Discover Bekaa: Culture, Urban Planning and Landscape

The statue of the Virgin Mary in the tower of Our Lady of Zahlé and the Bekaa, Anjar’s Umayyad urban planning and the location of the Aammiq Swamp show three different sides of Bekaa. When planning your trip, you can choose among culture, archaeological architecture and landscape as distinct themes. Which matters most to you can shape the character of your stay.

Culture and traditions in Zahlé

An elevator leads to the bronze statue of the Virgin Mary in the tower of Our Lady of Zahlé and the Bekaa. The statue is nine metres tall and was created by Italian artist Pierotti. If you plan to visit the statue, check the elevator’s current operating status before your visit.

Zahlé is also the setting for the Festival of the Vine, traditionally held every September. Over several weeks, the programme features daily concerts, plays, readings and art exhibitions. If you want to attend the festival during your trip, check the dates for that year’s edition before making plans.

The city’s cultural connections also include literary history: fifty poets and writers were born in Zahlé during the last century. The festival and this literary history offer different cultural points of interest for your stay.

Anjar’s Umayyad urban planning

The excavated fortified city of Anjar was surrounded by walls flanked by forty towers. Its rectangular layout measures 385 × 350 metres. Anjar is considered an outstanding example of urban planning under the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.

A main north–south axis and a less prominent east–west axis divide the city plan into four equal quarters. The measurements describe the overall area, while the axes explain how the site is laid out.

In the southeast quarter, the caliph’s great palace and the mosque stand on the highest part of the site. Anjar’s plan can therefore be understood through its outer dimensions, its four quarters and the location of these buildings. The combination of the overall form and internal layout makes urban planning the central theme of this site.

Landscape around the Aammiq Swamp

The Aammiq Swamp lies at an elevation of about 865 metres on the western side of the central Bekaa Valley, at the foot of the eastern slopes of the Barouk Mountains. The elevation and location describe the landscape from two perspectives: its height and its position between the valley and the mountain slopes. The wetland thus complements the cultural and historical themes of Zahlé and Anjar with a distinct geographical focus.

Lebanon in a broader geographical context

From west to east, the broader destination of Lebanon comprises four main geographical regions: the coastal plain, the Mount Lebanon range, the Bekaa Valley and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. They differ in topography and climate. The dry Anti-Lebanon Mountains rise east of the Bekaa Valley and form part of Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria. This overview complements Bekaa’s local themes with the country’s broader geographical context.

Discover more destinations: Zahle, Baalbeck, Aanjar, Nabatieh, South Lebanon Governorate, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon

Return to the main travel overview: Lebanon.