TRAVELLING

Travelling to Lebanon

Safety and security

Before travelling to lebanon to ensure your safety due to ongoing terrorist attacks which occur in the country check the smart traveller at the following website www.smartraveller.gov.au
reason being is because most tourist commercial public areas are sometimes targeted by political assasinations and car bombings and retaliation attacks this is the reason why lebanon has a highly visible armed security presence throughout the region which means travellers must carry documents which identify themselves and obey instructions of security personel everywhere they travel.

Money
lebanons currency is the lebanese lira (LL) known as the lebanese pound
these notes are mainly 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 but you are more likely to need anything less under 1000L.
some coins are also in ciculation such as the LL250 and LL500.
us dollars are also accepted almost everywhere and they are both virtually interchangeable.

Changing money

The banks will exchange british pounds and us dollars  there are also atms throughout the region that dispense us dollars and lebanese pounds and credit cards are also accepted in some areas.

Destination facts about lebanon
population :4,400,000
area: 10452 sqkm
(4,036 sqmi)
Languages:L Arabic French English
Religion 60% muslim
35% christian

Government: republic
president:  Tammam Saeb-Salam

The markets in lebanon

Best buys
Beirut has the largest selection of shops in the country with cutting edge designer outlets at the Rue Verdun and the Dunes shopping center mall.

Buyers beware

There are fraudsters that claim to sell antiquities in popular tourist places such as fake roman golden coins and other fake artifacts.
it is also illegal to export antiquities from overseas.

TOP SHOPS

Beirut                                             

shopping markets                  

Artisans du Liban et d'Orient
the corniche, Ain al-Mreisse
PH 998 811
  This store sells highly quality oriental souveniers from around the middleast such as phoenician figures, ceramics satin slippers and other artifacts.

Al-Badia
78 Rue Makdissi, Hamra
ph 746 430
sells embroidered traditional dresses cushion covers shawls carves made by Palestinian women

Art Deco
79 Rue Trabaud, achrafiye
Ph 338 785
 furniture and small portable and decorative gifts

CD-Theque
ave elias sarkis achrafiye
321 485
books on middleeastern culture photography visual culture as well as cds dvds and video from the region

Tripoli

Khan al- Khayyatin
known as a crusader hospital   but now a  a 14th century tailor shop lined with workshops.

Souq as -Sayyaghi   
Sells golden jewellery such as bracelets anklets earrings and other gems.

Souq an - Nahhassin
Sells souveniers you can also see metal workers making things with their hands like they did centuries ago.

Khan As- saboun
 A soap industry which took off  in the 18th century and is highly popular in creating scented soaps
the place is now occupied with five shops which still make soaps the way they did many years ago.