Beirut (in French called Beyrouth, or Beirouth) was originally named Bêrūt which meant (The Wells) by the Phoenicians who used to live in Lebanon around the 15th century BC.
Beirut city was also known in the past as Berytus (Listed among traditional Greek names). Berytus is the name of the city that was taken in 1934 from the archaeological journal published at the American University of Beirut by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Around 140 BC, Beirut city was taken and destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon during his contest with Antiochus VII Sidetes on the throne of the Seleucid monarchy.
Soon after the city of Beirut was rebuilt on a Hellenistic plan, and renamed Laodicea in Phoenicia (Greek: Λαοδικεια ή του Φοινίκη) or Laodicea in Canaan, in honor of a Seleucid Laodice.
Beirut soon became a modern city which was constructed over the ancient Beirut. Little archaeology had been accomplished until after the end of the civil war in 1991; now large sites in the center of the city have been reopened to archaeological exploration.
A Major dig in 1994 established that one of Beirut’s modern streets, Souk Tawile, still follows the lines of an ancient Hellenistic/Roman one.
Around the Mid First century BC coins of Berytus showed the head of Tyche, an important goddess of fortune in the greek mythology. The other flip on the coin shows the city’s symbol, a dolphin entwines an anchor. This same symbol was use by the early Aldus Manutius print press in the early 15th century.
Beirut lived for many years under the Roman Dynasty of Herod the Great. During these years, Beirut’s school of law was widely known at the time. Two of Rome’s most famous jurists were Papinian and Ulpian. These two prominent law figures were natives of Phoenicia. They were taught at the law school under the Severan emperors at the time.
Beirut was passed over to the Arabs around the year 635. Beirut in Arabic is known as Bayrout became a trading centre of the eastern Mediterranean countries.
During the middle Ages, the city of Beirut was overshadowed by Akko.
Beirut was in the hands of Crusader lords from 1110 to 1291. Whether Turk or Mamluk, Beirut was ruled locally by Druze princes. Among such princes was, Fakher Edin El Maani II. He fortified beirut early in the 17th century, but the Ottomans retook it in 1763 and thenceforth, with the help of Damascus.
Soon after, Beirut successfully broke Akko’s monopoly on Syrian maritime trade and for a few years supplanted it as the main trading centre in the region. During the succeeding epoch of rebellion against Ottoman hegemony at Akko under Jezzar and Abdullah pashas, Beirut declined to a small town. During this time Beirut population was about 10,000 people. Those people fought over among the Druze, the Turks and the bashas (also known in English as Pashas)
After Ibrahim Basha captured Akko in 1832, the city of Beirut began living its early modern revival.
During the year 1888 Beirut soon became the capital of a vilayet in Syria, including the sanjaks Latakia, Tripoli, Beirut, Akko and Bekaa.
Beirut was considered at the time to be a very cosmopolitan city and had close relations with Europe and the United States.
Beirut also played a major role when it became a centre of missionary activity. This was considered to be very unsuccessful in many respects especially during a massacre of Christians in 1860. Nevertheless Beirut built an impressive education system which included the Syrian Protestant College that was established by American missionaries. This same education centre is today the American University of Beirut (AUB). Beirut became the centre of Arab intellectual activity in the nineteenth century. Provided with water from a British company and gas from a French one, the city thrived on exporting silk grown on nearby Mount Lebanon. The French engineers established a modern harbor in the year 1894. Also a railway was built across Lebanon to Damascus, and then to Aleppo in the year 1907.
A lot of the trade was carried out by French ships to Marseille. In the year 1911 the population mix was reported by the Encyclopedia Britannica to be as follows; Muslims, 36,000; Christians, 77,000; Druze, 400; foreigners, 4100; Jews, 2500;
Following the First World War and right after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Beirut was passed on to the French. The French administration favored and helped the Christian community. These preferences lead to religious strains and problems in the city of Beirut.
Following the Second World War, Lebanon was given its independence and its capital city was officially Beirut city. The city of Beirut remained an intellectual capital of the Arab world and a major tourist and business attraction until the year 1973 when a brutal civil war broke out in Lebanon.
During civil war times, Beirut was divided into two sides; a largely Muslim west side and a Christian east side. The central area of the Beirut which today is known as Beirut Downtown (Beyrouth centre ville) became a noman’s land. The center of Beirut was before the war the focus of much of the commercial and cultural activities.
Many of the Beirut and Lebanon best and bright figures left to other countries such as united states, Canada, Australia, Africa or even other Arab countries.
During the year 1983 The French and US barracks were bombed resulting in more than 300 deaths.
The civil war in Lebanon ended around the year 1989. The people of Lebanon started rebuilding Beirut, with the help of prominent figure Rafic El Hariri.
Few years passed and the city was rebuilt resulting in becoming a tourist, cultural and intellectual centre of the Middle East, as well as the center for commerce, fashion and media.
Beirut is home of major Arab Media TV stations such LBC (Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation), New TV, Future TV, NBN and Al-Manar TV.
Beirut hosted the Asian Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Championships. Beirut also hosted Miss Europe pageant twice.
The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri who built downtown from scratch, in 2005 in Beirut shook the whole country.
Syrian troops who were situated in Lebanon withdrew from Beirut on the April 26, 2006.
During July 2006, Israel attacked southern parts of Beirut resulting in a new crazy war which caused many deaths in the country.
Beirut has lived and is still living wars for many years. It remains to the lively people of Beirut and to the Lebanese to rebuild their city and to draw tourism to his place which used to be heaven on Earth.