The main square
Stone buildings and a fountain.
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Deir al-Qamar is a stone mountain town in the Chouf, at about 800 m, among the prettiest in Lebanon and among the best at keeping its old character. It was once the capital of the Emirate of Mount Lebanon. Visitors come for its square surrounded by stone buildings, its red-roofed houses and its calm compared with Beirut. It was the seat of the Emirate of Mount Lebanon from the 16th to the 18th century. It has the 15th-century Fakhreddine Mosque, the palace of Fakhreddine II and the palace of Emir Yusuf Shihab, now home to the municipal council. It was a commercial and craft centre for textiles, metalwork and soap, and in 1864 it became the first village in Lebanon to have a municipality. You stand in the main square before the silk khan with its long stone arches, the octagonal minaret of the Fakhreddine Mosque and a small fountain. Lanes climb between houses with arched windows towards vineyards and green hills. Some palaces have inner courtyards with arches and trees, and from above the town you see its red roofs filling the valley. It is about 22 km in a straight line from Beirut, about 2 km from Moussa Castle and about 2 km from Beiteddine. A car is easiest, and you can combine them in one day. Wear suitable shoes for the stone lanes and treat residents with respect. The UK Foreign Office lists areas further south in Mount Lebanon, so check current guidance.
Stone buildings and a fountain.
Long stone arches.
An old octagonal minaret.
Chouf District, Mount Lebanon, 5 km from Beiteddine
Yes for the town alone, and allow a day if you add Beiteddine and Moussa Castle.
By car from Beirut on a mountain road, the easiest way to reach it.
