Hlaliye: Cave, Castles and Well

Near El Hlâlîyé, east of Saida, an archaeological cave was identified as a Roman tomb in 1998. Hlaliye’s monuments include Nassib Beik Joumblatt Castle, Sheikh Elias Al-Hachem Castle and the old well of Al-Hlaliyeh.

Together, these sites represent different kinds of evidence for local cultural history: the archaeological identification of the cave as a tomb, two castles and a well. The year 1998 refers to the identification and places this archaeological connection in time.

More topics in the South Lebanon Governorate

If you would like to explore not only an individual place but also the cultural and landscape context, the South Lebanon Governorate offers additional topics. Examples range from a UNESCO World Heritage Site to traditional soapmaking and a waterfall. This makes it possible to distinguish interests in archaeology, crafts and landscapes. Tyre, the Audi Foundation Soap Museum and Jezzine Waterfall each offer a different perspective on the wider destination.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tyre consists of two separate areas: the site on the promontory of the modern city and the El Bass necropolis on the mainland. The site in the city of Tyre includes remains of Roman baths, two palaestras, an arena, a Roman colonnaded street and a residential quarter. It also includes the remains of a cathedral built by the Venetians in 1127 and sections of the walls of an old Crusader castle. The Tyre El Bass area comprises the remains of a necropolis and a wide monumental road overlooked by a Roman triumphal arch dating from the 2nd century AD.

The two dated structures offer a comparison of periods within the World Heritage Site: the triumphal arch dates from the 2nd century AD, while the cathedral was built by the Venetians in 1127. A Roman monument and a Venetian cathedral thus stand alongside each other as distinct historical reference points.

In the South Lebanon Governorate, the Audi Foundation Soap Museum offers a different way to explore the region’s culture. In a vaulted room, visitors learn about traditional soapmaking through old tools; exhibits on bathhouses add another dimension to the subject. Craft and bathhouse themes thus come together in one museum. This brings soapmaking into focus alongside Tyre’s archaeological and architectural remains.

Jezzine broadens the regional perspective with a landscape attraction. Jezzine Waterfall lies 904 metres above sea level and is considered the world’s fifth-highest waterfall and the highest in the Middle East. This gives visitors a specific elevation and two superlative descriptions: 904 metres refers to its absolute height above sea level, while the superlatives rank the waterfall in global and regional terms. As a contrast to historic sites and museum exhibits, Jezzine adds a landscape element to the region’s mix of topics.

For the wider travel overview: Saida.