The cultural tourism is a prominent form of tourism, since it is the mirror of the
peoples that reflect the culture of the country tourists are visiting, the social,
architectural and cultural lifestyle of those people and the arts in all the geographical
areas they move in.
Lebanon is one of the culturally richest countries given its ancient history and
the passage of different civilizations in its lands, from the human existence in
the stone age to the Phoenician cities, from the Roman temples to the convents engraved
in the mountains, from the crusader castles to the Mamluk mosques and the Ottoman
public Hammams. All this diversity has made Lebanon a mosaic that combines the Orient
and the Occident and an encyclopedia of the world civilizations.
Lebanon has an age-old history of cultural tourism. It was visited by lots of European
orientalists, scholars and poets who were extremely interested in the oriental Lebanese
habits and culture and wanted to have a close view of the historical monuments,
the archeological sites, the folklore customes and the religious ceremonies or to
go on a pilgrimage to holy places and shrines.
The cultural tourism includes:
Monuments: There are several Greek and Roman ruins, Arab, Byzantine and Crusader
castles and fortresses, historical mosques and churches, ruins of temples, palaces
and streets, pillars, statues, sculptures, sarcophaguses, illustrations, mosaics,
and archaeological finds like tools, jewelry, pottery, weapons and currencies.
Museums: Given the archaeological cultural wealth of Lebanon, which has been accummulated
over thousands of years, the Lebanese museums were establish to conserve this rich
heritage and to be make it available to the public. There are currently many public
museums in Lebanon, in addition to private museums that display the works of Lebanese
craftsmen, artists, authors and intellectuals in whom Lebanon take pride.
Most Important Museums in Lebanon: Lebanese National Museum – AUB Museum - Wonders
of the Sea Museum - Lebanese Museum for Maritime Life and Wild Life - Historical Museum
of Saida - Sidon Soap Museum – Silk Museum - Sursock Museum - Byblos Archaeological
Museum - Baalbeck Museum – Beiteddine Palace Museum - Lebanese Heritage Museum - Wax
Museum - Marie Baz Museum - Celebrity Museum - Gibran Museum – Ameen Rihani Museum -
Mlita Museum which is an outdoor museum about the Lebanese Resistance - etc.
Architectural Heritage: Traditional architecture is part of Lebanon’s identity and
its national wealth. It shows how diverse the traditional architectural works are.
Heritage is an integral part of the social entity for the man-land-stone is the
basis of the traditional architecture which is an expression of the memory of a
people and a land.
Arts:
As the saying goes: “If you want to get to know peoples, their arts speak of them”
Lebanese are known for their different arts and they earned a local and Arab reputation
in singing, music, painting, sculpting, folklore dance, poetry, zajal. They had
also a prominent role in modernizing the Arabic poetry, and were among the regular
spectators of the Arabic Theatre in Egypt. The cinematography in Lebanon is one
the oldest film industries in the Arab world, and dates back to the 1920s, not to
mention other arts mastered by the Lebanese.
Festivals: The Lebanese hold several annual festivals to make known their ancient
cultural traditions. Some are held for one day, while others may last for days or
weeks in the different Lebanese regions. Festivals feature live concerts in which
famous Lebanese, Arab and international artists participate, most important of which:
Tyre International Music Festivals - Beiteddine Festival - Baalbeck International
Festival – Byblos Festivals - Al Bustan International Festival of Music and Performing
Arts - Annual Lebanon Festival of Arabic Poetry in Bint Jbeil - Beirut International
Film Festival - International Heritage and Tourism Festival for Lebanese Emigrants,
etc.
Handicrafts and Traditional Industries, mainly:
Soap: The local soap made of olive oil is one of the traditional produts in Lebanon.
Soap is mainly produced in Koura, Hasbaya, Sidon and Chouf.
Pottery: The date of pottery is still unidentified. But since men discovered the
clay, they knew how important this material than can make “wonders” is. Lebanon
is very rich in clay which is mainly found in Beit Chabab village and the southern
town of Rashaya al Foukhar.
Glassblowing: This trade goes back to the Phoenician period, and the southern village
of Sarafand is best known for this tradition.
Straw Industry: This tradition started long time ago because of the daily use of
straw. This trade is still practiced in Amsheet and in the northern region of Akkar.
Tableware: Such as trays and knives made of silver or copper and inlayed with gold
or silver. They are manufactured in the southern village of Jezzine and are presented
as luxurious gifts to international figures. This tradition started in the 18th
century and is still practiced until this date.
Not to mention the cultural events such as exhibitions and conferences which are
organized periodically.
Our company works on making the cultural tourism a success
thanks to our team who ensures the following requirements, mainly:
- A specialized team of guides and volunteers,
- Shceduled visits to archaeological, cultural and artistic places and museums,
- Distribution of fliers, pamphlets and maps that help tourists better discover
the site they are visiting,
- Luxurious hotel reservation at affordable prices,
- Comfortable transportation,
- And other facilities that make tourists feel home.