Lebanon-تأتي معنا كما نكتشف جميلة عن لبنان

 

 This week we are studying Lebanon. I remember my former boss at Merrill Lynch describing his 8 years in Beirut at one of our Satellite offices. The Lebanon he described when he first arrived compared to the Lebanon as he was completing his post was very different. He described a beautiful land where you can get up and ski in the mountains in the morning then relax by the ocean on one of the beautiful beaches in the afternoon was the Lebanon he so dearly missed. A culture so warm and inviting. He spoke so highly of Beirut before the tumultuous civil war. Its beauty, arts, and culture, he compared Paris.  Lebanese culture is ancient and the struggles these people have been through is tremendous.

  

 Lebanon is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is only 135 miles long and about 30 miles wide. It is unique in the Arab world because it has no desert and no Bedouin population. The Mediterranean borders Lebanon to the west, Israel to the South, and Syria to the north.

In 3000 B.C. the land was ruled by the Phoenicians. These were the original Lebanese people, the Phoenicians of the Bible. They got their name from the purple dye they had developed and sold throughout the Mediterranean. The early Phoenicians traded their famous purple dye as well as wheat, olive oil, wine, and timber. The wood came from the famous Lebanese cedars, it was used to construct grand and profound buildings.

 

 

 

 

The Phoenicians were known as superb sailors, they are said to be the first to use the North Star for navigation, and to have sailed around the continent of Africa one thousand years before the Portuguese. In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great, from Greece, conquered Lebanon and brought it under Hellenistic rule. The Greeks ruled until the Romans took over around 64 B.C. Recently the French have left their mark on Lebanon as well. It is  very evident why Lebanon is truly a diverse culture having influences from many different people.

                       

Christianity came to Lebanon via Palestine. Jesus preached in both Sidon and Tyre, and the Apostle Paul crisscrossed the areas often on his teaching missions. In the 8th century and exclusive Christian community developed the north. This community followed their patron saint Maro, therefore they called themselves Maronites. They fled from Syria to escape discrimination from the Muslim majority there. By the 12th century, the Maronite community became the majority religious group in Lebanon.

 

 In 1946, the modern nation of Lebanon became a reality. Today Lebanon is considered on of the most Western and Liberal Arab nations. Lebanon is currently 60% Muslim and 40% Christian(Maronite Catholic and Greek Orthodox). The official language is Arabic, but French is also widely spoken due to their influence and presence in Lebanon in the last century. Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the country experienced a period of relative calm and renowned prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, commerce, and banking. Because of its financial power and diversity, Lebanon was known in its heyday as "the Switzerland of the East". It attracted so many tourists that the capital, Beirut, was referred to as "the Paris of the Middle East". At the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure. Listed by the World Economic Forum’s 2013 Global Information Technology Report, Lebanon has been ranked globally as the fourth best country for math and science education, and as the tenth best overall for quality of education. In quality of management schools, the country was ranked 13th worldwide. One of my mother's favorite authors was born in Lebanon, Kahlil Gibran. His most famous work, The Prophet, was written in 1923 and has since been translated into 20 different languages.

 

 

 Wheat, Olives, and dates are the staples of the Lebanese kitchen. Lamb, garbanzo beans, and yogurt are also very common. However, the most important ingredient in Lebanese culture is hospitality. The Lebanese are known to be most concerned about hospitality than food. This week we will cook three traditional Lebanese dishes: Lebanese Baba Ghanoush-Eggplant broiled and mashed with sesame paste, Lebanese Yogurt and Cucumber salad, and Lebanese Lamb Shish Kebab. I can't wait!!!