Beiteddine Palace History
The Beiteddine Palace, designed by an Italian architect, was built for Emir Bashir Shihab between 1788 and 1818.
The design of the palace reflects a beautiful mix of Arabic and Italian Baroque styles.
Among its many uses, it served as the Emir’s residence until 1840, as a government residence during the Ottoman occupation, as an administrative office under the French Mandate, and as the summer residence of the Lebanese President since 1943. The palace was declared a Historic Monument after it was restored in 1934.
The upper floor houses the Rashid Karami Archeological and Ethnographic Museum, which contains a miniature replica of the palace to provide visitors with an idea of the structure’s original form.
Since 1985, the palace hosts the Beiteddine Festival, one of the biggest annual music and art festivals in the Middle East.
Beiteddine Palace Location
Address: Beiteddine Palace is situated in the town of Beit ed-Dine, in Lebanon, around 40 km away from the capital city of Beirut. See below the location on the map: