A) We look forward to having you at
Beit Beshmizzine

and

THANK YOU FOR

- Considering it your own home and maintaining it in good shape

- Not smoking inside the guesthouse (including cigarettes, cigars, arguileh (shisha) etc…
Only outdoor smoking is allowed

- Optimizing the use of electric power and fuel when using AC's in summer time, heating system and boilers.

- In winter time we provide every day 30 liters of fuel for hot water and heating the place. Additional spent amount will be charged at 15$ for 20 liters. Also guests are provided with a sufficient quantity of wood to spend a warm evening around the chimney.

- Keeping the neighbors in mind and therefore switching off the big projectors around the pool at 11pm keeping the smaller peripheral ones on and controlling the loud noises after this hour

- Keeping the main gate closed for safety and privacy purposes

- Respecting the separation between the guest and host houses

- Bringing your own towels as we are not providing any due to Covid-19 measures

- Making sure you don’t forget anything in the house at checkout as it might be impossible to have it delivered to you

- In case you’re bringing your pet, taking care of its cleanliness and making sure to avoid the swimming pool

- 8 guests is the strict maximum capacity of the house allowing them to enjoy the beauty of an unpacked space

- For hygene purposes, guests are not allowed to get in the pool in cloth but only when wearing swim suits.

- Note that Check in time should not be before 13:00 pm, as for the check out time not after 12:00 noon for logistic purposes.

- Check in takes place the day following the check out of a leaving guest (not on the same day) for sanitizing purposes.

- In case of any problem, clarification or request do not hesitate to reach out to us through Whatsapp.

We hope you enjoy your stay &
make the best out of it!

B) Tips about the solar system
at Beitbeshmizzine
To secure the maximum efficiency of the solar system of high charging power and stored energy, it is advisable to take care of the following:
1) operate the high power electric appliances (kettle, espresso machine, microwave, iron, hairdryer, full-automatic washer, the ac in the arched lobby & boiler) one at a time during daytime between 9:30 am till 3:30 pm at most for the sake of delaying the batteries discharge time
2) considering the lighting system/TV/bedroom AC's all these should be switched off when leaving any room or the house
3) the AC’s in the different bedrooms are of inverter type that could be turned on on hot nights before sleeping time while caring to close the outer door of the room as well as the inner toilets doors. Here it is advisable to put the temerature on 22 degree celcius and the ac fan “off” in order to enjoy cool air at a minimal electric current
4) separate fans were installed in each of the four bedrooms for the sake of substituting the AC’s when the batteries charge show a remarkable decrease (a whatsapp notification will be sent from the host to guests to shift thankfully from AC to fan).
5) when leaving the place for a certain time please make sure that Boiler, AC's, washing machine and other are all turned off as in this way you can make optimal use of the system.

C) Wine and Dine Around
1) Una Pizza 06-651244
https://www.zomato.com/beirut/una-pizza-amioun-koura
Delivery (Y)
2) Pizza Napoli 06-952355
https://www.zomato.com/beirut/pizza-napoli-amioun-koura
Delivery (Y)
3) Aziz Pizza 76-145747
https://www.zomato.com/beirut/aziz-pizza-amioun-koura
Delivery (Y)
4) Piece and Loaf 76-811216 (Burgers, Chicken wings and Beer)
https://www.instagram.com/pieceandloaf/
Delivery (Y)
5) Lounge 36 03-184545 (International)
Https://www.zomato.com/beirut/lounge-36-kousba-koura
Delivery (Y)
6) Sadat Resto 06-511181 (Lebanese sandwiches/grills/falafel)
https://www.zomato.com/beirut/sadat-resto-kousba-koura
Delivery (Y)
7) Khoury Kitchen 71-666155 (Local catering (kibbeh, grills, cheese rolls,…))
Delivery (Y)
8) Ayloul (Bar, Saj, Arguileh,…)
Delivery (N)
9) Furn Ramzi 70-121630 (Local bakery)
Delivery (Y)
10) Al Hallab 06-950782 (Lebanese sweets)
Delivery (Y)
11) Le Cremier 79-155944 (Ice Cream)
Delivery (Y)
12) Muscad'Or 06-662662 (Restaurent - catering)
Delivery (Y)
13) Al Mayseh 06931663 (Village Furn & resto)
Delivery (Y)
14) Furn Abou-Rabih 06-930621 (Manakeesh)
Delivery (Y)

