National Museum of Beirut.

As Lebanon’s premier archaeological institution, the National Museum of Beirut houses a chronological collection that spans from prehistoric times to the Ottoman era. The building itself is an architectural landmark, featuring a French-inspired Egyptian Revival façade of ochre limestone. Inside, the curated circuit highlights the region’s complex history, most notably the sarcophagus of King Ahiram, which bears the earliest known Phoenician inscription. The museum is perhaps most famous for its survival; positioned on the "Green Line" during the Lebanese Civil War, it suffered heavy damage, yet staff famously saved the collection by encasing large statues in concrete to shield them from shelling. Today, the restored galleries offer a serene, light-filled space to view Roman mosaics, Persian-style columns, and delicate Phoenician bronzes.