Lebanon 2023 – The Triple Arch Tour

Highlights From This Trip

• 5 Days
• 27 Locations Explored
• 500 miles driven
• ~200 photos
• Ottoman style architecture, iconic triple arches
• Steam trains, an aquarium, international fair, hotels, a cinema,hammam

Lebanon is a small country located in the Middle East (there it is, the tiny blue rectangle in the bottom right corner of the map above!). Despite its tiny size, it is packed with so much beauty. From the stunning beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, through the misty cedar groves of Kadisha Valley,to the snow-capped peaks of the Mount Lebanon range. For a photographer devoted to uncovering the beauty of lost places, Lebanon has a lot to explore.

The beauty of the exotic architecture drew me to Lebanon in the summer of 2023. The Lebanese building style is so different from anything else I have previously photographed. Many of the high-society houses and palaces from the 19th century conform to a certain style. Their key features are: red roof tiles, high ceilings, interior arcades, and three pointed arch windows/balconies on the street-facing wall of a large central room. These triple (or quintuple, five) arch windows are stunning, often accompanied by ornate ceilings of the large adjacent room. Add in some natural decay or some vivid green plant growth, and you can find the most beautiful motifs.

Hitting the streets, getting Off to a great start!

After a few short hours of sleep, my alarm went off, and it was time to hit the streets. The first day, I wanted to jump right in, and was excited to immerse myself in this beautiful country. Luckily, there were plenty of locations within easy walking distance of the hotel, so day one was done completely on foot. This is a rare treat for me, I usually spend so much time inside the car on these trips.

The first day was stuffed full of amazing locations, and many miles walked. Most of these were palaces and houses with beautiful architecture, as well as some Art Deco hotels and residences. By the time the sun set I had certainly earned my dinner, and some tasty cocktails in one of the many lively bars.

Leaving Beirut, and travelling around the rest of Lebanon

After a day and a half in Beirut, it was finally time to get some use out of the hire car. With only five days in Lebanon, I want to see as much of the country as I can in this short time. I have so many locations, spread all over the country.

First, I travelled east, exploring the lost houses and palaces of the mountain villages. Many of these bear the scars of the 1975–1990 civil war. Now they are collapsing, and are now being invaded by plants.

Secondly, I travel north to Tripoli and the surrounding countryside, exploring more houses and palaces. I also visited a well known unfinished aquarium, which was surprisingly photogenic even though it was only a concrete husk. Throw in some rusty steam trains, old hammams (bath houses), and an international fairground, and this was a day filled with variety!

On the final days of the trip, I travelled east towards the Syria border, as well as south towards Israel, capturing so many beautiful lost places along the way.

An interesting film choice – Washi X

My grandad’s camera joined me on this trip once again! To capture the beautiful colours of Lebanon, I decided on colour film for this trip. I picked up a roll of Washi X that has been chilling in my fridge for a few months, and I thought it would be perfect for this trip! This film is without an orange mask, which produces warm toned images with rich, saturated colours. I cannot wait to see how they turn out!

More behind-the-scenes photos from my Lebanon 2023 Road Trip

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this road trip blog! Here are the rest of the behind-the-scenes snaps and preview photos from this trip, see you next time <3.