The civilizations that left their mark on Lebanon are not just those of Antiquity; many more have been here since and the local architects have done wonders with the styles and techniques that were put into their hands.
Scroll right to browse the gallery.
Above: The "Castle of the Sea", a Crusader fort in Saida.
Right: another Frank structure built on top of a rock in Msaylha.
Above: This beautiful church in Byblos (Jbeil) is Frank as well.
Above and following series: the Crusader fortress known in French as Beaufort. It is only in 2000 that I was able to visit it, as it was until then in the territory occupied by Israel.
I have circled the placement of the structure, which is now wonderfully married to the mountain. Its location is very strategic: it overlooks the entire area for miles around. For this reason an observation camp was implanted (with much damage to the site) by the Israelis -- which is ironic when you consider the fortress was built to protect Jerusalem.
The remains of the Israeli camp: everything was blown up (with even more damage) before they retreated.
My friend and I as far up as we could climb. At that precise moment I'm wondering how on earth I'm going to get back down.
The view from Beaufort to the North.
The view to the South.
Beiteddine and Deir el Qamar.
As children we are told the story of Lady Nassab and her son Fakhreddine ("Pride of the Faith"),
two historical figures that were already legends in their own day. The time was the early 17th
century, and the setting was the Ottoman-dominated Chouf area ruled by Druze feudal families.
Fakhreddine, whom we give tribute to by referring to him as "Fakhreddine the Second, the Ma3n,
the Great", had a dangerous childhood but his mother managed to keep him hidden and safe from
his enemies. He grew to be a wise and ambitious man and established his capital in the village
of Deir el Qamar, "the Convent of the Moon". Surrounded with advisors that were not only Druze but
also Christian and Muslim, and with the precious help of Sitt Nassab, he extended the power
of the Ma3n family until he controlled almost all of today's Lebanon, including the precious coast.
Fakhreddine was so short his enemies made fun of him: "An egg can fall from his pocket and not break". To which he replied: "The smallest saw can bring down the tallest fir tree, and the smallest pen can take an inventory of the universe."
In 1608 Fakhreddine allied himself to Tuscany. The consequences of this friendship are visible
even today in our architecture and landscaping. When European ships began to enter the ports of
Beirut and Saida, however, the Ottomans and Fakhreddine's Damascan enemies reacted and invaded
the Mountain. The Emir fled to Tuscany for a 5-years exile, until he received the Sultan's pardon.
His return marked an apogee in Lebanese history, where commerce, agriculture and tolerance flourished.
Granted the title of Sultan-el-barr ("sultan of the dry land"), he extended his authority all the
way to Antiosh and Palmyra. This worried the Ottomans: Fakhreddine was finally emprisoned in Istanbul
and executed in 1635.
With the end of the Ma3n dynasty, their allies the Chehab, a Sunni family, took over. The 6th Chehab
Emir however was Maronite, as the family converted to Christianity at that time. When Bechir II
ascended to power, he moved his capital to another, site across the valley from Deir-el-Qamar:
Beiteddine, the "House of Faith").
Beiteddine seen from Deir-el-Qamar across the valley.
The palatial complex of Beiteddine took over 30 years to build. The water system itself took two
years of work, and required the Emir's subjects to provide two days of unpaid labor a year. The
result however is a Lebanese Versailles that is a typical example of local 19th century architecture.
Bechir was Christian by birth and Muslim by marriage: he had a chapel and a mosque built in the palace.
Today, Bechir has not lost his reputation of being a fearsome Emir even in appearance, with his huge
beard and burning eyes. His abuse of power created tensions between the Maronites, who had come to live
in the Chouf in the days of Fakhreddine and the Druzes. In particular, he alienated the Junblatt family
that is now the reigning feudal family in the Chouf -- the only area in Lebanon that is semi-independant
and still follows this old system. The Chehab dynasty has not disappeared though. Several of my friends
descend from it and still bear the title of Emir or Emira.
Above: An outside view of the complex. Beiteddine is in a perfect shape and is now a large museum, its rooms preserved just as they were and its gardens shaded by 200-year-old trees. A summer festival takes place there every year with artists as diverse as Shaolin monka and Elton John.
Above: The main court.
Above: A door somewhere in the complex. Notice the ceiling inset with bottle-bottoms: this technique used especially in hammams gives a magical effect on the inside.
