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Beit ed-Dine Palace

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HobWahid
HobWahid
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5 out of 5
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Beit ed-Dine Palace

  • February 3, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by HobWahid from Damascus, Syria
Beit ed-Dine Palace

Set dramatically in the Druze heartland of the Chouf Mountains, Beit ed-Dine is a beautiful 18th-century palace constructed by the rebel ruler Emir Bashir Shihab II. It is now a large monument to Druze culture and one of the singularly most impressive historical monuments in Lebanon, a must-see for all visitors to Lebanon.

The palace, while not as impressive as other palaces throughout the region, is unique in that is was established by such an eccentric character as Emir Bashir, a ruthless man who backstabbed about everyone he met until the Ottomans deemed him too much of a threat and exiled him. Beit ed-Dine is a palace as eccentric as its builder and took over 30 years to be fully completed. It consists of a large outer courtyard surrounded by an arcade full of rooms that now host a Rashid Karami Archeological and Ethnographic Museum. The museum consists of numerous dioramas showcasing traditional Druze dress, Roman and Canaanite pottery, as well as weapons and various artifacts from the late Ottoman period. Perhaps the most interesting are the numerous old photographs of local Druze.

From this outer courtyard, you then enter the main part of the palace, which is divided into two floors. The bottom floor, which was one the stables and barracks hosts a mosaics museum that displays some extremely impressive (and large) mosaics, most of which came from the 5th-century Byzantine church at Jiyyeh.

It is the top floor, though, that contains the most impressive parts of the palace. This is the area of the palace where the Emir lived and would meet with various visitors who were seeking council. In the middle lies a large courtyard with a fountain. The courtyard is then surrounded by numerous meeting rooms, all which are kept locked. You have to find the curator, who will open them up for you. Each of the rooms is elaborately decorated with wood and stained glass. Proceeding out of the courtyard, you eventually stumble upon the baths of the palace, an intricate network of hot, cold, and warm rooms. Next to the baths you can find the tombs of Emir Bashir and his wife, although they are kept locked.

If you return to the courtyard, you can climb up a small set of steps onto a patio that provides you with great views of the Chouf Mountains and the valley below filled with various species of pine. This is perhaps the nicest sight in the whole palace.

From journal Lebanon: Playground of the Middle East

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