D) Interesting touristic places 10 to 60 minutes from Beit Beshmizzine
1) Nabu Museum (at 10 minutes from Beshmizzine): Named after the Mesopotamian patron god of literacy, the Nabu museum is situated at the village of El-Heri on the coast of the Mediterranean. It offers an exceptional permanent collection of Bronze and Iron Age artifacts representing Roman, Greek, Byzantine, Phoenician and Mesopotamian, and contemporary Lebanese cultures, in addition to rare manuscripts and ethnographic material. The museum’s collections also include examples of local, regional, modern and contemporary art by Lebanese artists such as Shafic Abboud, Amin al -Bacha, Helen Khal, Dia Azzawi, Shakir al - Said, Omar Onsi, Mustapha Farroukh, Ismail Fattah, Adam Henein, Khalil Gibran, Paul Guiragossian and Mahmoud Obaidi along with a unique collection of works by Saliba Douaihy.
2) Qadisha / Qannoubine Valley (at 30 minutes from Beshmizzine): Qadisha, which in Aramaic means the holy or sacred, divides into two branches, the valley of Qozhaya and the valley of Qannoubine. One of the jewels of nature in North Lebanon, the valley that starts at 900 meters and extends to reach 1,900-meter altitude is sculpted from the rock at the foot of the highest peak of the Lebanese mountain chain, Qornet es-Sawda, which rises to 3083 meters. Churches, hermitages and caves are scattered all around. Scores of bodies have been discovered. well preserved after many centuries, with pieces of pottery and the remains of paintings and frescoes on the walls, and sometimes the remains of Maronite patriarchs who took residence or sought refuge between 1440 and 1823 when pressed first by the invading Mamelukes and then by the Turks. At Qozhaya there is an interesting museum showing the tools once used in the villages and a printing press with Syriac and Arabic type dating from the 17th century. In its neighborhood is Bekaa Kafra which is the highest village in Lebanon, where the famous modern hermit Saint Sharbel was born.
3) Bsharri and the Cedars Forest (at 40 to 60 minutes from Beshmizzine): Bsharri, is the village of the Cedars, is the birthplace and resting place of Gibran Khalil Gibran. The Gibran Museum houses his paintings, drawings and personal effects. Skiers and visitors could be carried from the parking level at 2,095 meters to the highest accessible summit of 2,870 meters. The cedars which crown the valley are all that remain of a forest that once covered the whole mountain chain of Lebanon. In this place one forgets oneself by leaving aside material considerations in order to commune with the Divine. The Cedars resort where the first lift was installed by the government in 1953 has a slightly longer season than the others, sometimes beginning early November and often lasting until late April. Pisted and off-piste skiing is possible, as well as nordic skiing and skidoo rides.
4) Rachana a Sculpture Museum (at 25 minutes from Beshmizzine): Rachana or the “International Capital of Sculpture in Open Air” as named by UNESCO established by the famed Basbous family. Its streets surrounded by wild daffodils are lined with limestone, steel, aluminum, bronze, wood, cement and stone sculptures. Drive past the villas with creative gates to the open-air museum, where you’ll find 60 years of artwork as well as Michel’s one-story home, constructed entirely without any right angles. Therese, the widow of Michel Basbous, explains that the house was created so that he could “live inside a sculpture.”
5) Batroun (at 20 minutes from Beshmizzine): Batroun’s distinct topography allows you to enjoy both sea and mountains all in the span of a few minutes. On the north end of Batroun overlooking the old harbor is the Maronite cathedral of St. Stephan (Mar Stefan). The 13th century Greek Orthodox St. George Church (Mar Gerges) is nearby with its impressive dome and the tiny chapel known as Our Lady of the Sea (Sadiyat al-Bahr), which overlooks Batroun’s sea wall. A short drive to the region of Kfarhay to visit the Monastery of St. Maroun is well worth the trip. Father John Maroun, who many believe is the founder of the Maronite community in Lebanon, built the monastery to enshrine the relics of the saint including his actual skull and books dating back to the 15th century.
6) Hiking path from Batroun to MseilHa citadel and surrounding villages (at 20 minutes from Beshmizzine): Heading up 11kms from the city is one of the most beautiful trails along the Nahr el Jaouz river. Lined with walnut trees near the river’s edge, the trek is fairly easy and picturesque. Experienced hikers can begin their journey at the village of Rashkida continuing until Beksmayya Bridge and heading uphill to Kfarhay where the monastery of St. Maroun is located. Another alternative is to follow another path heading towards MseilHa citadel. Don’t miss the Kfar Halda water source, the Daleh, El Ghawawit and El Toufah Springs. You can also tour the prominent sites near the port by bike or skip the car ride to Batroun altogether and bike it from Beirut.
