DowntownBeirut.com is a free travel guide helping visitors to Beirut, Lebanon
Title
Downtown Beirut, Lebanon - Pictures, beirut Pictures, by Roni Abou Jaoude, pictures of downtown beirut, famous lebanese, famous people from lebanon
Description
The earliest traces of habitation date from the Stone Age when the area, now known as Beirut, was in fact two islands in the delta of the Beirut River. Later, when the river silted up, the area became one landmass. It seems likely that the area has been continuously occupied throughout prehistory. Its location is favorable with fresh water and abundant fish from the sea.
According to tradition, the first city was founded by the people of Byblos. The first historical reference to Beirut dates from the 15
century BC, when it is mentioned in a tablet with cuneiform script discovered at Tell aI-Amama in Egypt, but the city is older than that. Between Martyrs Square and the sea port, a Canaanite site has been uncovered dating back to 1900 BC. This Bronze Age city has an entrance gate of dressed stone. Nearby are the remains of Phoenician canals with sloping sides. The Phoenicians had reused the Canaanite stones as well as smooth, round stones brought from the Beirut River. New light on the obscure origins of this city may be shed by the excavations now underway in the Downtown district - the site of the original city. Large areas have had to be bulldozed in order to redevelop the center of the city, giving archaeologists a unique opportunity to dig beneath the accumulated strata. From finds already uncovered, it is clear that the city was larger and more significant than had been previously thought, but deep excavations may be hampered by the time limit set for the rebuilding of the area. The original name of the city seems to have been variously Birut, Birrayyuna or Birrayat, which suggests that it was named after a well or wells (modern Arabic still uses the word Birut for well). On the other hand, according to Philo in his history, Birut was the first queen of the city. It remains, however, that all of Beirut's records of this time are buried deep and may never see the light of day.
Languages
English
Contact
- Roni A-J
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- Costa Mesa Ca
- United States 92628
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- (714)651-7457
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