What is lebanon known for

Saida Investigate the smells and tastes of the traditional shops in the souq. Beiteddine Palace Enjoy the sumptuous interiors of this major attraction. Byblos Take in the sea views from the top of the Crusader castle. Tripoli Below the imposing citadel, the old town is a treasure trove of historic khans, souqs and mosques.

Deir Al Qamar The handsome old buildings around the centre of this village are a delight. Saida Bask in the ruins of the Sea Castle, surrounded by the Med's clear waters. Beirut The parts of Downtown that survived the civil war are dotted with venerable mosques and churches.

Qadisha Valley Hike between the venerable monasteries of this charming gorge. Middle East Lebanon Lebanon in detail. Adolescents in Lebanon rarely work. The working population is usually 18 years and older. Lebanon is mainly a capitalist country, and the price of living is quite high. Lebanon is rebuilding itself; construction sites are everywhere. Classes and Castes. There is no caste system in Lebanon. Money is now the most important factor in determining class lines.

The middle class suffered a great loss of wealth during the war, and the gap between the very rich upper class and the lower class has widened. As a result, there have been numerous strikes and demonstrations. Differences in wealth and status often occur along religious and family lines. Symbols of Social Stratification. All Christians and most Muslims who live in the cities wear European style clothes. In poorer Muslim towns and in some Muslim areas in the main cities, one may still find the Muslim chador the veil traditional Muslim women wear.

In the countryside, women sometimes wear traditional colorful skirts and men wear a traditional serwal baggy trousers. Lebanon is a democratic republic with a parliament, a cabinet, and a president, although power is divided along religious lines. The President a Maronite Catholic , who lost part of his executive power after the war, is the head of state; the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim is the head of government and chairs the Cabinet; the Speaker of the House a Shiite Muslim presides over Parliament, which passes the Cabinet's bills and elects the President.

Leadership and Political Officials. There is much nepotism in Lebanon. However, the political spectrum is very wide: Lebanon boasts a strong communist party, the Syrian Nationalist Party, and the last Phalange party is still in existence. Each party has its own newspaper and, at least during the civil war, its own television station.

Social Problems and Control. Lebanese civil law is based on the French Napoleonic law. Police as well as the Forces of General Security uphold the law on the streets. People rarely take the law into their own hands, except when it came to opposing ideologies during the civil war. As a result, the crime rate in Lebanon is very low. Military Activity. The Lebanese Army was highly divided along religious lines during the civil war.

Today, the government is rebuilding the army and trying to modernize it. Unemployment is high in Lebanon and, at least according to the IMF and other international organizations, the government, which is struggling to rebuild the country's infrastructure, does not offer sufficient help for the unemployed.

There is a considerable number of nongovernmental organizations in Lebanon, many of which, such as Friends of the Disabled, welcome members from all religions. A number of independent organizations help the poor. Division of Labor by Gender. The marketplace traditionally has favored men, and more women stay at home than men. Women are allowed to vote, work, attend school, and participate in all forms of public life, but they tend to occupy traditionally View from Crusader Castle of the Port of Sidon.

The Relative Status of Women and Men. Men hold higher social status than women because of the omnipresence of patriarchal religions in Lebanese life. Family is still stressed, as is the woman's role as a nurturing mother. However, many women have broken traditional boundaries and entered the political, artistic, and literary environment, especially in Beirut and other major cities. Arranged marriages are rare, although they still exist.

The country's present economic crisis has rendered money, a secure job, and a home big factors in contracting marriages. Polygamy is legal among Muslims; however, it holds a social stigma, and very few people choose this lifestyle. Religious courts decide on issues of marriage and divorce. Divorce is easy among Muslims, harder for Orthodox Christians, and most difficult in Maronite communities. The divorce rate remains very low.

Domestic Unit. Most household units are made up of a nuclear family. However, the extended family is also very important and often functions as a social security system. In the household, the husband and wife share authority, although wives usually wield more influence over children and in various household matters.

Inheritance laws are the affair of the various religious courts, which usually favor male heirs. In villages, land is the most important inheritance, whereas apartments, money, and privately-owned shops constitute the bulk of inheritance in the cities. Kin Groups. However, marriage between different religious groups has become frequent, and at the end of the twentieth century there was an effort to pass a law legalizing civil marriages which may undermine the traditional religious and communal boundaries.

