This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.
www.kaftoun.com
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A hearty and tasteful Lebanese vegetarian appetizer which is also common to other countries of the Levant (Near East).
| 6 - 8 |
| 2 |
| 1/2 hour |
Ingredients:
| 2 large, about 1 kg (32 oz) |
| 1/4 cup |
| 1/4 cup |
| 1 tsp. |
| 3 sm. cloves |
| 1/2 tsp. (as desired) |
| to taste |
| 2 tbsp. |
Directions:
- Grill eggplants on high heat from 15 to 20 minutes after piercing them by a fork on all sides turning frequently. When tender, wash under running water then peel off skin while hot and remove stem.
- In a deep bowl pound garlic to a fine pure´ with the salt. Add the skinned eggplant and pound to a course pure´ consistency (use a food processor, if available, but don't liquify or finely pure´). Gradually blend in the sesame paste, lemon juice, and vinegar until the mixture is consistent. If thick, adjust by lemon juice and water.
Variation:
- Don't add Tahini and eliminate or reduce the lemon juice to get Bathinjan Moutabal. Serve it with Arabic Bread
Serving suggestions:
- Garnish with parsley, red pepper and olive oil and serve with warmed up Arabic Bread
