Photo by Emily O'Dell
Last week, I stopped by Beiteddine Palace on my trip back to Beirut from Château Ksara in the Bekaa Valley. The 19th century palace, created by Emir Bechir Chehab II and designed by Italian architects, was built on the remains of a Druze hermitage on a terraced mountainside in the Chouf Cedar Nature Reserve.
Emily O'Dell at Beiteddine Palace
When we arrived, the palace was being prepared for thousands to attend the ongoing Beiteddine Art Festival–which started this week. The festival was originally created in the summer of 1985, as a brave act of creativity and solidarity in the midst of a devastating civil war…
Photo by Emily O'Dell
The hypnotizing geometrical patterns, towering arcades, stain glass windows, and impressive woodwork are certainly a delight to behold, especially on a breezy summer day.
Photo by Emily O'Dell
Each time the light ricochets off the walls of the palace, it seems to carry with it an invitation to take a picture.
Photo by Emily O'Dell
After viewing the vast courtyards, reception halls and private apartments of the Emir, we followed a few of the other visitors down a garden staircase to enjoy the spectacular Byzantine Mosaic Museum, which features mosaics from the 4th and 5th century.
Photo by Robert O'Dell
If you come to Beirut, make sure not to miss Beiteddine–or the art festival held there–in the best of times, and in the worst of times, the music will just keep on playing…
