Lebanons History, Culture and Diversity

Lebanons History, Culture and DiversitySome people migrate to the unite States and just forget their home country. They find their way to assimilate in the American mainstream. However for me, crimson though Ive been in the U.S. since birth but I would still be pleasured to write on well-nigh of the things that I really would feel interested about Lebanon. Modern-day Lebanon is like a mosaic, characterized by a transition of cultures, traditions, and religions. Because of its location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa Lebanon has been shaped by many civilizations throughout its long history. These diverse influences ar evident in the extraordinary richness of the countrys archaeological sites. From Stone Age settlements to Phoenician city-states, from roman letters temples to rock-cut Christian hermitages, from Crusader Castles to Mamluk mosques and Ottoman Hammams (traditional clubs that include sauna, Jacuzzi, and steam rooms), the countrys historical sites atom ic number 18 a true encyclopedia of superannuated and modern world history.Modern Lebanese society is characterized by this same pagan and architectural diversity. As you walk the streets of downtown Beirut, you will pass domed mosques and steeple churches, French cafes and Arab Souqs (traditional markets). Cultural diversity is reflected in language, cuisine, the arts, and the countrys religious heritages Sunni, Shiia Islamics, and Druze Maronite, Eastern Orthodox and other Christians and many others (Helena 72). A visit to any of Lebanons antediluvian archeological ruins, traditional villages, or religious sites will truly give you a taste of the cultural mosaic of this captivating country.Lebanon is an ancient land that has embraced two of the worlds major religions, Christianity and Islam. Lebanons Christian heritage can be traced back to the Old Testament (Collelo 45). The Bible mentions the land of Lebanon on 70 occasions, and the famed Cedars of Lebanon argon ofttimes c ited as a symbol of beauty and strength. In addition to the many Biblical sites located in southern Lebanon, the Qadisha Valley, also known as the Holy Valley, reveals a wealth of hidden, rock-cut monasteries, grottoes, and sacred sites from the earliest years of Christianity. On the other hand, Lebanons Muslim heritage can be traced to the 7th century AD, when Islam was introduced by the Umayyad caliphate from the Arabian Peninsula. The Umayyad dynasty was the first of two major Muslim dynasties following the prophet Mohammed. The Umayyads and their successors, the Abbasids, ushered in a rich halt of Islamic art, architecture, learning, and culture, and this tradition continues to flourish today. There are numerous mosques and spiritual places from the Sunni, Shiite Muslim traditions throughout the country.An ancient land, Lebanon features prominently in writings from the Old Testament to the History of Herodotus (440 BC). Its cities were major Mediterranean outposts and seaports in Phoenician, Greek, Roman, and Umayyad times. Consequently, the Lebanese countryside is awash with majestic and historically fascinating ruins. Five of the most outstanding sites Aanjar, Baalbeck, Byblos, Tyre, and the Qadisha Valley/Cedars Forest are listed as UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites. To explore Lebanon is to discover archaeological wonders that are windows into the place of origin of civilization. Believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, the picturesque seaside city of Byblos is built upon threefold layers of ruins, dating back to as early as the Stone Age (5,000 BC). The kings of Byblos from the Phoenician period are buried in nine underground tombs in the royal necropolis. Columns lining the main thoroughfare, a theater, and a public fountain are among the architectural contributions left by the Romans. The Crusaders built their castle and a moat upon large Roman stones. Later, the castle was renovated and reus ed by the Mamluks and then the Ottomans.Lebanons official language is Arabic, but French, Armenian, and English are also widely spoken. Many Lebanese in fact speak a patois of rough combination of these four languages, most commonly an Arabic-French mixture. Virtually all Lebanese are bilingual. Spoken Arabic is one part of a grouping of dialects called Levantine Arabic, differing greatly from the literary Modern Standard Arabic. It is a fusion between Syriac and Arabic, as well as rough Turkish and thus in this take note can be more correctly classified as a language from Arabic, albeit very homogeneous due to its relationship on the tree of Semitic languages. Regional influences and occupations throughout the centuries could possibly explain the intellect why Lebanese people speak so many languages, even incorporating them into their own. Due to the importance of the Lebanese Diaspora and business interests of Lebanese worldwide, it has always been important to master languag es other than Arabic.Lebanese music is known around the world for its soothing rhythms and wild beats. Traditional and folk music are extremely popular as are westmostern rhythms. Perhaps the best-known and listened to Lebanese singer is Fairuz. Her songs are broadcast every first light on most radio stations and many TV channels, both in Lebanon and other countries in the inwardness East and the Arab world in general. Other artists are also well known and love like Majida El Roumi, Marcel Khalife who is also a composer, Oud player, and Julia Boutros.Over the ages, skilled Lebanese artisans have hone the art of creating beautiful blown glass, jewelry, inlaid and engraved wooden boxes and furniture, textiles, and linens. The colorful, blown-glass decanters, water carafes, and glasses particular to Lebanon insure back to Phoenician times. Wood workers carve intricately designed boxes and furniture and inlay them with mother-of-pearl or splendid pieces of wood. Traditional olive oil soap, increasingly popular here in the west, comes from traditional small factories that make this soup from the olive trees of Lebanon to be entirely natural, pure, and moisturizing.Lebanons primary religious groups, very roughly, are Shia Muslim (the largest group), Sunni Muslim, Christian, and Druze. Muslims represent roughly 60% of the total population, while Christians make up the other 40%. Of the muslims, the overriding Shia make up 60%, while the Sunni make up most of the remainder. Druze and Alawis are minorities. The division of semipolitical power between the religious groups is an interesting problem. The Lebanese have solved this by making varied high ranking government puzzles represented by the different religious groups. The President must be Catholic, the Prime Minister must be Sunni, and the Speaker of the Parliament must be Shia.Some Lebanese nationals, particularly some Christians, tend to emphasize aspects of Lebanons non-Arab history as a mark of respe ct to overlay all of Lebanons historical makeup instead of only that which began during the Arab conquests, an attitude that prevails in the rest of the Arab world. In this respect, it would be wrong to dismiss Lebanons mosaic culture as merely Arab when it is clear that it is a blend of natural and invading or foreign cultures that have given it the title of the crossroads between east and west for centuries. This picture is seen most clearly in Lebanon, a land of complete contrasts and a land that cannot be defined by one culture alone, except if one were to bring them altogether and classify them as Lebanese. In a concession to Lebanons Eastern and Western heritage, some Lebanese prefer to see Lebanon as part of Mediterranean or Levantine civilization, neither Arab nor European. Everyone born and raised in Lebanon communicates using Arabic in a Lebanese dialect. This applies to its Islamic, Christian, Druze, and other religious practices. Language, food, music, arts and various cultural facets are local Lebanese and performed practically all in Arabic. The youth today are quite westernized and modernized open frame away with traditions like most other larger cities in the world (dating, western music, food, etc.) Compared to other Arab cities, Lebanese cities (especially Beirut) are more westernized and tolerant, and overt towards men-women relations than most Arab cities, like Damascus, Cairo, BaghdadLike other areas of the Middle East, Lebanon has a heritage almost as old as the earliest evidence of mankind. Its geographic position as a crossroads linking the Mediterranean Basin with the great Asian hinterland has conferred on it a cosmopolitan character and a multicultural legacy. Lebanon has an Arab culture colored by Western influences. As some Lebanese proudly say about their tiny country, Lebanon is small in size but considerable in its influence.