Top tourist attractions in Lebanon
Here is a list of top tourist attractions in Lebanon. Only the topmost tourist destinations are presented here. To see other destinations, please check the images from Lebanon section.
Curious if any of these place from Lebanon made it our best tourist attractions in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.
You can also view all tourist attractions in Lebanon and other countries on our tourist attractions map.
Jeita Grotto
Tourist attraction
The Jeita Grotto is a system of two separate, but interconnected, karstic limestone caves spanning an overall length of nearly 9 kilometres. The caves are situated in the Nahr al-Kalb valley within the locality of Jeita, 18 kilometres north of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Though inhabited in prehistoric times, the lower cave was not rediscovered until 1836 by Reverend William Thomson; it can only be visited by boat since it channels an underground river that provides fresh drinking water to more than a million Lebanese. In 1958, Lebanese speleologists discovered the upper galleries 60 metres above the lower cave which have been accommodated with an access tunnel and a series of walkways to enable tourists safe access without disturbing the natural landscape. The upper galleries house the world's largest known stalactite. The galleries are composed of a series of chambers the largest of which peaks at a height of 120 metres. Aside from being a Lebanese national symbol and a top tourist destination, the Jeita grotto plays an important social, economic and cultural role and is a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition, and as of 7:44 pm GMT the provisional New7Wonders of Nature based on the first count of vote results on 11/11/11 Jeita was one of the top 14 Finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature.
National Museum of Beirut
Museum
The National Museum of Beirut is the principal museum of archaeology in Lebanon. The collection was begun after World War I, and the museum was officially opened in 1942. The museum has collections totalling about 100,000 objects, most of which are antiquities and medieval finds from excavations undertaken by the Directorate General of Antiquities. About 1300 artifacts are exhibited, ranging in date from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period. During the 1975 Lebanese Civil War, the museum stood on the front line that separated the warring factions. The museum's Egyptian Revival building and its collection suffered extensive damage in the war, but most of the artifacts were saved by last-minute pre-emptive measures. Today, after a major renovation, the National Museum of Beirut has regained its former position, especially as a leading collector for ancient Phoenician objects.
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
Mosque
The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque is a sunni mosque located in Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. It was built between 2002 and 2007 by the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was buried beside it. It was inaugurated by his son Saad Hariri on October 17, 2008. According to the architect, Azmi Fakhuri, the blue-domed mosque has an Ottoman inspiration, copying the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. The decorative painting and ornamentation were done by artist Harout Bastajian, owner and founder of The Art of Mosques, in 2005.
Sursock Museum
Palace
Sursock Museum, which is officially known as Nicolas Sursock Museum, is a modern art museum Beirut, Lebanon that was directed by an collector named Ibrahim M. Beyhum . It is located in the historic street known as Rue Sursock in the Achrafieh district of Beirut. The street is home to other mansions that were built in the 18th century by Beirut's most prominent families such as the Sursocks and the Bustroses. The museum was ranked #7 of 112 things to do in Beirut by Lonely Planet travelers.