5. Day Beirut X

The Place de l'Étoile is a square in the city centre of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It is surrounded by important political and religious buildings.

The square was laid out in the 1920s when the French decided to destroy the old, unhealthy souks and build streets to make the city centre a healthy, modern area. Today the square is entirely pedestrianised. In the middle stands the Clock Tower, built in 1934. The square is 500 metres from the port of Beirut. Six streets, including Maarad Street, give access to the square, to the north, west and south, forming a five-pointed star. There is no street to the east. There is the St George's Orthodox Cathedral, seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan, built in 1772. A museum is open directly under the cathedral. To the north of the cathedral is the Italian Embassy. The west side is bordered by the Lebanese Parliament. Shops and cafes and the Art Deco building of Assicurazioni Generali, topped by a lion statue, also face the square.

Saint George's Cathedral is a church building of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in Beirut. It is the seat of the Metropolitan. An archaeological museum has been established below the church. The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George is the oldest church building still standing in Beirut.Read more