Architectural And Cultural Guide Pyongyang Pdf To Jpg

Courtesy of DOM Publishers German architect Philip Meuser offers a rare glimpse into one of the most secretive states in the world in his book. 'Part of my motivation for this book was to do a guide book to a place that you can't even visit,' Meuser 'I want to show that North Korea is real and that Pyongyang is real, but for an American they're also totally virtual. It's like Street View. You see things all over the world, but you never really leave your computer.' Meuser also points out that because Pyongyang was almost completely destroyed after the Korean War, most of the buildings were built in the last 60 years and are ' interpretations of historical Korean architecture.'

The Coral Gables Museum celebrates the civic arts of architecture, urban design and planning, sustainable development an architectural, environmental and cultural. Exhibit/Gallery Greeter, City Trekker Kids Camp Support, Trained Docent Tour Guide Services, Administrative/Special Project Support (mailings, filing, etc.).

Beirut Location of Beirut within Lebanon Coordinates: Country Government • Area • 19.8 km 2 (7.6 sq mi) • Metro 67 km 2 (26 sq mi) Population (2014) • c. 2,200,000 Beiruti () • Summer () () +9611 LB-BA Website Beirut (: بيروت‎ Bayrūt (),: Beyrouth) is the capital and largest city of.

No recent population census has been done but in 2007 estimates ranged from slightly more than 1 million to slightly less than 2 million as part of. Located on a at the midpoint of Lebanon's coast, Beirut is the country's largest and main. It is one of the in the world, inhabited more than 5,000 years ago. The first historical mention of Beirut is found in the dating from the 15th century. Runs south to north on the eastern edge of the city. Beirut is 's and plays a central role in the Lebanese, with most banks and corporations based in its,,,,Ryad el Soloh street,and.

Following the destructive, Beirut's cultural landscape underwent major reconstruction. Identified and graded for accountancy, advertising, banking/finance and law, Beirut is ranked as a by the. In May 2015, Beirut was officially recognized as one of the together with,,,,, and. See also: Beirut was settled more than 5,000 years ago.

Its name derives from the -Phoenician be'erot ('wells'), referring to the underground water table that is still tapped by the local inhabitants for general use. Another explanation is that the city was named after the Phoenician daughter of and Aphrodite,. Excavations in the have unearthed layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader and remains. The first historical reference to Beirut dates from the 14th century BC, when it is mentioned in the tablets of the, three letters that of Biruta (Beirut) sent to the. Biruta is also referenced in the letters from, king of Byblos (also known as Jbeil).

The oldest settlement was on an island in the river that progressively silted up. The city was known in antiquity as Berytus. This name was taken in 1934 for the archaeological journal published by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the. Hellenistic and Roman period [ ] In 140 B.C.

The city was destroyed by in his contest with for the throne of the Macedonian monarchy. Beirut was soon rebuilt on a more conventional plan and renamed Laodicea in Phoenicia (: Λαοδίκεια ἡ ἐν Φοινίκῃ) or Laodicea in Canaan in honor of a Seleucid. [ ] The modern city overlies the ancient one, and little archaeology was carried out until after the end of the civil war in 1991.

The post-war salvage excavations (1993-to date) have yielded new insights in the layout and history of. Public architecture included several bath complexes, colonnaded streets, a circus and theater; residential areas were excavated in the Future Garden of Forgiveness, Martyrs' Square and the Beirut Souks. Mid-first-century coins from Berytus bear the head of, goddess of fortune; on the reverse, the city's symbol appears: a dolphin entwines an.

This symbol was later taken up by the early printer in 15th century. Beirut was conquered by Pompey in 64 B.C. The city was assimilated into the, veteran soldiers were sent there, and large building projects were undertaken. Beirut was considered the most Roman city in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. In 14 B.C., during the reign of, Berytus became a and was named Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus. Its was widely known; two of Rome's most famous jurists, and, both natives of, taught there under the emperors. When assembled his in the 6th century, a large part of the corpus of laws was derived from these two jurists, and in 533 Justinian recognized the school as one of the three official law schools of the empire.