7) Dayr Al-Natour (at 10 minutes from Beshmizzine): The convent’s ancient origin is attached to a legend. A rich man of the region committed adultery; filled with remorse, he attached a padlocked iron chain to his ankle and threw the key into the sea-shore and survived on the fish brought to him by local fishermen, who called him the guardian of the cavern. One day, a fisherman brought him a fish, in whose entrails the hermit found the key of the padlock. He knew then that God had delivered him from his suffering, and he built a convent above the cavern. He dedicated it to The Mother of God, but it also took the name of the Guardian. According to the Crusader document, the Monastery of the Presentation of Our Lady Natour was built by Cistercians. Indeed, the Church interior resembles that of the Cistercian Church of Balamand, built in 1157. Otherwise, the history of Dayr al-Natour is hidden in obscurity, although it is said that the local Orthodox community took it over after the departure of the Crusaders. Its name is almost unmentioned by historical sources during the Mamluk and most of the Ottoman period, although it is reported that French corsairs attacked the Monastery at the beginning of the eighteenth century and killed a monk. In 1838, the Ottoman authorities gave permission to the Monastery to be rebuilt. In the second half of the nineteenth century, it contained several monks and a superior, and it possessed fifteen dunums of land. During the First World War, it was bombarded by a Russian ship.
8) Hamatoura’s Monastery (at 15 minutes from Beshmizzine): On the northern side of the village of Kousba and 15 minutes from Beshmizzine, is the monastery of Our Lady of Hamatoura, built in the rocky hollow of a high cliff which overlooks the holy valley of Kadisha. The most ancient part of the monastery is the church of Saint Jacob, belonging to the 4th century. Some quite well preserved frescoes dating back to the middle ages cover its walls, one of which shows the Holy Virgin, Queen of Heaven, seated on a throne with the Child Jesus on her knees. And close by the monastery is a rocky cave where one may perceive the base of a stalagmite, where barren women come to pray in the hope of bearing a child, for this grotto was dedicated to the pagan goddess of fecundity. Late in the 13th century, Saint Jacob began his ascetic life and stubbornly refused all sorts of pressures on him by the Mamlukes who ended up killing him and burning the church. Today, believers and pilgrims are constantly reporting his apparitions, miraculous healings and other Grace-filled deeds.
9) Byblos (at 30 minutes from Beshmizzine): Byblos is located about 42 km (26 mi) north of Beirut. It is attractive to archaeologists because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation. It was first excavated by Pierre Montet from 1921 until 1924, followed by Maurice Dunand from 1925 over a period of forty years.[15][16] The site first appears to have been settled during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, approximately 8800 to 7000 BC.[1][17] Neolithic remains of some buildings can be observed at the site. According to the writer Philo of Byblos (quoting Sanchuniathon, and quoted in Eusebius), Byblos had the reputation of being the oldest city in the world, founded by Cronus. During the 3rd millennium BC, the first signs of a town can be observed, with the remains of well-built houses of uniform size. This was the period when the Canaanite civilization began to develop. Prehistoric settlements at Byblos were divided up by Dunand into the following five periods, which were recently expanded and re-calibrated by Yosef Garfinkel to correlate with Tell es-Sultan (Jericho):
- Early Neolithic (Early Phase) corresponding to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) of Jericho, represented by plastered floors and naviforme technology, dated between 8800 and 7000 BC;
- Early Neolithic (Late Phase) corresponding to the PNA of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho) IX (also Yarmukian) between 6400 and 5800 BC represented by pottery, sickle blades, figurines and small points, dated between 6400 and 5800 BC; - Middle Neolithic corresponding to the PNB of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho) VIII and represented by pottery, dated between 5800 and 5300 BC;
- Late Neolithic corresponding to the Middle Chalcolithic of Beth Shean and represented by pottery, stone vessels, silos, chamber tombs and seals, dated between 5300 and 4500 BC; - Early Chalcolithic corresponding to the Late Chalcolithic of Ghassulian, represented by jar burials, pierced flint, churn and a violin figurine, dated to between 4500 and 3600 BC and,
