Beirut ( Arabic بيروت Bayrūt, Armenian Պէյրութ / Բեյրութ Beyrut, Greek Βηρυττός Bērytós, lat. Berytus , Hebrew ביירות Beirut, aram. בירות Birot, the largest city is Lebanon Beyrouth . Located on a peninsula in the middle of the Lebanese Mediterranean coast , it is the country's largest and main seaport . The Beirut area consists of the capital city and its suburbs.
| City | |||||
| Beirut | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| بيروت | |||||
 | |||||
| |||||
| A country |  Lebanon | ||||
| Region | Beirut | ||||
| Chapter | Abdel Ariss | ||||
| History and Geography | |||||
| First mention | 1500 BC e. (from 3000 BC as a settlement) | ||||
| Square | 20 km² | ||||
| Center height | |||||
| Timezone | UTC + 2 , in summer UTC + 3 | ||||
| Population | |||||
| Population | 361 thousand (UN, 2007) [1] people | ||||
| Density | 18 050 people / km² | ||||
| Agglomeration | 1.9 million | ||||
| Digital identifiers | |||||
| Telephone code | 01 | ||||
| beirut.gov.lb (ar.) (fr.) (eng.) | |||||
Estimates of the population of the city vary from 300 thousand to 2 million people. This is due to the fact that since 1932 no census has been conducted in Beirut [2] .
Beirut is the seat of the Lebanese government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy , with many banks and corporations based in the Central District, Hamra Street, Verdun Street and Ashrafiyah. The city is the center of the cultural life of the region, known for its press, theaters, cultural events and nightclubs.
The first mention of this metropolis can be found in the ancient Egyptian Tell el Amarna Archive , dating from the 15th century BC. The city has been inhabited continuously since then.
After the devastating civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990), Beirut was thoroughly reconstructed [3] [4] [5] , the historical center of the city, the marina area, the area of pubs and night clubs were restored, which once again made it a tourist attraction.
Beirut has a Beta rating as a global city [6] . Beirut was chosen as the best city to visit in The New York Times in 2009 [7] and as one of the ten busiest cities in the world Lonely Planet that year [8] . According to a 2010 study by Mercer , an American global consulting firm, comparing the cost and availability of high-end items such as upscale residential areas and entertainment centers, Beirut became the 4th most expensive city in the Middle East and ranked 15th among goods for the upper strata middle class included in the study [9] . Beirut took the first regional place and 10th place in the world in the 2010 EuroCost International study on the cost of renting high-quality housing [10] [11] . The 2011 MasterCard Index showed that Beirut was the second city in terms of visitor spending in the Middle East and Africa, with a total spending of $ 6.5 billion [12] . Beirut was selected in 2012 by Conde Nast Traveler as the best city in the Middle East. [13]
Climate
Beirut has a Mediterranean climate with typical hot and arid summers and very mild and rainy winters. For Beirut, winter maximum precipitation is especially pronounced compared to other cities with this type of climate.
| Climate of Beirut | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicator | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Absolute maximum, ° C | 27.9 | 30.5 | 36.6 | 39.3 | 39.0 | 40,0 | 40,4 | 39.5 | 37.5 | 37.0 | 33.1 | 30,0 | 40,4 |
| Average maximum, ° C | 17.4 | 17.5 | 19.6 | 22.6 | 25,4 | 27.9 | 30,0 | 30.7 | 29.8 | 27.5 | 23,2 | 19,4 | 24.3 |
| Average temperature, ° C | 14.0 | 14.0 | 16,0 | 18.7 | 21.7 | 24.9 | 27.1 | 27.8 | 26.8 | 24.1 | 19.5 | 15.8 | 20.9 |
| Average minimum ° C | 11.2 | 11.0 | 12.6 | 15,2 | 18.2 | 21.6 | 24.0 | 24.8 | 23.7 | 21.0 | 16.3 | 12.9 | 17.7 |
| Absolute minimum, ° C | 0.8 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 7.6 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 17.0 | 11.1 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 0.2 |
| Precipitation rate, mm | 190.9 | 133.4 | 110.8 | 46.3 | 15.0 | 1,5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2,3 | 60,2 | 100.6 | 163.8 | 825.5 |
| Source: Weather and Climate | |||||||||||||
History
Beirut was first mentioned in the XV century. BC e. under the Phoenician name Phoenician. 𐤁𐤀𐤓𐤕 “Barut”, [14] [15] the settlement existed from about the XXX century BC. e. [16] [17] [18] The city was laid on a vast rocky cape almost in the center of the Mediterranean coast of today's Lebanese territory. The name of the city allegedly comes from the ancient name Birot ("well"). The city for a long time was “in the shadow” of its powerful neighbors, Tire and Sidon , and only in the era of the Roman Empire gained some influence and became famous as a law school, in which the main provisions of the Code of Justinian were developed, which later became the basis of the European legal system.
