Going Downtown in Beirut – in Lebanon
November 6, 2009 by HeatherCowper
The Downtown area of Beirut is the place to wander of an evening in central Beirut and stop for a drink or a meal. The area is a relatively small area of streets and squares which have been made into a showcase or smart shops and restaurants and a place where Lebanese families like to go to eat out.
Nightlife in the Downtown area of Beirut
Unlike some of the nearby neighbourhoods, this area has been renovated and spruced up within an inch of it’s life and the streets are mostly pedestrianised. It could almast be any Spanish or Mediterranean piazza, except for the fact you have to walk past the soldiers’ checkpoint to get into the area, which is a little incongruous, but part of daily life in Lebanon. These buildings are old, yet sparkling new in an almost Disney way.
The Clocktower in Downtown Beirut
After our road trip tour of Lebanon I went out there with my friend and we ended up eating in a very smart Italian restaurant whith a great view of the Blue Mosque from our table. Again, a little incongruous to be offered a grind of pepper from the waiter in the Middle East – but that’s Beirut all over – stylish and cosmopolitan with plenty of glitz thrown in.
The Blue Mosque in Downtown Beirut
This post is part of Photo Friday hosted at Delicious Baby - to see all the other Photo Fridays head over here.
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Angela K. Nickerson on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 12:17 am
That mosque is amazing! Gorgeous shot!
jessiev on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 4:23 pm
gorgeous photos!! it seems like a very cool place to visit. thanks!
maria on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 6:10 pm
I love the pictures and the shot of the Blue Mosque is pretty special! Thanks for sharing.
Mara on Sun, 8th Nov 2009 12:08 am
When I spent my junior year in Paris one of my best friends was from Beirut – I’ve wanted to visit ever since. These are lovely photos.
Fly Girl on Sun, 8th Nov 2009 3:34 pm
Lovely shots. I love downtown plazas like these. It looks really charming.
MJ’s Travel Favorites 11-8-09 | Traveling with MJ on Sun, 8th Nov 2009 3:38 pm
[...] Heather on her Travels has a nice profile, with accompanying photos, of nightlife in Beirut. [...]
Dominique on Sun, 8th Nov 2009 5:38 pm
Wow! This offers a different view from what I’d expect. Thanks for sharing some really beautiful images of Beirut.
Mark H on Tue, 10th Nov 2009 12:13 am
I’d never conjure up images like this if someone said the word “Beirut”. Very European indeed.
Donna Hull on Thu, 12th Nov 2009 1:01 am
Love the photos. Makes me want to visit. I’ve always heard that Beirut was the Paris of the Middle East.
Gourmantic on Tue, 17th Nov 2009 12:10 am
Downtown Beirut has undergone such a change since it has been rebuilt that you could be mistaken for being in Europe. I like the change but can’t help but feel the old place had more character.
Anil on Thu, 19th Nov 2009 12:12 am
Reminds me of Istiklal caddessi (avenue) in Istanbul.
Road Block etiquette in Lebanon | Heather on her travels on Fri, 30th Apr 2010 7:35 am
[...] to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!If you visit Lebanon, you’ll probably be wowed by the buzzy atmosphere of Beirut, get lost in the Souks of Sidon or love the gorgeous mountain scenery on the Lebanon mountain [...]