After the the students were transferred to. Middle Ages [ ] Beirut was in 635. Prince Arslan bin al-Mundhir founded the Principality of in Beirut in 759 AD. From this principality developed the later Principality of Mount Lebanon, which was the basis for the establishment of Greater Lebanon, today's Lebanon. [ ] As a trading centre of the eastern, Beirut was overshadowed by during the.

From 1110 to 1291, the town and was part of the. (1179–1236) rebuilt the city after the battles with and also built the palace in Beirut. Ottoman rule [ ]. Forest of Beirut, 1914 Under the sultan (1512–1520), the Ottomans conquered including present-day. Beirut was controlled by local emirs throughout the Ottoman period. One of them,, fortified it early in the 17th century, but the Ottomans reclaimed it in 1763. With the help of, Beirut successfully broke Acre's monopoly on Syrian maritime trade and for a few years supplanted it as the main trading centre in the region.

During the succeeding epoch of rebellion against Ottoman hegemony in Acre under and, Beirut declined to a small town with a population of about 10,000 and was an object of contention between the Ottomans, the local Druze, and the. After captured Acre in 1832, Beirut began its revival.

View of Beirut's - circa 1930 By the second half of the nineteenth century, Beirut was developing close commercial and political ties with European imperial powers, particularly France. European interests in Lebanese silk and other export products transformed the city into a major port and commercial centre. This boom in cross-regional trade allowed certain groups, such as the, to establish trade and manufacturing empires that further strengthened Beirut's position as a key partner in the interests of imperial dynasties. Meanwhile, Ottoman power in the region continued to decline. Sectarian and religious conflicts, power vacuums, and changes in the political dynamics of the region culminated in the.

Beirut became a destination for Christian refugees fleeing from the worst areas of the fighting on and in Damascus. This in turn altered the ethnic composition of Beirut itself, sowing the seeds of future ethnic and religious troubles there and in greater Lebanon. However, Beirut was able to prosper in the meantime. This was again a product of European intervention, and also a general realization amongst the city's residents that commerce, trade, and prosperity depended on domestic stability. In 1888, Beirut was made capital of a (governorate) in Syria, including the (prefectures) Latakia, Tripoli, Beirut, Acre and Bekaa. By this time, Beirut had grown into a cosmopolitan city and had close links with and the United States. It also became a centre of activity that spawned educational institutions, such as the.

Provided with water from a British company and gas from a French one, silk exports to Europe came to dominate the local economy. After French engineers established a modern harbor in 1894 and a rail link across Lebanon to Damascus and in 1907, much of the trade was carried by French ships to. French influence in the area soon exceeded that of any other European power. The 1911 reported a population consisting of 36,000 Muslims, 77,000 Christians, 2,500 Jews, 400 Druze and 4,100 foreigners.

At the start of the 20th century, was one of the most prominent figures in Beirut, holding numerous public positions including deputy from Beirut to the Ottoman parliament and President of the Municipality of Beirut. Given his modern way of life, the emergence of Salim Ali Salam as a public figure constituted a transformation in terms of the social development of the city. • The current Daouk Family • The current Mneimneh Family • The current Sinno Family • The current Kreidiyeh Family • The current Itani Family • The current Doughan Family • Probably the current Houry Family All other families of Beirut are considered to have descended from one of those seven main branches, such as Nahhas, Yanout Inkidar, Hajjal, Hamza and others who derived from the Sinno Family (p. 14). Sinno is considered to be an old family in Beirut, descending from the Muslim Leader Tareq Bin Ziyad. Modern era [ ]. Nightlife scene in After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, Beirut, along with the rest of Lebanon, was placed under the. Lebanon achieved independence in 1943, and Beirut became the capital city.

