I left a piece of my heart in jbeil on my last visit to Lebanon....

I left a piece of my heart in #jbeil on my last visit to #Lebanon. Visiting #byblos as a young child didn't mean as much to me as it did 2 years ago. The streets of jbeil appeared to have a voice of their own, calling out "History" to all who were interested. Interested I was. Actually I was overwhelmed by the beauty I waltzed through. The shop keepers sitting casually outside their store appeared not to have a care in the world as they played their favourite game, backgammon #طاولة زهر. With a welcoming smile they were more than happy to pose for my camera. Strolling along the old market, #souk, scattered with cafes, souvenir and antique shops on either side of the old cobblestone streets, I understood why Byblos was crowned as "The Arab Tour Capital" for 2016 by the Lebanese minister of tourism. There was so much to see and I wanted to see it all. From the Wax Museum to the Fossil Museum to the Mosque to the Cathedral of St John The Baptist and finally to the magnificent archeological remains of the castle which was built by the crusaders in the 12 century. I took a stroll along the harbour and as I watched the yachts cruise in and out of the port I was reminded of something I read once about Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra being regular visitors to the ancient city in the 60s and 70s. Byblos you did capture a piece of my heart. I can't wait for my next visit to dive deeper into your breathtaking history. . . . . #middleeast #arabfood #lebanesefood #port #homemade #food #جبيل #vegan #glutenfree #foodspotting #mezza #arabfoodporn #marlonbrando #catering #instafood #cheflife #instafood #sustainableliving #cheflife #love #castle #franksinatra #photooftheday #summer #archaeology #nationalart #history
by sahtein_lebanesefeasts / Instagram