Trip Information

In order to be able to join the Trip you have to fill all personal informationand hiking profile information. Please do so before clicking on attending.

Kindly check Baldati Hiking Club "Terms & Conditions" which you have to sign before taking the bus or pullman and go hiking with Baldati.

Smoking is not allowed with Baldati

Village:

Saida

Caza:

Saida

Mouhafazat:

South Lebanon

Date:

Sunday February 20 ,2011 - see weather

Guide:

 Baldati Team - Mohamad EZein

Departure:

• 8:00 am: Dbayeh-Parking Spineys (3,000 LBP)
• 8:15 am: Alfa bridge - furnelchebbak

Road :

Dbayeh - South Highway

Hiking Duration :

Smooth Hike between visits approximately 1 hour

Distance :

5 km

Max Altitude :

 m

Min Altitude :

 m

Level :

 Touristic Tour

   Price :

- Normal :40,000 LBP

N.B. Pay in the bank and 35000 lbp save 5000 lbp (save time and buy many trips and it will be saved in your account)

 $ account

LB12 0056 0006 9621 7461 0020 1002

LBP account 

LB12 0056 0006 9621 7461 0010 1005

Make sure to include your full name and a description for payment

Keep a copy of your receipt reference no. and send to  info@baldati.com 

   N.B. Your reservation won’t be official until full payment is made

Return Time

about 7:30 PM - according to traffic 

Description:

Dear Wild Lebanon participant you will have the opportunity on Sunday February 20,2011 to visit the South Area . This event is definitely like no other! In addition to visiting and discovering Sidon & Surafand , we will have the occasion to get to know more and more about South   :

- 1^st we will start in Saidon Eshmoun Temple

- 2nd we will  visit the See Castle .

- And after we will countinoue to the Khan El Franj,  to The Great Mosque Al Omari , and The Greek Orthodox Churche

- We will pass to Sidom Soap Museum "Audi" , and if we still have time we will visit the Debbaneh Palace

- At The end we will visit SARAFAND craft of glass blowing   

And now as we are tired and hungry we will pass to Sarafand to take a Lebanese fish lunch it will be optional . For the ones who desire a smooth hike is available in the village .

Sidon is famous for a variety of local sweets which you can watch being made in the old souk or in shops on the main street.

 The particular specialty of Sidon is known as "senioura," a delicious crumbly cookie On our way back we will pass to Saida for sweets

We are proud to have such ideal tour, Come to share with Wild Lebanon .com an unforgettable moments altogether….

MORE DESCRIPTIONS

SAIDA (SIDON, SAIDON) is said to mean "fishing", and even today fishermen moor their boats in the small picturesque port. Sidon was the third great Phoenician city-state, rivaling Byblos and Tyre as a naval power

THE SEA CASTLE:

The sea castle comes into view at the same time as the old city of Sidon when following the littoral coming from the north. Built by the crusaders in 1227-1228, it was partially destroyed by the mameluks in 1291. Its famous ruins have inspired many orientalist travelers in the 19th century. A relatively coherent portion of its initial structure can be admired. Access to the castle is provided by a stone bridge built over eight arches and reconstructed in 1936.

DEBBANEH PALACE:

This XVIIIth century house was built in 1721 and listed as an historic monument in 1968. Being a prime example of the multifaceted aspects of Arab-Ottoman architecture, it is a perfect testimony to the damascene decoration developed from the mamelouk tradition and the ottoman art. In 1800 the Debbané family acquired the house and turned it into their main residence. The purpose of the Debbané Foundation created in 1999 is to restore the building and establish it as a museum. The house is already open to the public.

Visit our website : www.museumsaida.org

THE STREETS:

The Medina of Sidon is a maze of streets, alleyways, covered passages and little squares that amount to a labyrinthine route of 14 kilometers. However, under the apparent chaos, a kind of order prevails: the alleyways are divided by commercial or handicraft activities, and the location of trades on the ground floor and dwellings on the upper floors transforms the districts into “places of all exchanges”.

The vernacular architecture of the Medina reveals its past as a city confined in its ramparts and whose growth could not be realized but upwards: as their extensions were successively added, the higher lodgings have come to cross the alleyways from one side to the other, constituting covered passages characteristic of the Medina.

Thus, the tour of the old city and its urban fabric offers a faithful image of Sidon’s social and cultural identity.

KHAN EL FRANJ:

Built by Emir Fakhreddine II in 1610 to promote economic exchange with France, the Khan El Franj, or “caravanserai of the French” was called thus as it welcomed travelers and merchants of that era, French in their majority, who came to conduct their business. The majestic and massive Khan El Franj remains the most impressive monument of the maritime façade of the city of Sidon. Rehabilitated by the Hariri Foundation, it will house a museum and a permanent exhibition room.

THE GREAT MOSQUE AL OMARI:

Constructed by the mamelouks in 1291 and called “Al Omari” in tribute to Omar Ibn El Khattab, this very large mosque is undoubtedly, one of the finest examples of Islamic religious architecture of the 13th century.

Its earlier structure was probably the refectory of the medieval ensemble built for the knights of Saint John the Hospitable. Seriously damaged by the Israeli bombing of 1982, Al Omari mosque underwent a long and thorough restoration that was duly attributed the Agha Khan architecture prize in 1989.

HAMMAM AL WARD:

Build in 1730 (as indicated by the plaque above the entrance door), this hammam is still in operation today. Located near the Great Mosque Al Omari, this public bath is of a classical ottoman architectural style that respects the tripartite plan of Roman thermals. It is composed of an entrance hall leading to a large and beautiful hall purveyed with a central pool, a place where people take their clothes off before entering the heated rooms reserved for the bath.

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH:

Erected in 1690, this church with its elegant stone archways is representative of the old city’s religious monuments. Its three-doors iconostasis separates the side aisles from the sanctuary where the tabernacle is mounted by a very fine representation of the Christ. 

Other descriptions:

This is an "Open Event", hikers are allowed to bring friends and invite others to join after informing them of all the details of the trip.

Please note that our journey conditions requires that you bring with you:

• Clothing: Comfortable Shirt/Pants, Warm jacket, Hat/cap,
• HIKING BOOTS: water proof suit will be needed in case of rainy day
• Food and Water:  High-calorie quick-burn energy food , dried fruit, candy, fruitcake, small sandwiches, nuts, cookies

For Reservation

Contact Baldati on

 03666565 ,  04-922 999 , 04-924100

wildlebanon@baldati.com

• Please note any cancellations after Saturday 12 pm will incur a fee of 20,000 LBP. 
• In case of bad weather baldati will switch to "Plan B" in the same region of the trip including :cultural and touristic visits
  • Number of participants on this event Listed below is not accurate since not all of you are registering using this page. Please DO, to help us organize better your events.
  • Click Attending on the right and win a ticket to the Lottery in the Bus on a Free Hiking Trip ticket.
  • You can tell your family and friends to track you during hiking on www.baldati.com/all/hiking 
  • Number of participants on this event Listed below is not accurate since not all of you are registering using this page. Please DO, to help us organize better your events.
  • Click Attending on the right and win a ticket to the Lottery in the Bus on a Free Hiking Trip ticket.
  • You can tell your family and friends to track you during hiking on www.baldati.com/all/hiking 

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