Baabda, a name bound up with the history of the nation! Twice it has been the capital or effectively so. A century lies between the residence of the Mutassarifs (1861-1914, governors of Little Lebanon) and the residence of the President of the Republic today, Twice Baabda has become the seat of the highest authority in Lebanon. Hills covered with pine woods, olive and palm groves, and fine villas overlook the capital city Beirut.
Baabda is the symbol of the independence, autonomy, sovereignty and liberty of the Lebanese nation. Every Lebanese has a feeling for this place as for his own home, for it bears so many memories of historical and national import...
Of late, the palace has welcomed His Holiness Pope John Paul II, President Jacques Chirac of France, many kings and other heads of foreign countries, statesmen and celebrities.
The old seraglio stands close to the new palace erected in the early second half of the twentieth century, following a style that is modern, practical and agreeable to behold.
- The Presidential Palace: >> View Movie << (2001-06-01)
