A little more than a year ago, I had a chance to visit Beirut for a few days. Beirut being the "Paris of Middle East," I had my own imagination of the city that it should be fancy and luxurious. Not saying that it isn't, but on my way from the airport into the city center, I realized that the "Paris" status was not only about being glamorous, but also about the history and the rich diversity that the city possessed and preserved.
(Pillars from the Roman era, right beneath the street)
(All the graffitis still visible)
(The street to the mosque was blocked. Beside the mosque is a church.)
For some reasons, I wanted to visit the National Museum of Beirut, and this was a good choice indeed. Beirut has layers of history that date back to 5,000 years ago. The museum shows the course of history by each era, from pre-historic era to Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic period, Roman period, Byzantine period and so on.
(You'll see this main hall once you enter. Quiet!)
(Sarcophagi in the basement. You can see each face in the mirror above. All different!)
The neighborhood around the museum is called Badaro and it is one of the trendy areas in town. There are lots of cool restaurants infused with modern tastes. It was a rainy day and I was sitting out on a cafe named "Cafe de Penelope." They'd set out a plastic cover over the seats that stood on the streets, so I could hear the rain dancing on the transparent ceiling above my head!
The American University in Beirut also had shades of different cultures that the city had gone through. Many of the buildings possess a different type of architectural style, for instance, with Islamic-influenced pillars or a facade like Notre-Dame in Paris.
And in this photo, you'll almost think that this was Paris indeed!
