Beirut is the capital, biggest city, and most important seaport of Lebanon. The city has an estimated population of 1.3 million people. Beirut is the commercial center of the region and was sometimes called "the Paris of the Middle East" because of its sophisticated atmosphere prior to the Lebanese Civil War. Since the end of the war in 1989, the people of Lebanon have been rebuilding Beirut, and the city has got back its status as a tourist, cultural and cerebral center of the Middle East, as well as the center for commerce, fashion and media. The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, in 2005 in Beirut unnerved the entire country. The last Syrian troops withdrew from Beirut in April 2005. The city is also home to the leading port on the Eastern Mediterranean. The Port of Beirut is aiming to become a chief port in the region for transporting goods to Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and the Gulf states. In recent years the city has started to restore its tourist industry, with major construction works in progress in the ruined city center, and a new marina.
The thing to do in Beirut is to take in the nightlife. Nightlife in Beirut is known to have become the wildest in the Arab World, with different taste of music ranging from jazz to trance. The best musicians and DJs come from all over the world to hold concerts in Beirut. Popular nightlife areas include pubs of Monot Street and the neighborhood of Gemmayzeh, pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs such as Element and Music Hall.
You can also enjoy the sheer beauty of Mount Lebanon mountain range. Mount Lebanon is the mountain range that extends across the whole country of Lebanon about 100 miles parallel to the Mediterranean coast and rising to 10,131 feet.