Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, a Mediterranean port of mosques, churches, Ottoman and French-mandate architecture, museums, corniche promenades and one of the Arab world's best food scenes. In October 2026 it is also a city under very restrictive government travel advisories (US Level 4 Do Not Travel; Canada avoid all travel; Australia do not travel; UK against all travel to parts of the city), so this guide leads with the security picture and then covers what is open, where to stay and eat, and how to get around.
Beirut is one of the world's oldest cities, a Phoenician port that became a Roman law centre, an Ottoman trading town and the modern capital of Lebanon. Its story is told in the National Museum, the Roman Baths, the churches and mosque of Downtown, and the bullet-scarred walls of Beit Beirut.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Beirut.
-
1
Berytus settled
A Canaanite and later Phoenician port town grows on the headland, first recorded in the Amarna letters of the 14th century BCE.
-
2
Roman rule
Pompey annexes the coast; Beirut becomes the Roman colony Julia Augusta Felix Berytus with baths, forum and a renowned law school.
-
3
Earthquake and tsunami
A massive earthquake destroys much of Berytus and ends its law school's golden age.
-
4
Arab conquest
Muslim armies take Beirut, which remains a modest Mediterranean port under successive caliphates.
-
5
Crusader capture
Baldwin I takes Beirut; the city changes hands with Saladin in 1187 and returns to the Crusaders until Mamluk conquest in 1291.
-
6
Ottoman rule begins
The Ottomans take Beirut; Druze emirs and later Ottoman governors shape its growth as a trading port.
-
7
French Mandate
Greater Lebanon is declared with Beirut as its capital; French planners lay out Place de l'Etoile and Nijmeh Square.
-
8
Independence
Lebanon gains independence with the National Pact power-sharing agreement; Beirut becomes the region's banking and publishing hub.
-
9
Civil war
The Green Line divides the city; Downtown, the Souks and many neighbourhoods are destroyed.
-
10
Port explosion
A blast at the port kills over 200 people and devastates Gemmayzeh, Mar Mikhael and Achrafieh; reconstruction continues, followed by conflict damage in 2024.
Historical eras
The chapters of Beirut's past.
Phoenician Beirut
A Canaanite and Phoenician port town.
Roman and Byzantine Berytus
A Roman colony with a famed law school and baths.
Arab, Crusader and Mamluk Beirut
A coastal fortress town changing hands between powers.
Ottoman Beirut
A growing trading port and provincial capital.
Mandate and modern Beirut
Capital of independent Lebanon, divided by the 1975 to 1990 civil war and rebuilt after.
Historical sites
Places where Beirut's past comes alive.
Beirut Roman Baths
Excavated Roman bath complex with hypocaust floors, visible from the Garden of Forgiveness.
Where: Downtown Beirut
Admission: Free
Saint George Maronite Cathedral
Domed Maronite cathedral built in the early 20th century beside the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque.
Where: Downtown Beirut
Admission: Free
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
Ottoman-style mosque completed in 2007, commissioned by Rafic Hariri.
Where: Downtown Beirut
Admission: Free
Martyrs' Square
Historic central square named for nationalists executed in 1916, with a bullet-scarred monument.
Where: Downtown Beirut
Admission: Free
Beit Beirut
Bullet-scarred 1920s Barakat Building preserved as a memory museum and cultural centre.
Where: Sodeco
Admission: Varies
National Museum of Beirut
Lebanon's main archaeology museum with the Ahiram sarcophagus. Open Tuesday to Sunday; closed Mondays.
Where: Mathaf
Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Greek Orthodox cathedral built in 1767 on Byzantine and Roman foundations beside Nijmeh Square.
Where: Downtown Beirut
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Beirut's story.
National Museum of Beirut
Lebanon's main archaeology museum with the Ahiram sarcophagus. Open Tuesday to Sunday; closed Mondays.
American University of Beirut Archaeological Museum
Founded in 1868, a compact archaeology museum on the AUB campus with Phoenician glass and sarcophagi.
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Self-guided Downtown Beirut heritage walk
A free route linking Martyrs' Square, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, Saint George cathedrals, the Roman Baths and the Souks. It takes about two hours on foot with a map app.
Self-guided Achrafieh and Gemmayzeh walk
A free route from the Sursock Museum down the Saint Nicolas Stairs to Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, past restored Ottoman and French Mandate houses. It takes two to three hours on foot.