History of Beirut

Beirut’s history has seen many different ruling powers and significant periods of conflict. The city first became prominent during Roman times and continued to play a role as a major trading port under Arab and then Ottoman rule.

Following independence from France after WWII, Beirut began to thrive and became the intellectual and cultural hub of the Middle East. A bitter civil conflict checked this, but during the 1990s, Beirut began to regain its position and has once again become a popular tourist destination.

Birth of the city

The city of Beirut was built on the rocky coast towards the centre of the country, and it has a rich and interesting history. The earliest known name of the city was Birot, which means ‘well’ or ‘source’, and the settlement slowly began to become more influential during the first millennium BC.

But, it was during Roman times that it became a significant port as well as a cultural centre. Under the Roman dynasty of Herod the Great, Beirut gained a reputation for its school of law, and two of Rome’s most famous legal minds taught here. However, the huge earthquake of 551 AD saw a significant change and the law students were transferred to Sidon.

Arab and Ottoman rule

The earthquake was so destructive that the Arab invaders of 635 AD found little to suggest earlier development had taken place. The city was conquered during the First Crusade in 1110, and changed hands again in 1187, when the sultan of Egypt and Syria took control of the city.

The city was a significant port on the spice and silk trade, and its fortunes mirrored the trading patterns. After 1516, the region was technically part of the Ottoman Empire, but in reality, Beirut was ruled by a number of local leaders. The city began to develop significantly and by the 19th century, it was the intellectual centre of the Arab world.

Economic development

Beirut remained part of the Ottoman Empire until the end of WWI, and was then granted to France by the League of Nations, soon becoming capital of the State of Greater Lebanon. Lebanon became an independent republic in 1943, and by 1946, the French had completely withdrawn from the city. The city began to acquire great wealth, but also significant urban poverty, particularly after the first Arab-Israeli war, when many Palestinians entered Beirut as refugees.

Civil War

Civil War erupted in Lebanon in 1975, and Beirut became a divided city and the services in the city began to collapse, with water and electricity supplies becoming unreliable. In the 1982 war with Israel, the Israelis pursued the PLO in Beirut and there was further destruction to the city. Civil conflict continued in Beirut right up until 1990, when the end of the Civil War saw Beirut begin to regain its status as a potential tourist destination, and the cultural and intellectual heart of the Middle East.

Conflict between Israel and Lebanon erupted again in July 2006, before a UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in August of the same year. It remains to be seen what the long-term effects of this conflict will be for the Beirut tourist industry.