Deir El Qamar & Beiteddine Palace

Travel south from Beirut to the Chouf district, the birthplace of many famous Lebanese figures, including presidents, artists, writers, and other prominent individuals. Next, visit the Beiteddine Palace complex, Lebanon’s best example of early 19th-century Lebanese architecture. It was built over a 30-year period by Emir Bechir Chehab II, who ruled Mount Lebanon for more than half a century. Finally, visit Deir el Qamar, a village of stone houses with red-tiled roofs. It was the residence of the governors of Lebanon from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It is also home to the 15th-century Fakhreddine Mosque, the Fakhreddine II Palace, and other historical palaces and administrative buildings.