Portal:Lebanon

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The Lebanon Portal

A view of Byblos, Lebanon

WP:Lebanon

Lebanon (/ˈlɛbənɒn, -nən/ ^ⓘ LEB-ə-non, -⁠nən; Arabic: لُبْنَان, romanized: Lubnān, local pronunciation: [lɪbˈneːn]), officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, by Israel to the south, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the west; Cyprus lies a short distance away from the country's coastline. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterlands has contributed to the country's rich history and shaped a unique cultural identity shaped by religious diversity. Lebanon has a population of more than five million people and covers an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi). Lebanon's capital and largest city is Beirut, followed by Tripoli and Jounieh. While Arabic is the official language, French is also recognized in a formal capacity; Lebanese Arabic is the country's vernacular, though French and English play a relatively significant role in everyday life, with Modern Standard Arabic being limited to news and government matters.

The earliest evidence of human civilization in Lebanon dates back to 5000 BCE. From 3200 to 539 BC, what was to become Lebanon was part of Phoenicia, a maritime empire that stretched the Mediterranean Basin. In 64 BC, the Roman Empire conquered the region, and Lebanon soon became a major center for Christianity under the aegis of the Byzantine Empire. In the 7th century, the Muslim conquest of the Levant brought the region under the control of the Rashidun Caliphate. The 11th century saw the beginning of the Crusades and the establishment of Crusader states, which later fell to the Ayyubids and the Mamluks, who in turn ceded the territory to the Ottoman Turks in the aftermath of the Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1516–1517. Under Ottoman ruler Abdulmejid I, the first Lebanese proto-state was established in the form of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, created in the 19th century as a home for Maronite Christians under the Ottoman "Tanzimat" period.

Lebanon is a developing country, ranked 112th on the Human Development Index. It has been classified as an upper-middle-income state. The Lebanese liquidity crisis, coupled with nationwide corruption and recent disasters such as the 2020 Beirut explosion, have precipitated the collapse of Lebanon's currency and fomented political instability, widespread resource shortages, and high unemployment and poverty. The World Bank has defined Lebanon's economic crisis as one of the world's worst since the 19th century. Despite the country's small size, Lebanese culture is renowned both in the Arab world and globally, powered primarily by the Lebanese diaspora. Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and of the Arab League, and is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the Group of 77, among others. (Full article...)

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Bodashtart (also transliterated Bodʿaštort, meaning "from the hand of Astarte"; Phoenician: 𐤁𐤃𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕) was a Phoenician ruler, who reigned as King of Sidon (c. 525 – c. 515 BC), the grandson of King Eshmunazar I, and a vassal of the Achaemenid Empire. He succeeded his cousin Eshmunazar II to the throne of Sidon, and scholars believe that he was succeeded by his son and proclaimed heir Yatonmilk.

Bodashtart was a prolific builder, and his name is attested on some 30 eponymous inscriptions found at the Temple of Eshmun and elsewhere in the hinterland of the city of Sidon in Lebanon. The earliest discovered of Bodashtart's inscriptions was excavated in Sidon in 1858 and was donated to the Louvre. This inscription dates back to the first year of Bodashtart's accession to the throne of Sidon and commemorates the building of a temple to the goddess Astarte. The Temple of Eshmun podium inscriptions were discovered between 1900 and 1922 and are classified into two groups. The inscriptions of the first group, known as KAI 15, commemorate building activities in the temple and attribute the work to Bodashtart. The second group of inscriptions, known as KAI 16, were found on podium restoration blocks; they credit Bodashtart and his son Yatonmilk with the construction project and emphasise Yatonmilk's legitimacy as heir. The most recently discovered inscription as of 2020 was found in the 1970s on the bank of the Bostrenos River, not far from the Temple of Eshmun. The inscription credits the King with the building of water canals to supply the temple in the seventh year of his reign.

Three of Bodashtart's Eshmun temple inscriptions have been left in place; the others are housed in museums in Paris, Istanbul, and Beirut. Bodashtart is believed to have reigned for at least seven years, as evidenced by the Bostrenos River bank inscription. Little is known about his reign other than what has been learned from his dedicatory inscriptions. (Full article...)

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1940 Mandatory Palestine v Lebanon football match Byzantine Empire Fakhr al-Din II Law school of Berytus Levantine Arabic Roman temple of Bziza Royal necropolis of Byblos Russian occupations of Beirut Salih ibn Mirdas Temple of Eshmun

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... that Lebanese actress Takla Chamoun refused to cancel a play's performance after being informed that her mother had died?
... that Albert Bahhuth fled the Lebanese Civil War and owned a Subway franchise before being named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles?
... that the Southern Lebanese villages of Safad El Battikh, Kafra and Ayta al-Jabal were mentioned in 1596 Ottoman tax records?
... that the first day of filming of the psychological thriller Farah coincided with the beginning of the 2019 Lebanese protests?
... that the royal necropolis of Ayaa in Sidon, Lebanon, was accidentally discovered in the late 19th century by a workman who stumbled upon a shaft and chamber tomb while quarrying for stone?
... that code-switching in Lebanon is so common that "hi, كيفك؟ Ça va ?", which combines English, Levantine Arabic and French, is a typical greeting?

