Beiteddine Palace

Emir Bashir II of the Shihab dynasty, who later became the ruler of the Mount Lebanon Emirate, built the palace between 1788 and 1818 at the site of the Druze hermitage. After 1840, the palace was used by the Ottomans as a government building. During the French Mandate it served as a local administrative office. In 1943, the palace was declared the president's official summer residence. During the Lebanese Civil War it was heavily damaged. Parts of the palace are today open to the public while the rest is still the president's summer residence. A gathering of troops here for an incursion into Syria under Ibrahim Pasha is recorded in the notes to Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration to an engraving of a painting (showing the palace) by William Henry Bartlett in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839. UNESCO gave the palace enhanced protection during the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon to safeguard against damage; it was one of 34 cultural sites to receive enhanced protection. ==Description==

The Beiteddine Palace is recognized as a fine illustration of Lebanese architecture from the early 19th century, with notable Italian influences. These rooms served as offices and receptions salons. At the far end of this courtyard rise the private apartments, Dar el Harim, composed of a large and richly decorated façade, the Upper Harem, the selamlik, the Lower Harem and the kitchens. At the northern edge of the Dar El Harim section is the hammam. Beyond the hammam is the tree-shaded tomb of Emir Bashir Shehab II and his first wife. ==Gallery==

File:Palais de Beiteddine - Vue d'un salon 1.JPG|Latticework balcony closed in by intricate woodwork File:Palais de Beiteddine - Vue d'un salon 3.JPG|Carved cedar wood File:Beiteddine Palace.jpg|Internal Hall File:BeiteddineHammam.jpg|Baths File:Interview of the Revd. Lewis Way, with the Emir of Mt. Lebanon.jpg|Interview of the Revd. Lewis Way, with the Emir of Mt. Lebanon, by Albert Way (1823) File:1839-13-Beteddein, Palace of the Prince of the Druses.png|Beteddein, Palace of the Prince of the Druses, Artist: W. H. Bartlett - Engraved by: W. Floyd (1838) ==References==