiquité by Guillaume Gernez and Ingrid Périssé-Valéro, which is an archaeological account of the country, with many photos. Had it contained more maps, it would have been perfect, but it was still an extremely useful book. It was recommended to us by the friendly lady of the Librarie El Bourj, a very nice bookshop in the An-Nahar building west of the Place des Martyrs. It has many books on archaeology in stock.

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Lebanese Antiquities: What to see

The cella of the Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek

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The main ancient monument in Lebanon is, of course, Baalbek. The temple of Bacchus is bigger and better preserved than the Parthenon in Athens; the temple of Baal-Zeus-Jupiter next to it must have been one of the largest shrines of the ancient world (after the Egyptian temples, of course).

National Museum

Beirut is a very modern city, which is currently being rebuilt, so don’t expect too much of the ancient ruins. This is the place to be if you like modern architecture. Still, it has two of the best museums in the Middle East: the National Museum and the Archaeological Museum of the American University.

We loved the Roman ruins of Faqra and Machnaqa, but were unable to visit Yanouh, Afqa, and Sfiré. The Roman temples at Niha were splendid – do not forget to go into the cellar of the great temple.

The Crusader Castle of Byblus

To the north, there is Byblus, which has been inhabited for thousands of years. You can see Neolithic and Chalcolithic buildings, temples from the Bronze Age, Phoenician royal tombs, a Persian terrace, Greek and Roman structures, a mosque, a perfectly preserved Crusader castle and ditto church, and so on. If you go up north from Beirut, do not forget to visit the reliefs at the Nahr al-Kalb, where about every army has left an inscription – from Ramesses II to the Lebanese army that forced out the Israeli troops in 2000.

Remains Tyre’s Crusader church, with pillars from the Temple of Melqart

I really loved Tyre, which offers two big excavations. At Al-Bass, there’s a hippodrome and a large necropolis, while at Al-Mina, you will see the remains of the city itself. Here are also the remains of a Crusader church, which is more or less on the place of the ancient temple of Melqart.

This was only a selection. If you want to see all sights mentioned by Guillaume Gernez and Ingrid Périssé-Valéro, you will need about two weeks.

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Lebanese Antiquities: Other

A modestly dressed woman in Beirut's modern Al-Amine Mosque

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We encountered some problems with ATMs, but could not establish the cause. It never became a real obstacle, but I think it is useful to take some cash with you as well. Dollars are accepted everywhere. Western Union appears to have offices in even the remotest villages.

I do not want to say something unkind about the people of Syria, Jordan, or Egypt, but there is no denying that over there, western women attract a lot of unpleasant attention. Nothing of that kind will happen in Lebanon, although a scarf is required in a mosque.

Beirut's Pigeon Rocks

To sum up: travel is not always easy in Lebanon, but it has a great potential for tourism, and there is very much to be seen. However, the most important thing we learned is that the Lebanese are, easily, the friendliest people in the Near East. I have already decided to return next year, with a group, and can recommend a visit to everyone.

(If you understand Dutch, you can read my travel notes here.)

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Beirut: Archaeological Museum of the American University

Sarcophagus in the garden

What is the best archaeological museum in the world? If size matters, it’s not unreasonable to mention the Louvre and the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul. For art historical impact, go to the Vatican. The quality of the information? Maybe the museums of Berlin. Or the Archaeological Museum of the American University in Beirut.

This comparatively small museum cannot boast that it owns very famous works of art, but nevertheless, it is very interesting. Take, for instance, the display of Chalcolithic objects, which explains the differences between the Hassuna, Samara, and Halaf styles; next to it is a display that helps you understand Naqada. When you look at the display of ancient glass, you will also see a picture of a fresco from Rome’s Villa Farnesina that helps you understand how those small phials were used. This is not a museum for art lovers, but for archaeology students who have to learn how to recognize the ancient cultures.

Among the objects I liked were a nice bronze statuette of Reshef; two fish-shaped jugs from Byblus; some Phoenician inscriptions; a fine black bust of a pharaoh of the twenty-fifth dynasty; a nice dromedary (Persian period); a splendid Greek philosopher; busts from Palmyra, and a large mosaic from a Byzantine church, ‘said to be from Beirut’, which made me wonder how you could possibly forget where you discovered a mosaic of twenty-five square meters. Some objects – like milestones, inscriptions, and a sarcophagus – can be seen in the garden.

In short, this museum is almost perfect. If I have to express a wish: I would have liked explanatory signs that told where objects had been found, or indicated that this was unknown.

There is something odd about this place. Even though admission to the museum is free, and although it easy to find, we found ourselves the only visitors, except for the cleaner. This is undeserved, because this is an archaeological museum of exceptional quality.   Photography is not allowed, but you can ask for a permit.

Beirut: National Museum

Vatican VIPs

The National Museum of Beirut is one of the most interesting museums I have ever visited. The first surprise is the building itself, which is in some kind of Egyptian style. Inside, it is essentially a very big hall with lots of fine sculpture, surrounded by a gallery (on the first floor) with other types of ancient objects.

Among the highlights are a stela of Ramesses II from Tyre; the sarcophagus of king Ahirom (or Ahiram) of Byblus, with the oldest known inscription in Phoenician letters; a splendid Egyptian colossus, also from Byblus; several ‘thrones of Astarte’; a Persian-style column from Sidon; a beautifully sculpted, Hellenistic tribune from the sanctuary of Eshmun at Bustan esh-Sheikh; a fine bust of Septimius Severus; a third-century mosaic of the Seven Sages from Baalbek; some mosaics and several sarcophagi, including one with scenes from the final book of the Iliad.

In the gallery on the first floor, you will find all kinds of statuettes, weapons, and idols from Byblus; lots of jewelry; coins; a very fine Dionysus from Tyre; Byzantine carvings and some finds from the Islamic age. The last display contains some objects that were damaged during the Civil War. After all, the museum is built on what was once known as the Green Line: the frontier that divided Beirut. A badly damaged house, just northwest of the museum, is a reminder of the horrors.

It is quite a distance from the center of Beirut, so you need a taxi to go there. You need several hours to see all, and there is a nice bookshop. Across the street is a small restaurant, where we had some pizza and ayran.