Beirut
The name Beirut first appeared in three Akkadian cuneiform tablets known as the Amarna letters during the 14th century BC. King Ammunira of Biruta sent these messages to Egypt, marking the earliest written record of the city. The Phoenician word bērūt meant wells, referring to the site's accessible water table that supported early settlement. Archaeologists have uncovered flint tools from sequential periods dating from the Middle Palaeolithic through the Neolithic era within the urban area. Excavations at sites like Minet el-Hosn revealed Mousterian industry held by the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. Another site called Umm el-Khatib showed a Copper Age flint industry discovered around 1900 feet above sea level before being destroyed by construction in 1948. The channel separating the original island settlement from the banks silted up over millennia, transforming the geography permanently.
Diodotus Tryphon destroyed the Phoenician city in 140 BC during his conflict with Antiochus VII Sidetes for the Seleucid throne. Roman general Pompey conquered Laodicea in 64 BC and restored the name Berytus to the site. Emperor Augustus established two legions there: the 5th Macedonian and the 3rd Gallic Legions. The city became the only mainly Latin-speaking area in the Syria-Phoenicia province under Roman rule. A famous law school taught jurists Papinian and Ulpian until an earthquake struck in 551 AD. That disaster killed approximately 30,000 people in Berytus alone and forced students to relocate to Sidon. Muslim forces conquered Beirut in 635, making it as important as Acre during the Middle Ages. Saladin captured the town in 1187 while Henry I of Brabant recaptured it in 1197 as part of the German Crusade. John of Ibelin rebuilt the city after destruction by the Ayyubids and constructed the House of Ibelin palace in 1204.
The Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975 dividing Beirut between a Muslim west and Christian east. About 60,000 people died in the first two years of fighting from 1975 to 1976. Syrian troops shelled Achrafiyeh relentlessly during a three-month campaign known as the Hundred Days' War in 1978. Israeli troops besieged most of West Beirut during the 1982 Lebanon War. French and US barracks were bombed in 1983 killing 241 American servicemen and 58 French servicemen alongside six civilians. Fighting destroyed parts of East Beirut between 1989 and 1990 between Lebanese army units loyal to General Aoun and Samir Geagea's forces. Solidere developed downtown Beirut starting in 1994 under Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The company became a de facto municipality enforcing strict urbanization laws that forbade residents from renovating their own properties. Many traditional shops were replaced by luxury outlets affordable only to few people while promised public spaces like The Garden of Forgiveness remain unfinished today.
Israeli bombardment damaged many parts of Beirut during the 2006 Lebanon War targeting predominantly Shiite southern suburbs. On the 12th of July 2006 Hezbollah carried out Operation Truthful Promise ending with eight Israeli deaths and six injuries. A car bomb killed eight people including Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan on the 19th of October 2012 in Achrafiyeh. Two suicide bombers detonated explosives outside a mosque and inside a bakery on the 11th of November 2015 killing 43 people and injuring 200. Islamic State claimed responsibility for those attacks. A massive explosion occurred at the Port of Beirut on the 4th of August 2020 caused by government-confiscated ammonium nitrate. At least 203 people died with three missing while more than 6,500 were wounded. As many as 300,000 people became homeless after the blast. Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned on the 10th of August 2020 following protests calling for an end to alleged negligence. A huge fire erupted weeks later in September 2020 within the port's duty-free zone.
Beirut serves as Lebanon's seat of government hosting Banque du Liban and the Beirut Stock Exchange. The banking system held a balance sheet of $152 billion at the end of 2012 nearing 3.5 times the GDP estimated at $43 billion by the IMF. Bank deposits increased in 2012 by 8 percent reaching 125 billion dollars representing 82 percent of the sector's assets. Foreign reserves reached $32.5 billion in 2011 allowing the Central Bank to cover nearly 80 percent of the Lebanese currency in the market. A banking secrecy law passed on the 3rd of September 1956 subjected all banks established in Lebanon to professional confidentiality requirements. Decree No. 29 established a free banking zone on the 1st of April 1975 exempting non-residents from income tax on interest earned. Four of Beirut's five leading banks were French-owned by the 1920s after World War I. Lebanon-based banks became main recipients of petrodollars during the oil boom starting in the 1960s.
The National Museum of Beirut holds about 1,300 exhibits ranging from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period. Sursock Museum was built by Nicolas Sursock at the end of the 19th century as a private villa before being donated to the state. The Robert Mouawad Private Museum near Beirut's Grand Serail displays Henri Pharaon's collection of archaeology and antiques. Mim Museum opened its doors in October 2013 displaying some 2,000 minerals from more than 70 countries. Rue Monnot gained international reputation among clubbers while Rue Gouraud emerged as a hotspot for bar patrons in Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael districts. Hundreds of art galleries operate throughout Beirut with artist workshops existing all over Lebanon. The Beirut Art Center inaugurated in Mkalles suburb added exhibition spaces including a screening room and book store. International fashion designers like Elie Saab and Yara Farhat have shops in Beirut's shopping districts. Street artists such as Yazan Halwani produce large murals on walls in areas like Gemmayzeh and Hamra. Beirut hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1959 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2000.
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Common questions
When did the name Beirut first appear in written records?
The name Beirut first appeared during the 14th century BC on three Akkadian cuneiform tablets known as the Amarna letters. King Ammunira of Biruta sent these messages to Egypt, marking the earliest written record of the city.
What happened to Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1976?
About 60,000 people died in the first two years of fighting from 1975 to 1976 when the war divided Beirut between a Muslim west and Christian east. Syrian troops shelled Achrafiyeh relentlessly during a three-month campaign known as the Hundred Days' War in 1978.
How many people died in the Port of Beirut explosion on the 4th of August 2020?
At least 203 people died with three missing while more than 6,500 were wounded after a massive explosion occurred at the Port of Beirut on the 4th of August 2020. As many as 300,000 people became homeless after the blast caused by government-confiscated ammonium nitrate.
When was banking secrecy law passed in Lebanon regarding Beirut banks?
A banking secrecy law passed on the 3rd of September 1956 subjected all banks established in Lebanon to professional confidentiality requirements. Decree No. 29 established a free banking zone on the 1st of April 1975 exempting non-residents from income tax on interest earned.
Which museums are located in Beirut and what do they hold?
The National Museum of Beirut holds about 1,300 exhibits ranging from prehistoric times to the medieval Mamluk period. The Sursock Museum was built by Nicolas Sursock at the end of the 19th century before being donated to the state, and the Mim Museum opened its doors in October 2013 displaying some 2,000 minerals from more than 70 countries.