National Museum of Beirut, Beirut (must see)

The National Museum of Beirut, Lebanon's premier archaeology museum, has played a crucial role in preserving the nation's rich historical tapestry. The museum's journey began shortly after World War I and officially opened its doors in 1942, showcasing a vast array of antiquities and medieval finds primarily sourced from excavations by the Directorate General of Antiquities. It now holds a comprehensive collection that includes approximately 100,000 objects.

During the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, the museum found itself in a precarious position on the front lines of the conflict, leading to significant damage to both its Egyptian Revival-style building and its precious contents. However, thanks to swift preemptive actions, many artifacts were preserved from destruction.

After extensive renovations, the National Museum of Beirut has been restored to its former glory. It now displays about 1,300 artifacts, with items dating from prehistoric times through to the medieval Mamluk period. This represents a small, yet significant, portion of its entire collection.

The genesis of the museum's collection traces back to 1919, with an initial exhibition of artifacts collected by Raymond Weill, a French officer. The collection expanded under the guidance of several directors of antiquity who added significant finds from various archaeological digs around Lebanon, such as those in Saida, Tyre, and Byblos.

The museum itself, a product of French-inspired Egyptian Revival architecture, was designed by architects Antoine Nahas and Pierre Leprince-Ringuet. Built from Lebanese ochre limestone, it covers an area of 5,500 square meters, with the exhibition spaces alone spanning 6,000 square meters. The design incorporates a basement, ground floor, mezzanine, and terrace, with a central glass roof providing natural light.

Currently, the museum's exhibits are arranged in a chronological circuit that spans from prehistory to the Ottoman era. The layout starts on the ground floor, where large items such as sarcophagi and mosaics are displayed, while the upper floors house smaller and medium-sized artifacts. These are meticulously arranged by both chronological order and theme within modern showcases that feature soft lighting and magnifying glasses to enhance the aesthetic appreciation of each piece.