The city remained a regional intellectual capital, becoming a major tourist destination and a banking haven, especially for the oil boom. This era of relative prosperity ended in 1975 when the broke out throughout the country. During most of the war, Beirut was divided between the Muslim west part and the Christian east.

The downtown area, previously the home of much of the city's commercial and cultural activity, became a known as the. Many inhabitants fled to other countries. About 60,000 people died in the first two years of the war (1975–1976), and much of the city was devastated. A particularly destructive period was the 1978 Syrian siege of, the main Christian district of Beirut. Syrian troops relentlessly shelled the eastern quarter of the city, but Christian militias defeated multiple attempts by Syria's elite forces to capture the strategic area in a three-month campaign later known as the.

Another destructive chapter was the, during which most of West Beirut was under siege by Israeli troops. In 1983, French and US, killing 241 American servicemen, 58 French servicemen, six civilians and the two suicide bombers. Since the end of the war in 1990, the people of Lebanon have been rebuilding Beirut, and by the start of the the city had somewhat regained its status as a tourist, cultural and intellectual center in the Middle East and as a centre for commerce, fashion, and media. The reconstruction of downtown Beirut has been largely driven by, a development company established in 1994 by Prime Minister. The city has been host to the Asian Club Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Cup and has hosted the pageant eight times, 1960–1964, 1999, 2001–2002.

Rafic Hariri was assassinated in 2005 near the in Beirut. A month later about one million people gathered for an in Beirut. The was the largest rally in Lebanon's history at that time. The last Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut on 26 April 2005, and the two countries established diplomatic relations on 15 October 2008.

During the 2006 Lebanon War, Israeli bombardment caused damage in many parts of Beirut, especially the predominantly southern suburbs of Beirut. On 12 July 2006, the, code named 'True Promise' [ ] ended with 8 Israeli deaths and 6 injuries. In response, the IDF targeted Hezbollah's main media outlets. There were then artillery raids against targets in southern Lebanon, and the Israeli cabinet held Beirut responsible for the attacks. Then on 13 July 2006 began implementing a naval and air blockade over Lebanon; during this blockade Israel bombed the runways at and the major Beirut-Damascus highway in Eastern Lebanon. In May 2008, after the government decided to disband Hezbollah's communications network (a decision it later rescinded), broke out briefly between government allies and opposition forces, before control of the city was handed over to the.

After this a national dialogue conference was held in at the invitation of the Prince of Qatar. The conference agreed to appoint a new president of Lebanon and to establish a new national government involving all the political adversaries. As a result of the, the opposition's barricades were dismantled and so were the opposition's protest camps in.

On 19 October 2012, a car bomb killed eight people in the Beirut's neighbourhood of, including Brigadier General, chief of the Intelligence Bureau of the. In addition, in the bombing. It was the largest attack in the capital since 2008. On 27 December 2013, a in the killing at least five people, including the former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S., and wounding 71 others.

In the, two suicide bombers detonated explosives outside a mosque and inside a bakery, killing 43 people and injuring 200. The immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. Geography [ ]. Beirut seen from SPOT satellite Beirut sits on a peninsula extending westward into the about 94 km (58 mi) north of the Lebanon-Israel border.

It is flanked by the and has taken on a triangular shape, largely influenced by its situation between and atop two hills: Al- and Al-Musaytibah. The Beirut Governorate occupies 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi), and the city's 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi). The coast is rather diverse, with rocky beaches, sandy shores and cliffs situated beside one another.

Climate [ ] Beirut has a (: Csa) characterized by mild days and nights. Autumn and spring are warm, winter is mild and rainy, and summer can be virtually rainless. August is considered the only really hot muggy month, with a monthly average high temperature of 32 °C (90 °F), and January and February are the coldest months, with a monthly average low temperature of 11 °C (52 °F).

