Lebanon’s (officially known as the Lebanese Republic) location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland had contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. Lebanon’s history is very long and interesting. Its territory was the site of some of the oldest human settlements in the world—the Phoenician ports of Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos were dominant centers of trade and culture in the 3rd-millennium BCE—it was not until 1920 that the contemporary state came into being. In that year France, which administered Lebanon as a League of Nations mandate, established the state of Greater Lebanon. Lebanon then became a republic in 1926 and achieved independence in 1943.
We would like to thank all the IRC staff – for all your information and guidance. We have to admit that Lebanese cuisine is one of the best in the world – especially hummus and falafels.