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Beiteddine Palace
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Take Saida Road as far as Nahr el-Damour, then go up the mountains,
on a wide, scenic road passing through Damour which is famous
for its delicious bananas. Continue to Kfarhim, with its old
and beautiful olive trees, then to Deir el-Qamar, the old
historic ancient capital of the Amir Fakhredine and residence
of the governors of Lebanon from the 16th to the 18th
centuries, and finally to Beiteddine.
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Beiteddine Palace
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means "house of faith'. Beiteddine is a palace built at the
beginning of the 19th century, by Emir Bechir Chehabi, on a
rocky spur dominating a steep, precipitous valley. A perfect
example of classic Lebanese architecture of the time, it has
decorated ceilings, colorful marble mosaic floors, luxurious
Turkish Baths and harem suites, in a setting of beautifully
groomed gardens, a guest house in which the French Poet
"Lamartine" once dwelt, water jets and colonnades.
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The palace remained the amir’s residence until his forced
exile in 1840, when the Ottomans used it as the government
residence. It was declared a historic monument in 1934, and
then began a restoration process. Since 1943, it has been the
summer home of the president.A folkroric museum occupies one
wing and in the palace's renovated stables is an exquisite
display of mosaics from a ruined Byzantine church and other
structures of the same period.
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Arab Countries Hotels
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Resorts
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