Beirut is one of the world’s oldest cities, the eternal survivor, whose population continually reinvents the metropolis. There are reminders everywhere of its successive ruling cultures, from the Phoenicians and Romans, through Arab, Crusader and Ottoman rule, to the post-W¥I French mandate era. Lebanon won independence in 1943, and Beirut has since survived 15 years of civil war. It is a hub of creativity for avant-garde artists and film-makers, musicians and DJs, designers and stylists: a few days in the city once known as the Paris of the Middle East can take in both ancient ruins and contemporary art.
Sursock Museum. Right: Byblos harbour. Far right: Mohammad al-Amin Mosque
WRITTEN BY JOHN BRUNTON. PHOTOGRAPHS: F8GRAPHER/ALAMY, JOHN BRUNTON, D KARANOUH/GETTY IMAGES