- Late Chalcolithic corresponding to the Early Bronze Age, represented by architecture and cylinder seal impressions, dated to between 3600 and 3100 BC.
[1] Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman period: In the 12th and 13th century Byblos became part of the County of Tripoli, a Crusader state connected to, but largely independent from, the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. As Gibelet or Giblet, it came under the rule of the Genoese Embriaco family, who created for themselves the lordship of Gibelet. Their residence, the Crusader castle of Gibelet, along with the fortified town, served as an important military base for the Crusaders. The remains of the castle are among the most impressive architectural structures now visible in the town centre. The town was taken by Saladin in 1187, re-taken by the Crusaders, conquered by Baibars in 1266, but it remained in the possession of the Embriacos until around 1300. Its fortifications were subsequently restored.[dubious – discuss] From 1516 until 1918, the town and the whole region became part of the Ottoman Empire. Contemporary history: Byblos and all of Lebanon was placed under French Mandate from 1920 until 1943 when Lebanon achieved independence. The 2006 Lebanon War negatively affected the ancient city by covering its harbor and town walls with an oil slick that was the result of an oil spill from a nearby power-plant.[39] This however has been cleared and the coastal area has since then become a destination for beach goers, especially in the late spring and throughout the summer season.
10) Tripoli (at 30 minutes from Beshmizzine) : Tripoli is Lebanon’s second largest city and provides visitors with a great Middle Eastern vibe. Wander around the winding market places and historical sites and you’ll soon find yourself falling for its charm. Tripoli is located around 80km north of Beirut. Take the coastal highway northbound from the capital past Jounieh and Byblos, and follow the signs to Tripoli. Your first stop in Tripoli should be the old souks. Head into the souk, a frenetic maze of jewelry shops, kaake vendors and juice stands. Scattered throughout its tight alleyways are various Mamluk, Crusader and Ottoman relics, like the Mansouri Mosque, the Khan Al Saboun, a beautiful courtyard where soap is still made by hand, and Hammam El Jadid, a hammam with stunning mosaics and a glass dome ceiling. Tripoli’s Citadel was built by Raymond VI of Saint Gilles, a knight of the very First Crusade, who set out to conquer Tripoli and erected the castle around AD 1100. You can roam through the sprawling grounds of this Crusader Castle and admire its Frankish and Ottoman foundations. Every stone staircase leads to a new deck and each doorway opens up into a grand hall from Lebanon’s past. Climbing through the structure to the very top of the castle, visitors will find an unmatched panorama of Tripoli from above. Roaming around the laid-back seaside neighborhood of El Mina is a must in Tripoli. The El Mina quarter juts out into the sea and is defined by its relaxed and quaint atmosphere. Buildings are old and beautiful, and there is a tenable small town feeling, complete with colorful houses, local churches and charming alleys. Designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, the International Fair comprises 15 modernist concrete structures, which were intended to create a tourist hub. The complex was partially completed in 1974 but left unfinished due to Lebanon’s Civil War. The Getty Foundation recently announced that the site was being given a 225,000 USD grant as part of their “Keeping It Modern” initiative to spend on a two-year conservation and management plan. UNESCO has also placed the fair on their Indicative Heritage List, which is a step towards being considered for full World Heritage List status. The Palm Island Reserve consists of three islands. Declared a protected site by UNESCO in 1992, the islands are populated with endangered species of rabbits, monk seals and turtles. The largest island, Nakheel, features around 2,500 palm trees, with paths laid out for visitors. The islands are open to the public from July to September so take advantage. Just remember to negotiate the price of your boat trip at the port, pack some food and float away. Just down the Corniche from the Mina neighborhood is the Lion Tower, or Burj al Sabaa, and old train station. The Lion Tower was built by the Mamluks in the 14th century for military use, and was constructed using old Roman columns that were lain horizontally to fortify the tower. It is well worth the climb to the top to get a sweeping view of the Tripoli port. After a tour of the Lion Tower, walk around the old train station right beside the Tower. The famous Orient Express once ran from Homs in Syria to the station in Mar Mikhael. Today, visitors can walk around the unused and rusting train cars.