(History Carved in Stone 15 km)
The
historical
inscriptions
found
at
the
mouth
of
the
Nahr-el-kalb
(Dog
River,
the
Lycus
of
the
Romans)
represent
a
unique
combination
of
history
and
geography.
In
distant
antiquity
the
steep
cliffs
here
made
it
an
impassable
barrier.
Later
the
Assyrians
and
Romans
managed
to
overcome
the
difficulty
by
building
a
road
and
a
bridge.
In
modern
times
the
Lebanese
blasted
a
tunnel
through
the
rock
to
accommodate
the
coastal
highway,
changing
forever
the
historic
aspect
of
the
site.
The
Mamluke
Period
bridge
seen
today
has
been
reconstructed
several
times,
most
recently
by
Emir
Bashir
Chehab
II
in
1809.
The
other
bridge,
with
three
arches,
was
built
by
Wassa
Pasha,
mutassarrif
of
Mount
Lebanon
between
1883
and
1892.
There are two inscriptions in Greek. One is illegible but the other commemorates more road and engineering work. This was accomplished in 382 by Proclus, Byzantine governor of Phonecia under Theodose the Grand (388-395). Another stele commemorates the expedition that Napoleon III sent to Lebanon in 1860-1861.
Among the 20th century inscriptions, one records that French troops under General Gouraud took Damascus in 1920. Two others dated 1919 and 1930 report that the British Desert Corps took Damascus, Homs and Aleppo in October 1918. The British and French occupation of Beirut and Tripoli in October 1918 is recorded as well.
Besides the 17 steles left before Lebanon's independence, there is one marking the Evacuation of foreign armies from Lebanon on December 31, 1946, and another commemorating the French war dead.
(BYBLOS - JEITA GROTTO - TRIPOLI - SIDON - ZAHLÉ - BAALBECK)
(THE CEDARS - TYRE - BEITEDDINE - AANJAR)
EGYPT - SYRIA - JORDAN