Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
4 days ago
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
4 days ago
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
5 days ago
Museum of Friends
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Lebanon Beirut

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Beirut

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Beirut, Lebanon

Updated September 8, 2022

Email
Attractions
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Beirut

 Al Ba’sa, or The Grudge, Beirut’s thinnest building.

Beirut, Lebanon

The Grudge (Al Ba’sa)

Beirut's thinnest building was the result of feuding brothers.
The Egg seen from the northeast corner, showing the peculiar round shape of the theater.

Beirut, Lebanon

The Egg

This modernist cinema has survived war and reconstruction to become a symbol of Lebanon’s revolutionary spirit.
Yasmine, the first mummy discovered in the ‘Asi-al-Hadath grotto.

Beirut, Lebanon

Maronite Mummies of the Qadisha Valley

Mummies preserved naturally for seven centuries.
Are we missing something unusual?
Add it!
Stele of Napoleon III overwritten on Assyrian stele

Nahr El Kalb, Lebanon

Stelae of Nahr el-Kalb

In a narrow river valley just north of Beirut, Lebanon, is a chronicle of human history unlike anything else in the world.
8 miles from Beirut
The animatronic former Iraqi Information Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf. (Leah Caldwell/Atlas Obscura)

Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

Lebanese "Hall of Fame" Museum

Brush shoulders with animatronic Arab leaders made of silicone.
9 miles from Beirut
Upper Cave

Jitta, Lebanon

Jeita Grotto

A monumental underground karstic wonderland is also the water source for over a million citizens of Beirut.
10 miles from Beirut
View of the Cable Car from below (Wikimedia Commons)

Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

Jounieh Cable Car

An intimate look into the apartments of Jounieh via cable car.
11 miles from Beirut
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Beirut, Lebanon

A

Beirut Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. nitikp
    1
  2. Justin Higginbottom
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Beirut.

Places Edited

  1. nbj914
    1
  2. nitikp
    1
  3. dzamonja
    1
  4. Max Cortesi
    1
  5. franzkarner
    1
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. drewmagness
    3
  2. opensesamic
    3
  3. actvictor
    3
  4. mjgass
    3
  5. kefiki
    3
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in Beirut.

Recent Beirut Activity

  • MandaS

    has been to The Grudge (Al Ba’sa)

    about 1 month ago
  • tzarinalevine

    wants to go to The Grudge (Al Ba’sa)

    29 days ago
  • DemonLaz

    wants to go to The Grudge (Al Ba’sa)

    22 days ago
  • DemonLaz

    wants to go to The Egg

    22 days ago
  • Ethan1000

    has been to The Egg

    12 days ago

Stories About Beirut

These glass vessels survived for more than 1,500 years before being shattered in the 2020 Beirut explosion. An international team of museum conservators carefully pieced them back together.

Saving the Ancient Glass Artifacts Shattered in the Beirut Explosion

These centuries-old vessels now have new stories to tell.
by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing
September 8, 2022
The unfinished Beirut City Center Complex, known locally as the Egg, in December 2019.

How an Abandoned Modernist Cinema Became a Revolutionary Symbol in Lebanon

The Beirut Egg is riddled with bullet holes and covered in graffiti. Protesters recently reclaimed it.
by Justin Higginbottom
February 26, 2020
Recent comics and graphic zines from Beirut.

War, Romance, and Everyday Life in Beirut's Emerging Alt-Comix Scene

A generation of creators is carrying on the Arab world's history of expression and frustration.
by Jonathan Guyer
September 9, 2019

The Middle East as Old Hollywood Saw It

Come to this Beirut poster shop for the lurid stereotypes, stay for the giant killer crab.
by Pesha Magid
August 12, 2019
A falafel stand in Gaza.

Around the Middle East in Hummus and Falafel

A new book is an ode to chickpeas and the people that love them.
by Olivia Snaije
July 26, 2019

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.