- Beit ed-Dine
Infobox City Lebanon
official_name = Beit ed-Dine
native_name = بيت الدين
governorate = Mount Lebanon Governorate
district = Chouf DistrictBeit ed-Dine (in Arabic بيت الدين, translates to "House of Religion") is a small Lebanese town in the
Chouf District , approx. 50 km southeast ofBeirut and near the town ofDeir el-Qamar from which it is separated by a steepvalley . The town is famous for its magnificentBeiteddine Palace which hosts theBeiteddine Festival every summer.Local
emir Bashir Shihab II who was later appointed to ruleMount Lebanon , started building the palace in 1788 at the site of theDruze hermit age (hence the town's name, translating as "House of Faith"). It took about 30 years to complete. The best craftsmen fromDamascus andAleppo as well as Italianarchitects were invited and given much freedom, so its style is a cross between traditionalArab and Italianbaroque .After 1840 when Bashir was sent into
exile the palace was used by the Ottomans as agovernment building, during the French Mandate its role was preserved and it served as a local administrative office. In 1934 it was declared a national monument. In 1943Bechara El Khoury , the first Lebanesepresident , declared it the official president's summer residence. During theLebanese civil war it was heavily damaged. After 1984, when fighting in the area receded,Walid Jumblatt ordered its restoration. Parts of the palace are today open to the public while the rest is still the president's summer residence.Bashir built three more palaces in the town for his sons, till today only Mir Amin Palace survived and is today a luxury
hotel .Beiteddine is home to a Lebanese
Red Cross First Aid Center. [ [http://www.dm.net.lb/redcross/our_centers.html Our Centers ] ]References
External links
* [http://www.discoverlebanon.com/en/panoramic_views/mount_lebanon/el_shoof/beit_el_dine.php Text of Beit El Dine and virtual tour image]
* [http://www.middleeast.com/beiteddine.htm MiddleEast.com]
* [http://www.elkhazen.org/lebanon/touristic_sites/lebanon_touristic_sites_beiteddine.asp LebGuide]
* [http://www.beiteddine.org/ Official site of the Beiteddine Festival]
* [http://tyros.leb.net/beiteddine/ Lebanon, the Cedars' Land: Beiteddine]
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