Next day my plane took me straight to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, so beautifully located at the East of the Mediterranean Sea. I followed an invitation of Dr. Rahbani to introduce the Dermaroller Concept to the successors of the old Phoenicians. One of the oldest trading nations that ruled the Seas long before the Romans came to their place – and ruined it.
The person that bought the land in front of the new Mosque had bad luck. Once they started digging, ancient ruins showed up
Once you enter the ancient city you really don’t know if you are in Paris or in the ancient oriental world. Here you can see what seems somehow impossible: A mosque next to a Roman Catholic or an Orthodox church. Many religions lived here since hundreds of years peacefully shoulder to shoulder.
Two religions side by side
Efforts are tremendous to rebuild the war torn city that was destroyed in the last decades by stupid wars. Once Beirut was called the Paris of the East and the government does everything possible to regain that image. But still there are many ruins in the middle of the town that await restoration.
Inside an Orthodox Church
But the people of Lebanon have not really changed since I saw them first so many years ago. As they are traders and merchants since thousands of years they have developed two significant skills: languages and the charm you need to convince your partner that your trading good is the best. Their school system is one of the best you can find in the world and more or less everybody, at least with high school education, speaks 3 languages fluently: Arab, French, English and often some more languages.
Mrs. Nada, one of our trained nurses at work
The Lebanese kitchen is definitely the best in the Orient and the shops are as elegant as in Paris or New York. The climate is moderate. In springtime you swim in the Mediterranean Sea, and only an hours drive takes you up into the snow of the Lebanon Mountains – a Pearl of Culture, impossible to find a second time in this world.
Beirut invites you to enjoy life!
Good luck Lebanon – you deserve peace and tranquillity.