The prevailing wind during the afternoon and evening is from the west (onshore, blowing in from the Mediterranean); at night it reverses to offshore, blowing from the land out to sea. [ ] The average annual rainfall is 825 millimetres (32.5 in), with the majority falling in winter, autumn and spring. Much of the autumn and spring rain falls in heavy downpours on a limited number of days, but in winter it is spread more evenly over a large number of days. Summer receives very little rainfall, if any. Snow is rare, except in the mountainous eastern suburbs, where snowfall is common due to the region's high altitudes. Main article: Lebanon, specifically Beirut and its suburbs, suffered a massive garbage crisis, mainly from July 2015 up to March 2016.

The issue began when authorities shut down the main landfill site originally for Beirut's garbage southeast of the city and failed to provide any alternative solutions for months. As a result, garbage mounted in the streets in Greater Beirut and caused protests to erupt, which sometimes invoked police action. This problem was commonly blamed on the country’s political situation. This garbage crisis birthed a movement called ' which was directed at the country's politicians. In March 2016, the government finally came up with a so-called temporary solution to establish two new landfills East and South of the city to store the garbage, while several municipalities across the country, in an unprecedented move, began recycling and managing waste more efficiently, building waste-management facilities and relying on themselves rather than the central government. Quarters and sectors [ ]. Map of the 12 quarters of Beirut Beirut is divided into 12 quarters ( quartiers): • • Ein mreisse • Bachoura • • Medawar • Minet El Hosn • Moussaitbeh • • • Rmeil • • These quarters are divided into sectors ( secteurs).

Is an edgy, bohemian style neighborhood, within the green district of Beirut (secteur du parc) which also include the and the and the French ambassador's. It is one of Beirut's favorite hip nightlife destination. Two of the twelve official in Lebanon are located in the southern suburbs of Beirut: Bourj el-Barajneh and. There is also one within its municipal boundaries:. Of the fifteen unregistered or unofficial refugee camps, Sabra, which lies adjacent to Shatila, is also located in southern Beirut. People in Lebanon often use different names for the same geographic locations, and few people rely on official, government-provided street numbers.

Instead, historic and commercial landmarks are more common. Demographics [ ] No population has been taken in Lebanon since 1932, and estimates of Beirut's population range from as low as 938,940 through 1,303,129 to as high as 2,012,000 as part of.

Religion [ ]. See also:,,,,, and Beirut is one of the most and religiously diverse cities of Lebanon and all of the Middle East. The city boasts significant and communities. In Beirut there are 18 recognized religious groups. At the end of the civil war the Copts became another recognized confession, bringing the total number to eighteen. The original seventeen included four Muslim sects: Sunni, Shi'a, 'Alawi, and Druze; Twelve Christian sects: Assyrians, Syriac, Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean, Maronites, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholics, evangelicals, and smaller Christian sects, which are considered one group; and Jews (very few remain in Lebanon today, but children of Lebanese Jewish parents may register as citizens at Lebanese Embassies. Cathedral of in Family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith (the Ottoman ' system).

Calls for are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities, but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese. Until the mid-20th century, Beirut was also home to a community in the Bab Idriss sector of Zokak el-Blat. Before the civil war the neighborhoods of Beirut were fairly heterogeneous, but they became largely segregated by religion since the conflict. [ ] East Beirut has a mainly Christian population with a small Muslim minority, while West Beirut has a Sunni Muslim majority with small minorities of Christians and Druze. Since the end of the civil war, East and West Beirut have begun to see an increase in Muslims and Christians moving into each half.

The southern suburbs are populated largely by, while the eastern and northern suburbs are largely Christian. The city is also home to a small number of in the form of an with Archbishop,, as the apostolic vicar. Beirut Central District [ ]. Main article: The Beirut Central District (BCD) or Centre Ville is the name given to Beirut's historical and geographical core by 'Solidere', the 'vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country.' It is an area thousands of years old, traditionally a focus of business, finance, culture and leisure. Its reconstruction constitutes one of the most ambitious contemporary urban developments.

