Ever wonder what to do on a beautiful Sunday in Downtown Beirut? Take a look at our mini-adventure.
Where to begin:
We started our adventure at Saifi Village where we played ‘tourist’ snapping shots from every possible angle. From the Lebanese vernacular architecture with soft pastel shades to the cobblestone streets, Saifi Village is simply a stunning spot to get a feel of Modern Day Beirut. Upon making our exit, we directed a lost taxi driver carrying a tourist desperate to visit Café Em Nazih, one of the places mentioned in 10 Cafés in Lebanon.
We then made our way to the renowned Blue Mosque (Mohammad Al-Amin). Not only is the Mosque a work of art in both its interior and exterior architecture, but it also offers any visitor a rare chance to see the juxtapose of a Mosque and a Church standing side by side. Before moving away, puzzled tourists stifling through maps stopped us, in need of assistance on how to reach Hanna Mitri in Achrafieh for some ice cream treats. Our comment that it might be quite the walk did not deter them.
Next to the Mosque is an old Roman Bath, remaining from the days when the country was under Roman law. A spot that can be easily missed amongst present-day Downtown Beirut, but definitely a sight worth checking out, as it is beyond impressive.
We followed the inner path to the next landmark, the Rolex Clock Tower, where you see cafés surround the area and kids playing under the sun. We walked a little further down to explore the Beirut Souks, where we embraced some AC after walking around in the heat – with ample brand named clothing stores, a shopping spree was followed.
Bonus spot:
It wasn’t going to be a typical day in Beirut without us receiving an impromptu text from a friend in desperate need of a mood-booster. Within a matter of minutes, we had agreed on a meet-up at non other than Hanna Mitri where we devoured some authentic Lebanese ice cream but the best part of it was running into the tourists we had directed, jaunty after enjoying their ice cream and on their way to another sightseeing destination – just like us, onto our next tourist stop in our Beirut Day of exploring.
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