Lebanon before 1975 was a beacon of cultural and economic prosperity in the Middle East. With its bustling capital Beirut earning the nickname “Paris of the Middle East,” the country thrived on tourism, trade, and banking.
The National Pact of 1943 ensured a fragile balance of power among religious communities, giving Lebanon its unique confessional democracy.
The country was a melting pot of religions and cultures, with Christians, Muslims, and Druze living side by side in cities and towns. Education and literacy were highly valued, and Lebanese media, literature, and music flourished, turning the nation into a regional hub of intellectual and artistic activity.
Despite the prosperity, underlying tensions were growing. Disparities between urban elites and rural communities, coupled with the rising presence of Palestinian refugees after 1948, set the stage for future unrest.
These complexities, often invisible from the streets of Beirut, would later erupt into decades of conflict.
"Lebanon in the 1960s: a thriving cultural and economic hub, poised on the edge of history."