Raouché

★Raouché; area's oldest evidence of human existence! <<< # 1 Photo in Lebanon

Raouché (Arabic: الروشة، ar-rawʂe) is a residential and commercial neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon. It is known for its upscale apartment buildings, numerous restaurants, and cliff-side cafés that line Avenue de Paris, which forms part of the Corniche Beirut. The corniche or the wide, seaside sidewalk of Avenue de Paris is popular on weekends and evenings where strollers and joggers crowd the pavements.

Off the coast of Raouché, there is a natural landmark called the Pigeons' Rock (also known as the Rock of Raouché). Located at Beirut's westernmost tip, the two huge rock formations, which stand like gigantic sentinels, are a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.[1]

Raouche's Pigeons' Rock has recently been featured on the front page of Microsoft's Bing.[2]

Lebanon: Land of the Phoenicians

Lebanon: Land of the Phoenicians

Lebanon is a jewel of the Levant; a captivating mix of coastal and mountain scenery, dotted with important and impressive historic remains. This journey takes in the highlights, visiting the Phoenician ports of Byblos and Sidon, the bustling cosmopolitan capital of Beirut and the spectacular Roman remains of Baalbeck.

Sidon

Sidon
It was towards the end of the 6th century BC, that Sidon experienced its golden age. Made capital of the Fifth Province of the Persian Empire, Sidon was an open city with many cultural influences, including the Egyptian and Greek. The crusader period, between 1110 and 1291, brought Sidon new prestige as the second of the baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. 

 
Today the ruins of the Crusader Sea Castle and the Castle of Saint-Louis can still be seen in Sidon. From the Mamluke and Ottoman periods we have the Great Mosque, built on the foundations of a Crusader church and the khan-el-Franj built by Fakhreddine II.
 
 

Sidon (or Saidoon) is a vital commercial and administrative center. Its star is a Crusader Castle overlooking the harbor. The old town is still standing with its alleys and its souks (markets) which have maintained their Middle Age features. Its ancient history is obscure not only for lack of archeological excavations, but also for the plundering of its antiquities and ancient monuments at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century. A lot of monuments and antiques from Sidon are displayed along with other antiquities in international museums.

 

How Do We Reach Sidon?

Sidon is on the coast, at 48 kilometers south of Beirut. As you enter the city at the north side, there is a playground from which you can turn to reach the heart of the city.

 

Tyre

Tyre

  • According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre. This great Phoenician city ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical role declined at the end of the Crusades. There are important archaeological remains, mainly from Roman times.

Byblos Castle

Byblos Crusader Castle

Byblos Crusader Castle

Byblos Castle 2009

Byblos Castle 2009

Old Photos Of Byblos III

Old Photos Of Byblos III

Byblos Castle is a castle in Byblos, Lebanon. It was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century from indigenous limestone and the remains of Roman structures. The finished structure was surrounded by a moat. It belonged to the genoese Embriaco family, whose members were the Lords of Gibelet (as Byblos was called during Middle Ages). Saladin captured the town and castle in 1188 and dismantled the walls in 1190. Later, the Crusaders recaptured Byblos and rebuilt the fortifications of the castle in 1197. In 1369, the castle had to fend off an attack from Cypriot vessels from Famagusta.[1]

The Byblos Castle has distinguished historical buildings for neighbors. Near it stand a few Egyptian temples, Phoenician Royal Necropolis and the Roman amphitheatre. These are testament to the varied and rich history of the town of Byblos.[1]

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