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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; background: yellow; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" align="center"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-US">Major Attractions</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="index.php?option=com_jetour&amp;view=otherpages&amp;otpage_id=4"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Beirut</span></a><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab; font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="color: #000000;">|</span> </span><a href="index.php?option=com_jetour&amp;view=otherpages&amp;otpage_id=10"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Mount Lebanon</span></a><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab; font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="color: #000000;">|</span> </span><a href="index.php?option=com_jetour&amp;view=otherpages&amp;otpage_id=11"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">Bekaa</span></a><a href="Template1.aspx?MenuID=107"></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #000000;">|</span> <span style="color: #808080;"><strong>North</strong></span> </span><span style="color: #000000;">|</span> </span></span><a href="index.php?option=com_jetour&amp;view=otherpages&amp;otpage_id=13"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0364ab; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">South</span></a><br /></span></span><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;">Trip<a name="Tripoli"></a>oli:</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br />The ancient city of Tripoli is located in Northern Lebanon. It was founded by the Phoenicians in 800 BC and was named Athar, during the Persian era it became the center of Sidon, Tyre and Arados Island confederation, where Phoenicians met to debate their important affairs, thus became known as Tripoli or "the three cities". The city holds the Fortress of Saint Gilles (Sinjil), built early 12th BC. The castle was remodeled by the Mamluks and Ottomans later. <!--?xml:namespace prefix = u1 ?--></span><br /></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Several Muslim monuments such as the Great Mosque and the Mosque of Taynal (built using elements from ancient and Crusader monuments) are still preserved in Tripoli. It also has khans (caravansary), souks (bazaars), and the famous Assiba Tower which was built by Mamluks in the 15th BC.  </span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Tripoli has 45 buildings registered as historical sites; many of them date from the 14th century.</span><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Qadis<a name="Qadisha_Valley"></a>ha Valley:</span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br />Qadisha, one of the deepest and most beautiful valleys in Lebanon, is indeed a world apart. At the bottom of this wild, steep-sided gorge runs the Qadisha River, whose source is in the Qadisha Grotto at the foot of the Cedars. Above the valley and famous Cedar grove towers Qornet Es-Saouda, Lebanon's highest peak.</span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">The Qadisha Valley begins at Bcharré village, which marks the start of a deep geological fault whose extending valleys reach out of sight. All the accumulated water from these smaller valleys flows into the Qadisha River, which runs through the valley towards Tripoli and the sea. At Tripoli, the name of this river changes to the Abou Ali River. The name Abou Ali is related to the name Fakhr el Mulk Abi Ali Ibn Ammar, who was the last Emir of Tripoli during the Fatimid period at the dawn of the Crusades.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br />The Qadisha Valley houses some of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Rock-cut chapels, grottoes, and hermitages, many painted with frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, are tucked into the steep walls. Among the notable monasteries located in the valley are the Monastery of Mar Antonios Qozhaya, the Monastery of Saydet Haouqa, the Monastery of Qannoubine, and the Monastery of Mar Elisha.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Qannou<a name="Qannoubine_Valley"></a>bine Valley:<br /></span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br />The valley of Qannoubine begins at an altitude of 900 meters and finally reaches 1,900 up on the slope of Qornet es-Sawda. It is indeed a holy valley, one where every rock, stone, pebble, trunk, tree and grain of earth bears the imprints of a great past civilization, that of the cenobia where cenobite monks lived in small communities, whereas the hermits lived alone.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /></span><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Becha<a name="Becharre"></a>rre:</span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br />At an elevation of 1,400m, the pristine village of Bcharre commands a prime spot overlooking the Qadisha Valley, just below the Cedars. The red-roofed village is famous for being the hometown of Gibran Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese essayist, poet and painter.</span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">The Gibran museum is dedicated to the legendary, Lebanese-born artist, writer and philosopher Khalil Gibran, who lived in the United States and who is best known for his book The Prophet. Located in the former Monastery of Mar Sarkis, the museum is also the site of Gibran's burial place. His tomb lies in an old cavern, where many hermits sought refuge since the 7th century.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br />After Carmelite fathers assumed ownership of the property in the 17th century, they built a monastery on the site. Gibran had hoped to purchase the monastery and surrounding forest, but was unable to do so during his lifetime. After Gibran's death in 1931, his sister bought the grounds and interred her brother in the hermitage, in accordance with his wishes.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br /><br />In 1975, the monastery became the Gibran Museum, where one can see many of his paintings, drawings, manuscripts, and personal effects from his New York studio. During the 1990s, the museum was extensively modernized and reopened to the public in 1995.<br /><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Ceda<a name="Cedars"></a>rs:<br /><br /></span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">The "Cedars of the Lord" reserve constitutes what remains of Lebanons once vast cedar forest mentioned in the Old Testament. Over the centuries, many of the trees were cut down for timber used by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Phoenicians and Egyptians. Today, there are approximately 300 cedars in the reserve, a handful of which are many thousands of years old. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.</span></span></p>
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