Due to the devastation incurred on the city center from the, the Beirut Central District underwent a thorough reconstruction and development plan that gave it back its cultural and economic position in the region. Ever since, has evolved into an integrated business and commercial environment and the focus of the financial activity in the region. That evolution was accompanied with the relocation of international organizations, reoccupation of civic and government buildings, expansion of financial activities, and establishment of regional headquarters and global firms in the city center. Roman baths park in Downtown Beirut. Assessment of the demand for build-up space in the BCD has been done in reference to a number of macro-economic, demographic, and urban planning considerations at a time of marked need for new activity poles in the city, such as Souks, financial, cultural and recreational centers. The district's total area is 4,690,000 square metres (50,482,740 square feet), the majority of which is dedicated to residential space (1,924,000 square metres or 20,709,764 square feet).

The contains over 60 gardens, squares and open spaces. These spaces comprise landscaped streets, gardens, historical squares, pedestrian areas and sea promenades thus totaling to an area of 96 acres (39 ha) of open spaces.

The central district is Lebanon's prime location for shopping, entertainment, and dining. There are over 100 cafes, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs open in the, and over 350 retail outlets distributed along its streets and quarters. Alone are home to over 200 stores and a handful of restaurants and cafes. Beirut Souks are the 's old market, recently renovated along with the original Hellenistic street grid that characterized the old souks and the area's historical landmarks along long vaulted shopping alleys and arcades., the company responsible for the reconstruction and renovation of the district, organizes music and entertainment events all throughout the year like the,, Beirut Jazz Festival. However, the means of urban development in this particular area of the city was subject to much criticism and controversy. Rafic Hariri, who would later become prime minister, was the majority stakeholder of the company, which raises concerns of conflict of interest in the context of a public-private partnership. Many of the expropriations that have made the project possible have been made at land undervalued land rates, and partly paid in company share.

Strict urbanization laws were put in order to oblige people to sell and not renovate themselves. Today, Solidere acts as a de facto municipality thus this quarter of the city is effectively privatized. It is for example forbidden to ride bikes on Zeituna Bay, a marina where many restaurants are located, and these laws are enforced by private security guards not national or municipal police. The project was also criticized for destroying some of the city's architectural and cultural heritage. 'Among the hundreds of destroyed buildings were “the last Ottoman and medieval remains in Beirut” wrote American University of Beirut professor Nabil Beyhum in the Journal The Beirut Review in 1992.

Much of the damage had been done through unapproved demolitions in the 1980s and early 1990s, bringing down “some of the capital’s most significant buildings and structures,” wrote UCLA professor Saree Makdisi in the journal, Critical Inquiry, in 1997.' Moreover, many of the traditional privately owned shops in the Beirut Downtown were replaced by luxury outlets and high-end restaurants that only few people could afford. And most of public spaces promised by Solidere since the start of the reconstruction, such as 'The Garden of Forgiveness', a central park, and an archeological museum, remain unfinished until today, [ ] putting into question the actual benefit of the project to the population. Finally, the actual success of the project has recently [ ] been in doubt, given that large quarters of the BCD are today empty, due to strong military presence, the Nejmeh Square where the parliament is located is most frequently completely deserted, and the business located there have mostly moved. 1983 The Banking System is the backbone of the local economy with a balance sheet of $152 billion at the end of 2012, nearing 3.5 times the GDP estimated at $43 billion by the. Bank deposits also increased in 2012 by 8% to 125 billion dollars, 82 percent of the sector's assets.

'Banks are still attracting deposits because the interest rates offered are higher than the ones in Europe and the United States', says Marwan Mikhael, head of research. Beirut's foreign reserves were still close to an all-time high when they reached $32.5 billion in 2011 and analysts say that the Central Bank can cover nearly 80 percent of the Lebanese currency in the market. This means that the Central Bank can easily cope with any unforeseen crisis in the future thanks to the massive foreign currency reserves. The Lebanese banking system is endowed with several characteristics that promote the role of Beirut as a regional financial center, in terms of ensuring protection for foreign capital and earnings. The Lebanese currency is fully convertible and can be exchanged freely with any other currency. Moreover, no restrictions are put on the free flow of capital and earnings into and out of the Lebanese economy.

