Lebanon — books & literature

The story of Lebanon

Lebanon's coast was home to the Phoenicians, a seafaring civilisation whose city-states of Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon flourished from around 3200 BCE and spread their alphabet, the ancestor of Greek and Latin script, across the Mediterranean. The region later passed through Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and Roman hands , Baalbek's temple complex remains one of the best-preserved Roman religious sites anywhere. Arab conquest in the 7th century brought Islam, while Mount Lebanon became a refuge for Maronite Christians and, later, the Druze. Ottoman rule lasted four centuries from 1516, ending with World War I. In 1920 France established the state of Greater Lebanon, and on 22 November 1943 Lebanon won full independence, building a unique power-sharing system among its many religious communities. Beirut's mid-20th-century cosmopolitanism earned it the nickname "Paris of the Middle East," but the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) shattered the country. Since then Lebanon has rebuilt repeatedly through occupation, the 2005 Cedar Revolution, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and a severe economic crisis , while its people, cuisine, music, and literature remain among the most influential in the Arab world.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 3200 BCE

   Phoenician city-states, including Byblos and Tyre, begin to flourish on the Mediterranean coast.

2. circa 1000 BCE

   Phoenician traders spread their alphabet and seafaring culture across the Mediterranean.

3. 64 BCE

   The region is absorbed into the Roman Empire; Baalbek becomes a major religious centre.

4. 1516

   The Ottoman Empire conquers Mount Lebanon, beginning four centuries of rule.

5. 1920

   Greater Lebanon (Grand Liban) is proclaimed under the French Mandate (1 September).

6. 1943

   Lebanon gains full independence from France (22 November).

7. 1975-1990

   The Lebanese Civil War devastates the country and displaces hundreds of thousands.

8. 2005

   Assassination of PM Rafic Hariri triggers the Cedar Revolution and Syrian troop withdrawal.

9. 2020

   A massive explosion at the Port of Beirut devastates the capital (4 August).

Top 10 things to know about Lebanon

1. The cedar tree, an ancient symbol of Lebanon, is featured at the centre of its national flag.
2. Byblos is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
3. The Phoenician alphabet, developed in ancient Lebanon, is the ancestor of the Greek and Latin alphabets.
4. Lebanon officially recognises 18 different religious sects, governed by a unique confessional power-sharing system.
5. Beirut was historically nicknamed the "Paris of the Middle East" for its cosmopolitan culture and nightlife.
6. Baalbek's Roman temple complex contains some of the largest and best-preserved Roman ruins in the world.
7. Lebanese cuisine , mezze, hummus, tabbouleh, and manakish , has spread globally and shaped Middle Eastern food culture.
8. Arabic is the official language; French and English are both widely spoken.
9. More people of Lebanese descent live abroad in the diaspora than currently live in Lebanon itself.
10. Despite its small size, Lebanon has one of the most varied landscapes in the region, from Mediterranean coast to snow-capped mountains.

Famous people from Lebanon

Say it in Lebanon's language

Did you know?

• ★The Phoenician alphabet, born on the Lebanese coast, is the direct ancestor of most of the alphabets used in the world today.
• ★Byblos gave its name to the word "Bible," via the Greek word for the papyrus/book trade that passed through its port.
• ★Lebanon is famous for a rare combination: its mountain ski resorts sit close enough to the Mediterranean coast that visitors can ski and swim in the sea on the same day.

Lebanon culture

• Mezze , a spread of small shared plates like hummus, tabbouleh, and baba ghanoush , is central to Lebanese hospitality.
• Fairuz's music is a national ritual, traditionally played over the radio across Lebanon every morning.
• The 18 officially recognised religious sects live under a confessional system that allocates political power among communities.
• Beirut's arts, café, and nightlife scene has repeatedly rebuilt itself after war and crisis, reflecting a culture of resilience.

Why read Lebanon's books

Lebanon has given the world one of its best-selling books ever, Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet," alongside a modern literary tradition , from Amin Maalouf to Elias Khoury , shaped by exile, memory, and a country that keeps rewriting its own story.