Architecture of Lebanon

Baalbeck is counted as one of the Roman treasures in Lebanon, and is home to many ancient Roman temples built at the end of the third millennium B.C. The city was referred to as the city of the sun (Heliopolis) by the Greeks. The temples have faced theft, earthquakes and civil wars and wear. French, German and Lebanese archaeologists rebuilt the temples. In 1984, Baalbek was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. They are described as being “the finest example of imperial Roman architecture” . The Jupiter temple is a six Corinthian columns of the great temple, and it is a 22 meters high column built on a podium. In this Temple, only six columns remain out of the 54 massive columns that originally surrounded the sanctuary. The little temple is found near the Jupiter Temple is known as the Temple of Bacchus and it was built in the second century A.D. Finally, it is considered to be the best preserved Roman temple of its size. == Castles ==

Lebanon is known for its many stone castles. • Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles • Castle of Tyre • Tebnine Castle • Beaufort Castle • Byblos Castle • Moussa Castle • Mseilha Fort • Sea Castle == Cities ==

Byblos Byblos is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, tracing back to around 8800 years B.C. The castle in Byblos, surrounded by a moat, was built by the Crusaders from indigenous limestone and the remains of Roman structures. Saladin captured the town and castle in 1188 and partially dismantled the walls in 1190. Later, the Crusaders recaptured Byblos and rebuilt the fortifications of the castle in 1197. Sidon Sidon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Lebanon, due largely to its historical sites. The two main cultural influences on Sidon were the Egyptian Pharaohs and the Greeks. The city is known for the castle of Sidon which is a castle on the sea that was built in 1228 by Crusaders. The castle was built on the remains of a Phoenician shrine dedicated to the God Melkart. This castle's location falls on an island in the Lebanese city of Saida, it is about 80 meters from the beach, linked by bridge building on a rocky nine barrages. The roof is usually used for sightseeing providing an exquisite view of the port and the old remains of the city. The city Sidon by itself has become a touristic destination because of its value in the history of the country as a whole and for the beauty of its architecture. Beirut , Downtown BeirutArchaeological artifacts show Beirut was settled back to the Iron Age. The toll road to Damascus was constructed in 1863, Orozdi Bek Department store in 1900, and the Arts and Crafts School in 1914. ==Religious architecture==

Roman temples include the Temples of Baalbek, and ancient temples in Niha. There Are also a few Ancient Phoenician Temples for example The Temple Of Eshmun, which is dedicated to the Phoenician God Eshmun, The God of Healing. It is located near the Awali river, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northeast of Sidon in southwestern Lebanon. There are thousands of churches in Lebanon that include but are not limited to: Saint George Maronite Cathedral of Beirut, Saint Louis Cathedral, Beirut, Saint George Maronite Cathedral, Beirut, Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Bzoummar, and St. Elie and St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Cathedral. Deir el Qamar is home to a former synagogue. (Deir el Qamar Synagogue) ==19th century==

The Beit ed-Dine palace complex was built by Amir Bechir El-Chehab II in the early 19th century. The palace entrance leads through the gates into an open space. This area was originally used for cavalry practices and for celebrations, which were attended by the public, visitors and important people of that time. The palace complex is now a museum with pictures, transcripts and documents including a collection of ancient pottery. It also contains a collection of Romanian gold jewelry, Islamic glazed wares, ethnographic objects, and ancient and modern weapons. Major building projects during Ottoman times included the Grand Serail (1853), an Ottoman Bank (1856, closed 1921), Capucine St. Louise (1863), Petit Serail (1884), Beirut train station (1895), Ottoman Clock Tower (1898) and an Ottoman department store (1900). Outside the city walls, Syrian Protestant College (which became American University of Beirut in 1920) opened in 1866. In 1883 the Jesuits also opened a university on the city's edge (Saint Joseph University). New primary and secondary schools were also established. ==20th century and Classical architecture to Modernism==

20th century architecture in Lebanon included the period of the French Mandate (1918–1943) and independent periods. Lebanon and Beirut in particular has seen large scale developments in recent decades, especially after the civil war ended. Swiss architect Addor et Juilliard designed the Central Bank building. Maurice Hindieh designed the Ministry of Defense building (1965) and Andre Wogenscky Lebanese University (1960s). The Museum of the Resistance is in Mleeta. Artisans House (1963) in Ain-Mreisseh and Electricite du Liban headquarters in Beirut. Monastery of Unity in Yarze, School of Ain Najm, and SNA-Assurances headquarters (1970) in Beirut are other modernist examples. ==Contemporary architecture==

International architecture firms have also played a role and 21st century projects include the New Beirut Souks by Rafael Moneo, Hariri Memorial Garden and Zaitunay Bay. The Arab Center for Architecture (ACA) was established in Beirut in 2008. VJAA designed the Charles Hostler Center (2008) in Beirut. ==Residential architecture==

The first residential houses in Lebanon were the Phoenician houses. They were bricks and the roofs where always formed from massive rocky segments. The perception deriving the method of building a house met some changes after the third millennium BC when the walls of the houses increased in height, some houses were built with stones, others remained rectangular and all increased in dimensions. The exterior and the interior walls where covered sometimes with mud. Lebanese houses incorporated the rules of the Ottoman Empire and the exit of the French mandate. ==Architects==

Prominent architects who worked in Lebanon include: • Bechara Affendi, an Armenian-Lebanese architect who designed Petit Serail, Menchiyyeh and the Police and Internal Security Headquarters (demolished in the early 1990s) British Bank in Beirut and basilica at Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, Lebanon. • Joseph Philippe Karam • Zaha Hadid American University in Beirut buildings • Other architects who have helped shape Lebanon include Khalil Khoury (1929–2008), his brother Georges Khoury (1933–), Gregoire Serof, Raoul Verney, Jacques Liger-Belair, Pierre Neema, Antoine Romanos, Pierre Neema, Karl Cheyer, Fritz Gotthelf, Bahij Makdisi, Habib Debs, Jad Tabet, Jalal El-Ali, and Wassek Adib. ==See also==