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Maatouk with Ansar in 2019

Hassan Ali Maatouk (Arabic: حسن علي معتوق, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈħasan ˈʕali maʕˈtuːʔ]; born 10 August 1987) is a Lebanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Lebanese Premier League club Ansar. Known for his pace and technical skills, Maatouk is the Lebanon national team's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player, and was captain of the team between 2016 and 2024.

Maatouk began his senior career at age 17 in 2004 with Ahed in Lebanon. He won a total of 12 trophies with his team, including three Lebanese Premier League titles and three Lebanese FA Cups during his seven-year stay. In 2011, Maatouk moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to play for Ajman. After a short spell at Emirates, he signed for Al-Shaab in 2012. Between 2013 and 2017, Maatouk played for Fujairah, scoring 56 goals and becoming their all-time top scorer. In 2017, he returned to Lebanon and signed with Nejmeh, where he won two Lebanese Elite Cups and was named Best Player of the league in both seasons. In 2019, he joined cross-city rivals Ansar on a free transfer, helping them win their first league title in 14 years in 2021 as the league's top scorer.

Maatouk debuted with the national team in 2006 at age 19, in a match against Saudi Arabia. His first and last goals for Lebanon were both against Bangladesh, in 2011 and 2024, respectively; notably, his last goal came during his final match for Lebanon, in which he scored a hat-trick. In 2016, Maatouk succeeded Roda Antar as team captain. With five goals in six matches in the third round of qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup, he helped an unbeaten Lebanon qualify for their first Asian Cup through qualification. Maatouk also played in the 2023 Asian Cup. In 2022, he became the first player to reach 100 international caps for Lebanon. Maatouk scored 26 goals in 123 games for his country, becoming Lebanon's all-time top scorer and most-capped player. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Lebanon-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Map showing power balance in Lebanon, 1976:
Dark Green – controlled by Syria;
Purple – controlled by Maronite groups;
Light Green – controlled by Palestinian militias (from History of Lebanon)
Image 2Portrait of Fakhreddine while he was in Tuscany, stating "Faccardino grand emir dei Drusi" translated as "Fakhreddine: great emir of the Druze" (from History of Lebanon)
Image 3City of Zahlé at the eastern edge of the Mount Lebanon Range in eastern Lebanon (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 4Aerial photo of Beirut, Lebanon's capital (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 5Palm trees at the seafront in Corniche Beirut (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 6Beiteddine Palace, venue of the Beiteddine Festival (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 7Map showing power balance in Lebanon, 1983: Green – controlled by Syria, purple – controlled by Christian groups, yellow – controlled by Israel, blue – controlled by the United Nations (from History of Lebanon)
Image 8The Grand Serail also known as the Government Palace is the headquarters of the prime minister of Lebanon (from Politics of Lebanon)
Image 9Fairuz playing guitar (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 10Christian Church and Druze Khalwa in Shuf Mountains: Historically; the Druzes and the Christians in the Shuf Mountains lived in complete harmony. (from History of Lebanon)
Image 11Khalil Gibran (April 1913) (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 12A map of Mount Lebanon c. AD 1180 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 13Beirut in 1950 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 14Map of the Shebaa farms (from History of Lebanon)
Image 15Lebanon Parliament 2018 (from Politics of Lebanon)
Image 16The Green Line that separated West and East Beirut, 1982 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 17Gibran Khalil Gibran Garden and surroundings in Beirut Central District, Majidiye, Beirut (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 18Fakhreddine II (from History of Lebanon)
Image 19The funeral of the assassinated Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri (from History of Lebanon)
Image 20A building in Ghazieh, near Sidon, bombed by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), 20 July 2006 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 21Rue Maarad is a main street in the central district (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 22A selection of Lebanese dishes from Cafe Nouf Restaurant in London (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 23An array of Lebanese cuisine. (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 24Csontváry Kosztka, Tivadar - Pilgrimage to the Cedars of Lebanon (from Culture of Lebanon)
Image 25Portrait of Elie Hobeika (from History of Lebanon)
Image 26Flag as drawn and approved by the members of the Lebanese parliament during the declaration of independence in 1943 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 27Aftermath of the 4 August 2020 Beirut explosion (from History of Lebanon)
Image 28Protesters in Beirut. Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, 20 October 2019 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 29Bashir Shihab II (from History of Lebanon)
Image 30Anti-Syrian protesters heading to Martyrs' Square in Beirut on foot and in vehicles, 13 March 2005 (from History of Lebanon)
Image 31Sidewalk Cafes are a trademark of the BCD (from Culture of Lebanon)