Infant Care. Infants are usually placed in cribs and playpens, and they have their own small bedrooms. Kindergartens and babysitters are becoming more common as many women today work outside the house. Quite often grandparents or members of the extended family will help care for a baby.

Child Rearing and Education. Education is very important in Lebanon. Many parents prefer to place their children in the more expensive religious private schools, where they may receive moral guidance. Children are encouraged to learn and to be quiet. Parents are usually strict and demand great devotion.

Lebanese children grow up with deep respect for their parents. Higher Education. Higher education is highly encouraged in Lebanon, which still has some of the Agricultural fields occupy a stretch of countryside. Lebanon produces and exports much of its agricultural produce. However, there are very few jobs awaiting young graduates. The Lebanese are very gregarious. The souks markets are always crowded; shopping downtown is very popular, as is strolling with friends along the busy streets.

Lebanese people usually sit close together and interact vivaciously. Manners are important and are highly influenced by French etiquette, especially in matters of dress, address, and eating. Strangers as well as acquaintances greet each other respectfully, usually using French terms, such as bonjour , bon soir , and pardon.

Religious Beliefs. Most people in Lebanon are religious and monotheistic. Lebanon is made up of Muslim and Christian sects which escaped persecution throughout history by seeking shelter in its mountains. No one religion is dominant. Religious Practitioners. Religious figures have a lot of authority in Lebanon since religious courts decide on many issues concerning individuals' rights and privileges.

This authority has been slightly undermined by the civil war. Death and the Afterlife. Funerals are usually very elaborate; people are encouraged to express their feelings of loss openly and to follow funeral processions. All the religions in Lebanon place much emphasis on the afterlife. Individuals are constantly exhorted to live righteous lives in the present, which will allow them to enter a beauteous paradise. Health care is highly developed in Lebanon. Very little belief in the efficacy of traditional medicine remains.

Lebanon has more doctors than it actually needs, and hospitals are constantly trying to modernize. Independence Day celebrates the country's independence from France. Army Day celebrates the accomplishments of the Lebanese army. Christmas is celebrated by all Christian denominations but Muslims also participate. Id Il-Mouled celebrates the birth of the Muslim prophet Muhammad.

Support for the Arts. Artists are usually self-supporting, although some do receive contributions from patrons of the arts. There is no official government allocation of monies for the arts, although art schools sometimes receive government aid.

Lebanon has a long history of excellent poets and novelists. In the early years of the twentieth century, Lebanese authors took the lead in defending Arabic and its use in literary creation. Today, Lebanon still has many authors who write in Arabic as well as French and sometimes English. Oral literature is preserved in villages, where the zajal , a form of poetic contest in the Lebanese dialect, is alive and enjoyed by everyone.

Graphic Arts. Painting is very varied and encouraged in Lebanon. French surrealists, cubists, and impressionists mostly influence Lebanese artists, who add an oriental touch to the French technique and subject matter. Many exhibits are held throughout the country, including the recently reopened Lebanese Museum in Beirut.

Traditional pottery-making is still popular in the coastal towns, such as Al-Minaa in the north, and Sidon in the south. Local crafts are encouraged and many souks specialize in selling traditional objets d'art to tourists. Performance Arts. Oriental and Western music are both popular. International festivals are once again very popular and offer an array of symphonies, classical and modern ballets, foreign and local dance troupes, and opera and pop singers.

These festivals are usually held in open air on historic sites, such as the Roman temples of Baalbek, Byblos' crusader ruins, or Beirut's central district. Because of the diversity of the programs such festivals offer, people from all walks of life attend and interact. Schools of engineering are highly developed in Lebanon. However, they produce more engineers than the country needs, and many engineers find themselves unemployed or forced to accept menial jobs.

Social sciences are taught at the major universities; however, students are not encouraged to pursue them as they are less lucrative than other careers. Abukhalil As'ad. Historical Dictionary of Lebanon , Abul-Husn, Latif. The Lebanese Conflict: Looking Inward , Brody, Aaron Jed. Dagher, Carole. Edde, Michel. Mardam-Bey, Farouk. Liban: Figures contemporaines , Mouzoune, Abdekrim.

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