Arrival. The steamers anchor in the harbour (Pl. F, G, 1). The landing is better managed than at Jaffa. Boat for 1 pers. 2 fr.; less for a party, as may be arranged. The hotels and tourist-agents send their men on board. The Douane (Pl. F, 1; passport and custom-house formalities; comp. p. [537]) is close to the landing-place.—To the E. of the Douane lies the Railway Station (Gare; Pl. F, G, 1).
Hotels. *Hôt. d’Allemagne (Pl. a; E, 1), well spoken of, Hôt. d’Orient (Pl. b; E, 1), both near the sea; Gassmann’s Hotel (Pl. c; F, 1), in the Sûk ed-Jemîl; pens. at these 12–15 fr. (less for a prolonged stay); Hôt. Victoria (Pl. d; E, 1), plainer, etc.—Restaurants. Blaich, Jean Schröter, both near the Hôt. d’Allemagne.
Electric Tramways. Four different lines traverse the town (comp. Plan); of these the Blue Line runs from the Place des Canons to the Lighthouse (Phare; Pl. A, 2), near the Râs Beirût (p. [483]).
Carriages. Drive 1 fr.; per hr. in town 2, in country 2–3 fr. (more on Sun.). Longer drives as may be arranged.—Horses. Half-day 1, whole day 1½ mejidieh.
Post Offices. Turkish (Poste Turque; Pl. F, 1); British, French, German, and others, Khân Antûn Beg (Pl. F, 1).—Telegraph Office (Internat.; Pl. F, 2), Derb el-Kebîreh (p. [483]).
Banks. Banque Ottomane (Pl. F, 1), Anglo-Palestine Co., German Palaestina-Bank, all at the harbour.—For the Turkish money, see p. [536].
Consulates. British (Pl. 2; G, 2): consul-general, H. A. Cumberbatch; vice-consul, H. E. W. Young.—United States (Pl. 6; C, 2): consul-general, G. B. Ravndal; vice-consul, L. Memminger.
Steamboat Agencies. Khedivial Mail, opposite the custom-house; Austrian Lloyd, Messag. Maritimes, and Russian Steam Navigation & Trading Co., all in Khân Antûn Beg (Pl. F, 1); Società Nazionale, opposite the German Bank.—Tourist Agents. Thos. Cook & Son, in the Hôtel d’Orient; Agence Lubin, Khân Antûn Beg (Pl. F, 1).
Churches. American Presbyterian Mission (Pl. F, 2); services on Sun. at 11 a.m. in English and at 9 a.m. in Arabic. Among the many other missions and schools are the British Syrian, the Ch. of Scotland Jewish, the Syrian Prot., and a number of German, French, etc.
Beirut (Fr. Beyrout, Arab. Beirût; pop. 190,000), the chief commercial place in Syria (Esh-Shâm), and the capital of the Turkish vilayet (province of a vali or governor) of that name, is beautifully situated, in 33° 50′ N. lat. and 35° 30′ E. long., on the S. shore of St. George’s Bay, between Râs Beirût (p. [483]) and Mt. St. Dimitri. To the E. rises Lebanon (p. xxxiv), with Jebel Keneiseh and Jebel Sannîn (p. [483]). The climate is mild and pleasant (mean temperature of Jan. 56° Fahr., of Aug. 81°), and the rainfall is considerable (34 in.). The sea-breezes render the summer bearable, but they are apt to fail in August and September. Many of the citizens then seek refuge in the summer quarters of Lebanon, to which Egyptians and Cypriotes also resort.