The passing of the banking secrecy law on 3 September 1956, subjected all banks established in Lebanon as well as foreign banks' branches to the 'secret of the profession'. Both article 16 of law No. 282 dated 30 December 1993 and article 12 of decree No. 5451 dated 26 August 1994, offer exemptions from income tax on all interest and revenues earned on all types of accounts opened in Lebanese banks. On the first of April 1975, decree No.

29 established a free banking zone by granting the Lebanese government the right to exempt non-residents' deposits and liabilities in foreign currency from: the income tax on interest earned, the required reserves imposed by the Banque Du Liban by virtue of article 76 of the Code of Money and Credit, the premium of deposit guarantee imposed on bank deposits to the profit of the National Deposit Guarantee Institution. The tourism industry in Beirut has been historically important to the local economy and remains to this day to be a major source of revenue for the city, and Lebanon in general. Before the, Beirut was widely regarded as 'The Paris of the Middle East,' often cited as a financial and business hub where visitors could experience the Mediterranean culture. Beirut's diverse atmosphere and ancient history make it an important destination which is slowly rebuilding itself after continued turmoil. Although in recent times, certain countries such as the United States frequently place Lebanon and Beirut in particular, within their travel warnings list due to a large number of car bombings and orchestrated political violence. Downtown Beirut Mosque Beirut is a destination for tourists from both the Arab world and West. In magazine's World Best Awards 2006, it was ranked 9th best city in the world.

That list was voted upon shortly before the 2006 Lebanon War broke out, but in 2008 The Guardian listed Beirut as one of its top ten cities in the world. The New York Times ranked it at number one on its '44 places to go' list of 2009.

2011 MasterCard Index revealed that Beirut had the second-highest visitor spending levels in the and, totaling $6.5 billion. Beirut was chosen in 2012 by as the best city in the, beating and. Many of the tourists are returning Lebanese expatriates, but many are from Western countries. Approximately 3 million visitors visited in 2010; the previous record was 1.4 million in 1974.

Like other forms of tourism, medical tourism in Lebanon is on the rise recently. Although visitors from neighboring Arab nations make up the bulk of medical tourism patients here due to its proximity, Beirut is strongly trying to woo more southern Europeans, Asians and North Americans to its land. Its Agency for Investment Development in Lebanon reports that growth in the medical tourism industry is growing by up to 30% a year since 2009.

The country's tourism ministry is working closely with the medical sector and top-class hotels to create an organized, quality medical destination. Major hotel and spa chains work with local clinics, travel agencies and the tourism ministry to create comprehensive healthcare and recuperation packages for foreign visitors. Digital Signage Software Mac Os X more.

The government is highly involved in this industry and strives to make the process as easy as possible. Cosmetic surgery is a major component of medical tourism in Lebanon. Most of the foreign patients come for routine operations like plastic surgery, dental or eye surgery, and Beirut's hospitals are also capable of performing specialized procedures such as internal bypass surgery and other technical treatments. Its top clinics and hospitals like Sahel General are equipped to handle the full range of surgical procedures. Beirut-based Clemenceau Medical Center (CMC), affiliated with Johns Hopkins International, was ranked one of the world's top ten best hospitals for medical tourism in 2012. Government [ ] Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and its seat of government. The Lebanese Parliament, all the Ministries and most of the public administrations, embassies and consulates are there.