From ancient times, the city had the glory of the cultural and commercial capital of the region. The pharaohs of Ancient Egypt in the XVIII-XVII centuries BC already used its ports; during the time of Phenicia, the city played an important role in world trade.
Over the following centuries, Beirut regularly paid tribute to the kings of Babylon and Assyria , and in the 1st century BC. e. was turned by the Romans into a military colony. The heyday of the Roman Empire brought the city an unprecedented rise and glory, Beirut becomes the center of Roman culture on the Mediterranean coast and in Syria .
In the year 635 A.D. e. Beirut was captured by the Arabs and was incorporated into the Arab Caliphate . In 1100 it was captured by the Crusaders and in 1516 by the Turks, after which it was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 [19] .
During this period, he remained for a long time in the power of the Druze , whose independent emir Fahr ad-Din II (1595-1634) tried to impose European culture in Beirut. Due to treason, the city fell into the hands of the Turks in 1763. In 1831–40, the city was ruled by the Egyptians and played a large role in the conflicts in the East at that time. The hostile actions of the combined Anglo-Austrian-Turkish fleet against Muhammad Ali in Syria began precisely with the bombing of Beirut on September 10-14 by the English general Stopford. Most of the city was destroyed, and on October 9 Suleiman Pasha captured Beirut as part of the Allied forces.
In 1920 - 1943 - the center of mandated France of Lebanon. In the 20th century, it became the intellectual, cultural, and commercial center of the eastern Mediterranean. Since 1941 - the capital of the independent Lebanese Republic . The exhausting civil war that began in 1975 and the subsequent occupation brought much damage to the city, especially the historical center of Beirut. Currently, the city center is almost restored [3] [4] [5] , city architects are building a new Beirut with high-rise buildings, commercial complexes and cultural centers.
Since 1921, the National Library of Lebanon has been operating in Beirut, which was closed in 1979 as a result of the civil war; since 2000, measures have been taken to restore its activities.
Administrative bodies
In Beirut are the central government bodies of Lebanon:
- President of the Lebanese Republic
- Government of the Lebanese Republic
- Parliament - Unicameral National Assembly of the Lebanese Republic
Administrative Division
Beirut is divided into 12 districts ( quarters ): [20]
- Ashrafiya
- Ain al-Mreissa
- Bahura
- Mazraa
- Medawar
- Blowjob el hosn
- Mussaitbech [21]
- Beirut Port
- Ras Beirut
- Rmail
- Saifi
- Zoukak al-Blat
Quarters, in turn, are divided into sectors [22] .
Two of the 12 official Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are located in the southern suburbs of Beirut: Bourj al-Barazhna and Shatila , and one within the city’s municipal borders: Mar Elias . [23] Of the fifteen unregistered or unofficial refugee camps, the most famous is Sabra , which is located next to Shatila, also in southern Beirut. [24]
The southern suburbs of Beirut include: Shiah , Ghobeir ( Bir Hassan , Jnah and Uzay are part of the municipality of Ghobeir), Haret Hrake , Bourj al-Barazhna , Lailak Mrayeh , Hey al-Sullim and Hadas . Eastern suburbs include: Bourges Hammoud , Sin el-Fil , Dekvayne and Mkallu . Hazme is also considered an eastern suburb, but it is actually included in the capital.
Sport
In the Lebanese capital, the Mediterranean Games were held in 1959 , the FIBA Asian Champions Cup in 1999 , 2000 , 2012 , the Asian Football Cup in 2000 , the FIBA Asian Cup in 2010 . Beirut was the venue for the 6th annual Francophone Games in 2009 . The Beirut also hosted the Pan-Arab Games in 1957, 1997 and 2015.
Religion
Beirut is one of the most cosmopolitan and religiously diverse cities in Lebanon and the entire Middle East [25] . The city has significant Muslim and Christian communities. There are nine major religious groups in Beirut: Maronite Catholic , Greek Orthodox , Greek Catholic , Armenian Apostolic , Armenian Catholic , Protestant , Sunni Muslim , Shiite Muslim , Jewish and Druze .
