Beirut
Capital and largest city of Lebanon, ancient port and economic hub.
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, located on a peninsula at the midpoint of the country’s Mediterranean coastline. As of 2025, Greater Beirut is home to approximately 2.4 million people, accounting for just under half of Lebanon’s total population, making it the twelfth-largest city in the Levant region and the sixteenth-largest in the Arab world. The city has been continuously inhabited for more than 5,000 years, placing it among the world’s oldest urban settlements. Its earliest known settlement was on an island in the Beirut River, which later silted up and became part of the mainland. Excavations in the downtown area have uncovered layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Persian, and Ottoman remains. The name Beirut derives from the Phoenician word for “wells,” referring to the site’s accessible water table, and is first attested in 14th-century BC Akkadian cuneiform tablets. The city was later Hellenised and Romanised, and under Roman rule it was refounded as a colony. Beirut serves as Lebanon’s seat of government and is central to the national economy, hosting numerous banks and corporations. Its port is a vital seaport for the country and region, and the city is classified as a Beta- World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Beirut has suffered severe damage from the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut, undergoing reconstruction after each event. Its architectural and demographic makeup has changed significantly in recent decades.
- Population (Greater Beirut, 2025)
- 2.4 million
- Country
- Lebanon
- Region
- Levant
- Rank in Levant
- Twelfth-largest city
- Rank in Arab world
- Sixteenth-largest city
- Founded
- Over 5,000 years ago
- Classification
- Beta- World City
Lore & Background
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of the country’s Mediterranean coast. Greater Beirut is home to roughly 2.4 million people as of 2025, accounting for just under half of Lebanon’s total population, making it the twelfth-largest city in the Levant and the sixteenth-largest in the Arab world. The city has been continuously inhabited for more than 5,000 years, placing it among the world’s oldest urban centers. Its earliest settlement was on an island in the Beirut River, but the channel later silted up, merging the island with the mainland. Excavations in the downtown area have uncovered layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Persian, and Ottoman remains. Beirut serves as Lebanon’s seat of government and is a central hub for the national economy, hosting numerous banks and corporations. It is also a major seaport for the country and the broader region, classified as a Beta- World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. The city has suffered severe damage from the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut, and has been rebuilt after each event. These conflicts have significantly altered Beirut’s architectural and demographic makeup in recent decades.
Reader's Guide
Its architectural and demographic structure underwent major change in recent decades. The city's earliest settlement was on an island in the Beirut River, which later silted up. Excavations in the downtown area have unearthed layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Persian, and Ottoman remains. The Phoenician port was located between Rue Foch and Rue Allenby, now buried under the city. Beirut's significance lies in its continuous habitation for over five millennia, its role as a major Mediterranean port and economic center, and its resilience through repeated destruction and rebuilding.
Did You Know?
- Beirut is one of the oldest cities in the world, inhabited for more than 5,000 years.
- The name Beirut derives from the Phoenician word bēʾrūt, meaning 'wells.'
- The city's ancient Phoenician port is now buried under the modern city.
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