Tripoli is also known as Trablous… And despite being Lebanon’s second largest city, very few outsiders make the journey up to Lebanon’s north to pay a visit. Evidence of settlement here goes back to the 14th century BC, but Tripoli’s past likely goes back much further. Today, Tripoli is a conservative city comprised primarily of … Continue reading
Category Archives: Lebanon
The Rashid Karami International Fair by Oscar Niemeyer
One place I particularly enjoyed in Tripoli, because it looked like the setting for a science fiction movie (or at least a photo shoot for Vogue), was the Rashid Karami International Fair which was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (known more commonly simply as “Oscar Niemeyer”). Niemeyer is probably … Continue reading
Sidon, Lebanon
The port city of Sidon is also commonly referred to as Saida… The city has a rich history stretching back possibly as far as 6800 BC. And this participation in historical events shows no sign of abating as even as recently as the Lebanese civil war, Sidon was fought over variously by the Palestinians, Syrians, … Continue reading
Raising Apples In Lebanon
Growing apples in Lebanon? Don’t apples require colder weather? Yes, they do. However, Lebanon has far more diversity than the beaches and banana plantations found along the coast. It gets quite cold up in the mountains and areas such as Bcharre and Ehden are surrounded by apple orchards. Even late in May, the road above … Continue reading
Exploring Beirut, Lebanon
A Lebanese Army outpost in Beirut… The face of Beirut has changed a lot over the past twenty years. During the civil war, the downtown area, previously home to much of the city’s commercial and cultural activity, became a free-fire wasteland known as the “Green Line.” However, someone that was in Beirut before or during … Continue reading
The Hermel Pyramid: Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Located at the northern end of the Bekaa Valley in the middle of nowhere, this lonely pyramid rises almost 100 feet above the small hill on which it was built. It can be seen from miles around, but no one is sure what this unusual monument is intended to be or why it is alone. … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 