The Story of Beirut
There are around 3,500,000 Lebanese and around 12,000,000 Lebanese abroad
The first language here is Arabic and the second French.
Beirut’s History
The capital Beirut only really began to flourish during the Roman period as a port and military base.
Before that, as far back as the 8th century BC, it was home to the Phoenicians, traders who travelled the breadth of the Mediterranean searching for metals and founding the city of Carthage, in modern day Tunisia, which became an empire in itself.
It was conquered by the emperor Pompey in 64 BC. In 190AD the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus established a School of Law and the Code of Justinian (which the Western legal system is based on) was developed by Papiniam and Ulpian.
During the Byzantine period the silk trade enhanced Beirut as a trade centre. In 551 an earthquake and subsequent tidal waves ruined the city. It never reclaimed itself and remained an insignificant port for four centures after the Muslim Arab conquest of 635.
In 1110 Beirut was captured by Baldwin I and the Crusaders stayed another 150 years.
1n 1516 Beirut became part of the Ottoman empire. Silk, manufactured in the Chouf mountains and traded through Beirut and Sidon, provided prosperity.
In 1840 a combined Anglo-Austro-Turkish fleet bombarded Beirut to capture Emir Bashir (who was an ally of Ibrahim Pasha and was attempting to overthrow the Ottoman Empire). Damascus was opened up to European trade meaning greater trade through Beirut and an ever increasing European presence.
In 1860 the massacre of Maronites by the Druzes prompted French troops to land in Beirut and thousands of Maronites fled to Beirut for protection.
During the first World War – British, French and Russian navies blockaded Beirut’s port to force out the Ottoman military forces in Beirut. This, combined with natural disasters caused huge famine. In 1916, the leaders of a revolt against the Ottoman Empire were executed in what is now Martyr’s Square.
In 1918, after the fall of Damascus, the British Army entered Beirut with French troops.
Since independence this multi cultural city , which was once known as the Paris of the East, and has finely and uneasily balanced Christian and Moslem cultures, has endured civil disasters ,multiple civil wars, invasions and occupations -notably involving the neighbouring states of Syria and Israel.
A fundamentalist Shite group, Hezbollah, has controlled the southern suburbs of the city since the 1980s. It is regarded as “a state within a state“ and is in a constant state of war with Israel.
Destination – Lebanon
