At the heart of Beirut, resides Nejmeh Square. A chic historical space in the downtown district of the historical “Paris of the east”. We only had one truly full day to spend in Beirut, after spending a few days previously in Bcharre in the mountains northeast of the city. Because of our limited time and Airbnb location, we decided to spend our day in the famed Nejmeh Square.

Nejmeh Square: At The Heart Of Beirut

An Amble Through Colorful Streets

We made our way at the start of the day down Armenia Street. It was going to be about a two kilometer walk from our studio apartment to our destination, so we got a nice taste of the city street life. The street is lined with stores, cafes, restaurants, and the eclectic. The Lebanese take their food seriously, so you can expect excellent food just about anywhere you stop. We decided to have our try of Lebanese coffee at Urbanista, which was not what we expected.

Briana really wanted to see the painted stairs of Beirut – which we came across. We had our photo op and then proceeded on only to find more stairs. It would appear that much of Beirut is covered in painted stairs, murals, and street art. Every turn provides a new discovery, so walking around is quite fun unto itself.

Martyrs’ Statue

After what seemed to be a very long walk, we finally came to Nejmeh Square, or at least, the area that would become it. We still had a ways to go, but we could at least see it now. Our first stop, however, was the Martyrs’ Statue, which lies just to the east of the square.

The statue commemorates Lebanese and Arab nationalists who were hanged by the Ottoman empire in 1916. The statue was damaged during the Civil War from 1975-1990 and was restored in 1996. Though repaired, the statue still shows the bullet holes and scars from Beirut’s war-torn past.

Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque

Adjacent to the Martyrs’ Statue stands the magnificent Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque. Also known as the Blue Mosque, this Sunni Muslim mosque was inaugurated in 2008 and has become a dominant feature of the Beirut skyline with its four minarets and blue domed roof.

The mosque itself is quite large and inspired by Ottoman architecture. Entering the house of worship, you are greeted with grandeur as massive gold calligraphy graces the marble ceilings, and crystal chandeliers hand in the open room.

If you wish to visit, the mosque is open to visitors most days, with the exception of during prayer times (which change every day, so you will need to check based on when you plan to visit). While it is advisable that you dress appropriately, if you are not, you may be turned down. Briana wore long pants/leggings and brought a long sleeve shirt to ensure she would be able to enter despite the heat. Women will be given an additional covering to wear free of charge at the visitors’ entrance. I just made sure my knees and shoulders were covered for our visit. 

When we visited, we were essentially the only ones there. There were a few others including the Imam who was reading from the Quran, but it was so large we basically had the whole place to ourselves.

Nejmeh Square

Entering Nejmeh Square itself was a little bit confusing at first. Due to recent uprisings, violent demonstrations, and political turmoil, the square is under heavy police and military presence. At first, it did not appear that we could enter, due to the heavy fortifications and soldiers manning the gates.

That did not deter us, however, and we realized soon enough that we could walk into the square through one of the guarded gates. It was a little sad because due to this, the usually vibrant square was mostly deserted. There were a few dozen tourists and citizens walking around the beautiful historical streets, but a good majority of shops and restaurants were closed. In a way, it was also nice because we pretty much got what is a usually rather crowded area mostly to ourselves! 

The famous Rolex Clock Tower however still stood tall and proud and the center. While a bit disconcerting at first, the military presence actually did lead us to feel a little bit safer, as we noticed just how well they were managing the security and the fact that there was nearly no one in the area to make the place a target.

St George Maronite Cathedral

From within Nejmeh Square, we made our way to St. George Maronite Cathedral. The Cathedral was constructed between 1884 and 1894, though it utilized a small church that had stood since 1753. We realized though, that this could actually be accessed from outside the gated area, not from within.

The construction itself is rather small in comparison to the surrounding buildings, but still remains a nice and very important site in the area. Do not confuse it with the St George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

It has since been found that significant archeological remains of Roman constructs and Ottoman walls reside beneath.

St George Greek Orthodox Cathedral

About 80 meters north of the Maronite Cathedral is the larger St George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The site originally had the Anastasis cathedral built in the 5th century. An earthquake destroyed all of Beirut in 551 and a new cathedral was not built until the 12th century. Again, the structure was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1759 and was properly repaired in 1783. The cathedral underwent its final modifications in 1910.

Excavations beneath the church show a timeline of the city’s history, which now houses a museum costing $3. We did not get to visit (we were short on money due to being robbed in Sri Lanka), but it is toted as being a great visit.

Instead, we walked the grounds and visited a small chapel on the church grounds. The chapel is the Nouryeh Virgin Chapel.

As with the mosque, you must dress appropriately to enter.

Beirut

We wandered around the square for a bit but left after a short time. Because of security measures, there wasn’t too much for us to do once we saw the streets. Being on a budget, we couldn’t dine at any of the cafes and the shops were well beyond our price range.

Beirut is a wonderful city to visit, and there is much to see and visit including things we didn’t get a chance to do like the Jeita Grotto and National Museum. The city is far safer than American media portrays it. The memories of the Lebanese Civil War still sits fresh in the minds of the previous generation, and as such misconceptions persist.

Is it Safe?

With that being said, it is still a country and city to be wary of. The military presence is heavy and felt everywhere: pillboxes, bunkers, tanks, check-points, and soldiers populate the streets. The region just north of the airport is not considered safe for most people. It is a very poor neighborhood with Palestinian refugee camps. One look at it will scream to you not to visit, it is quite obvious.

There is a military check-point to get in and out of this region of town (our taxi had to travel through it to get to the airport). Our host told us about some of the current issues in the region but I will avoid remarking much on it lest I get something wrong. 

Surprisingly, Lebanon has managed to (mostly) keep itself out of much of the turmoil caused by its neighbors: Syria and Israel. While the borders and the Beqqa valley are not safe for tourists, great swaths of the country and most of Beirut remains safe.

We recommend visiting Beirut, but you should remain cautious while traveling. The city is lovely and steeped in history and culture, and you should not be turned off due to overhyped fears.

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