Is one of eight (plural of mohafazah, or governorate). Name Took office Left office 1 Kamel Hamieh 1936 1941 2 Nicholas Rizk 1946 1952 3 George Assi 1952 1956 4 Bachour Haddad 1956 1958 5 Philip Boulos 1959 1960 6 Emile Yanni 1960 1967 7 Shafic Bou Haydar 1967 1977 8 Mitri El Nammar 1977 1987 9 George Smaha 1987 1991 10 Nayef El Malouf 1992 1995 11 Nicholas Saba 1995 19 20 20 2015 •. United Nations Lebanon headquarters International organizations [ ] The city is home to numerous international organizations. The (ESCWA) is headquartered in downtown Beirut, The (AACO), the and the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges are also headquartered in the city. The (ILO) and (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) both have regional offices in Beirut covering the.

Education [ ] is provided by universities, colleges and technical and vocational institutes. The and (USJ), are the oldest respectively English medium and French medium universities in the country. The is the only public institution for higher education in Beirut. Beirut is also home to the (LAU), which is also, together with many of its programs, accredited by US bodies and considered lately one of the top universities in the Middle East. Ny I Norge Tekstbok Pdf Creator. LAU also offers an architecture degree equivalent to the French DEA, allowing graduates to practice in the European Union. [ ] Beirut is also home to the,, (ESA), (BAU), Haigazian University (HU), (LIU), as well as the (NDU), (ULS).

Notre Dame University (NDU)'s degrees are becoming more and more valuable with time. NDU received its accreditation from NIASC in 2015.

The Directorate General of Higher Education is responsible for managing the university colleges, university institutes and universities in Beirut and nationwide. Among the private secondary schools in Beirut are,,,,,,, College Melkart,,,,,,,,,, and the Armenian. The city's renovated airport is the, located in the southern suburbs. The, one of the largest and most commercial in the eastern Mediterranean, is another port of entry. As a final destination, Lebanon can be reached by ferry from Cyprus via the nearby city of Jounieh or by road from Damascus via the Beqaa valley in the east. Beirut has frequent bus connections to other cities in Lebanon and major such as Homs and its capital Damascus.

There are a number of different companies providing public transport in Lebanon. The publicly owned buses are managed by (OCFTC – 'Railway and Public Transportation Authority'). Buses for northern destinations and Syria leave from Charles Helou Station.

The ministry of transport and public works purchased an extra 250 intra and inter-buses in 2012 to better serve regions outside the capital as well as congestion-choked Beirut, hoping to lessen the use of private cars. [ ] Beirut has also private buses that are provided by the Lebanese Commuting Company. In 2017, Beirut introtuced a bike sharing service in certain areas of the city. The Garden Show & Spring Festival at the The culture of Beirut has evolved under the influence of many different peoples and civilizations, such as Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and French. The law school in downtown Beirut was one of the world's earliest and was considered to be a leading center of legal studies in the.

Beirut hosted the and summits in 2002, and in 2007 it hosted the ceremony for the, which rewards outstanding francophone journalists every year. The city also hosted the in 2009.

In the same year it was proclaimed World Book Capital by UNESCO. Beirut has also been called the 'party capital of the Arab world'. Has an international reputation among clubbers, and in districts such as Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael have emerged as new hotspots for bar patrons and clubbers, as well as 'The Alleyway' in. Shopping mall There are hundreds of art galleries in Beirut and its suburbs. Every year hundreds of fine art students graduate from universities and institutions.

Artist workshops exist all over Lebanon. The inauguration of the, a non-profit association, space and platform dedicated to contemporary art in Lebanon, in the Mkalles suburb of Beirut added to the number of exhibition spaces available in the city, with a screening and performance room, mediatheque, bookstore, cafe and terrace.

Adjacent to the latter is the Home Workspace, a venue hosting cultural events and educational programs. A number of international fashion designers [ ] have displayed their work in big fashion shows. Most major fashion labels have shops in Beirut's shopping districts, and the city is home to a number of local fashion designers, some of whom like, Yara Farhat,,,, Georges Hobeika, Jean Faris, Nicolas Jebran, and have achieved international fame.

Beirut is also the home for a dynamic scene that has developed after the, one of the most notable street artists is who is known to produce the largest murals on the walls of Beirut in areas such as,, Verdun and. Twin towns and sister cities [ ].