Must see attractions in Beirut

Located on the former Green Line, this is Beirut's major cultural institution. Its impressive, magnificently displayed collection of archaeological…

Under the St Joseph university, this atmospheric and beautifully designed museum presents an extraordinary collection of exquisitely selected and…

When a bomb fell on the Orthodox cathedral in 1975, the only silver lining was that it revealed these ruins beneath. Though the area is small, an…

This privately owned contemporary-art museum is housed in a 1912 mansion located in one of Achrafiyeh's most attractive streets. After a major facelift…

Now the city's major landmark, this huge, striking amber-coloured blue-domed mosque near Martyrs Sq was opened in 2008 and has four minarets standing 65m…

Luna Park is a rickety old amusement park, with all the attendant charms and nuisances, at which most Western tourists turn up their noses. Bypass the…

These limestone outcrops just offshore are prime selfie territory and a Beirut landmark. They are impressive; one has an archway eroded through it. A…

The world would be a poorer place if it didn't host idiosyncratic cultural institutions such as this one. Conceived and funded by jeweller and collector…

The AUB Museum was founded in 1868 and is one of the oldest in the Middle East. On permanent display is its collection of Lebanese and Middle Eastern…

The Aïshti Foundation is a combination of seemingly strange bedfellows. On one hand, it’s a high-end mall aimed at people who have a few grand to spend on…

This activity centre and interactive science museum in the Souks shopping arcades is aimed at young children and offers a science museum that's very hands…

The large and verdant Horsh Beirut could be the city's version of Central Park, but opening hours are irregular to the point of arbitrary, and it’s manned…

The IFI holds the distinction of being the only Zaha Hadid-designed building in Beirut. The structure is distinctive in appearance too: it’s a…

Built in the 12th century as the Church of John the Baptist of the Knights Hospitaller, this attractive building was converted into a mosque in 1291. It…

One of the last remaining Beirut manor houses from the Ottoman era, Sursock Palace stands behind high gates across from the Sursock Museum (the Sursock…

A very well-maintained public park with soothing greenery and water, this has playground equipment for the kids to let off steam, and plenty of paved…

Housed in a gorgeous 1930s villa, Dar El Nimer features rotating art exhibits and an impressive permanent collection including decorative arts, glass,…

Conceptualised as a museum dedicated to the memory of Beirut, Beit Beirut started off as the stately home of the Barakat family in the 1920s and was then…

One of the Middle East’s most prestigious and expensive universities, the AUB was founded in 1866 by American Protestant missionary Daniel Bliss. Spread…

This was built in 1767 and is one of the oldest buildings in the city. In 1975, during the civil war, a bomb fell here and unearthed the ruins of a…