Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country famous for its remarkable cuisine and its soils rich in oil. Lebanon was the cradle of Phoenician civilization and its long history and old traditions make it the subject most written about in books. This country is one of the most progressive Islamic states and the one with the biggest Christian religious group. Actually, counting the people living here without a citizenship, the Christians outnumber the Muslims. That’s not the only interesting statistic about Lebanon. Brazil has the biggest Lebanese community, almost twice as large as the one in Lebanon.
Lebanese are very open and communicative persons. They consider an honor to have guests coming over and the hosts will most likely prepare ridiculous amounts of food for your visit. Don’t shy away, Lebanese cuisine is one of the most balanced in the world and includes vegetables, spices, dairy products and different types of meat. You’re expected to dress formally, pay your respects to the elders and follow their etiquette.
Unlike other Islamic countries, there isn’t such a strict ban on alcohol. They have their fair share of nightclubs and strip clubs. You can go out for a drink and people won’t look at you strangely if you smoke. Actually, people here are very relaxed so they’ll take a lot of smoking and coffee breaks, even if it means they have to stay past closing time at work. Lebanese hate thinking ahead and if you don’t remind them last minute that they have an obligation, they’ll probably forget about it.
When in Lebanon, visit Beirut, it’s the most famous city of the Middle East. The capital received the nickname of Phoenix due to its turbulent past — it was repeatedly destroyed and yet it has raised again each time. Lebanon is the oldest name ever used for a country, so expect many historical monuments, Ancient, Muslim, Jewish or Christian. Here lies the biggest Roman Parthenon. Byblos is the oldest city in the world that has continuously been inhabited. You need to be cautious while visiting, Lebanon’s neighbors are Israel and Syria, so consequences of warfare might affect Lebanon too.
