About Lebanon:
Lebanon’s history spans thousands of years, shaped by its strategic Mediterranean location. The region, part of the ancient Levant, was home to the Phoenicians (c. 2500 B.C.–64 A.D.), renowned seafarers and traders who established city-states like Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre, spreading their alphabet and culture across the Mediterranean. Conquered by empires like the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks under Alexander the Great, Lebanon later became part of the Roman Empire.
In the 7th century, Arab Muslim conquests introduced Islam, although Maronite Christians emerged in the mountains, maintaining their identity. The Crusades (11th–13th centuries) brought European influence, followed by Mamluk and Ottoman rule (1516–1918). Under the Ottomans, Lebanon’s Mount Lebanon region gained semi-autonomy under local emirs, particularly the Maronites and Druze.
After World War I, France administered Lebanon under a League of Nations mandate (1920–1943), shaping its modern borders and fostering a Christian-dominated political system. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, adopting a confessional system balancing power among Christians, Muslims, and Druze.
The 1958 civil crisis and the 1975–1990 civil war, fueled by sectarian tensions and external interventions (e.g., PLO, Israel, Syria), caused widespread devastation, killing over 100,000.
Post-war Lebanon faced reconstruction under the 1989 Taif Agreement, which adjusted power-sharing but left Syrian influence until 2005. Political instability, Hezbollah’s rise, and conflicts like the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War persisted.
Economic crises since 2019, exacerbated by corruption, the Beirut port explosion (2020), and regional tensions, have plunged Lebanon into severe financial and social turmoil, with ongoing challenges in governance and stability.
Economic crises since 2019, exacerbated by corruption, the Beirut port explosion (2020), and regional tensions, have plunged Lebanon into severe financial and social turmoil, with ongoing challenges in governance and stability.
Catholic places of interest in Lebanon:
Harissa: Our Lady of Lebanon