13 lesser-known historical facts about Lebanon
1 Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is located in Lebanon.
2 The Phoenicians, an ancient seafaring civilization, originated in what is now Lebanon.
3 The city of Tyre was a major Phoenician seaport and trade center.
4 The Cedars of Lebanon were highly prized in antiquity for their quality timber.
5 The Roman temples of Baalbek are among the largest and best-preserved Roman ruins.
6 Saint Maron, the founder of the Maronite Church, was a 4th-century monk from Lebanon.
7 The Druze community, a religious group with roots in Islam, has a significant presence in Lebanon.
8 The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) was a complex and devastating conflict involving multiple factions.
9 The Cedar Revolution in 2005 led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
10 Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years, until the end of World War I.
11 The Beirut explosion in 2020 was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.
12 The American University of Beirut, founded in 1866, is one of the leading educational institutions in the Middle East.
13 The Jeita Grotto, a system of limestone caves, is one of Lebanon’s most famous natural attractions.