In the general election in 2009, out of the 435,462 people who voted in Beirut, they belonged to various religious groups (the elections in Lebanon are held on a confessional basis, therefore, indicating the confession is mandatory):
- 192,910 ( 45% ) - Sunnis ,
- 171,507 ( 39% ) - Christians ( including: 11% - Armenian Apostolic Church, 10% - Greek Orthodox Church, 6% - Maronite Catholic Church, 5% - other Christian churches, 4% - Greek Catholic church, 2% - Armenian Catholic Church, 1% - Protestant churches ),
- 60.202 ( 14% ) - Shiites ,
- 5,374 ( 1% ) - Jews ( most of Mizrahi ),
- 5.251 ( 1% ) - Druze ,
- 218 - Alavites .
Jewish synagogue Magen Abraham , restored in 2010, in Beirut downtown
St. George's Maronite Cathedral and Mohammad al-Amin Mosque side by side in the center of Beirut
Armenian Catholic Cathedral Gregory the Illuminator in the center of Beirut
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. George in the center of Beirut
Twin Cities
- Athens , Greece
- Buenos Aires , Argentina
- Vitoria , Brazil
- Dubai , UAE
- Yerevan , Armenia
- Isfahan , Iran
- Cairo , Egypt
- Los Angeles , USA
- Montreal Canada
- Nicosia , Cyprus
- Paris , France (partner city)
- Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
- Sao paulo brazil
- Istanbul , Turkey
Notes
- ↑ Lebanon, 2007-2008 "Lebanon 2007 Total Both Sexes BEIRUT City proper Sample survey - de facto Final figure, complete 2008 361.366"
- ↑ Beirut
- ↑ 1 2 Reconstruction of Beirut , Macalester College
- ↑ 1 2 Lebanon's Reconstruction: A Work in Progress , VOA News
- ↑ 1 2 Beirut: Between Memory and Desire . Archived March 3, 2016. Worldview
- ↑ GAWC World Cities - The World's Most Important Cities (link not available) . Diserio.com Date of treatment March 26, 2013. Archived February 22, 2010.
- ↑ The 44 Places to Go in 2009 - Interactive Graphic . The New York Times (January 11, 2009). Date of treatment May 5, 2009. Archived April 22, 2009.
- ↑ Beirut Travel Information and Travel Guide - Lebanon . Lonely Planet (March 24, 2009). Date of treatment May 5, 2009. Archived May 24, 2009.
- ↑ Beirut ranked 4th most expensive Mideast city | Business, Lebanon . The Daily Star (July 18, 2011). Date of treatment March 26, 2013.
- ↑ Beirut No. 1 expensive city in the Middle East “Beirut The Only Way It Should Be, NightLife, Clubbing, Events, DineOut, Concerts, Festivals, Clubs, Pubs, Bars, Hotels, Restaurants, Lifestyle, Music, Fashion . Beirutnightlife.com (September 24, 2010). Date of treatment March 26, 2013.
- ↑ Worldwide expats rent prices ranking 2010 (unavailable link) . Eurocost.com. Date of treatment March 26, 2013. Archived December 11, 2012.
- ↑ Beirut ranks second for visitor spending in region & 124; Business, Lebanon . The Daily Star (2011-06-20). Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
- ↑ Middle East: Top 5 Cities: Readers' Choice Awards: Condé Nast Traveler . Cntraveler.com (October 16, 2012). Date of treatment March 26, 2013. Archived May 15, 2013.
- ↑ History - Beirut . Archived July 24, 2009. , 999Beirut
- ↑ History of Beirut . Archived January 6, 2009. , Lebanon Links
- ↑ Beirut, city // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron . - SPb. , 1908-1913.
- ↑ Under Beirut's Rubble, Remnants of 5,000 Years of Civilization , The New York Times
- ↑ Profile of Lebanon: History . Archived January 28, 2011. Lebanese Embassy of the US
- ↑ Druze History . Archived March 3, 2016.
- ↑ Beirut's Official Webcite Neopr . Date of treatment April 23, 2008. Archived May 21, 2008.
- ↑ Moussaitbeh
- ↑ Beirut's Official Website . Beirut.gov.lb. Date of treatment May 5, 2009. Archived April 12, 2009.
- ↑ Lebanon refugee camp profiles . UNRWA (December 31, 2006). Date of treatment April 18, 2008. Archived April 9, 2008.
- ↑ Sherifa Shafie. Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon (PDF). Force migration Date of treatment April 18, 2008. Archived on May 28, 2008.
- ↑ At Beirut Protest, a Reminder of Religious Diversity , The New York Times . Retrieved November 17, 2007.
Literature
- Gusterin P.V. Cities of the Arab East. - M .: East-West, 2007 .-- 352 p. - (Encyclopedic reference book). - 2000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-478-00729-4 .
Links
- Russians in Beirut
- Walk in Beirut at mirputeshestvii.ru
- Beirut city guide
- Downtown Beirut