Chtaura: Museum Art and Culture in Bekaa

Chtaura has a distinctive cultural landmark in the Emile Hannouche Museum. The wider Bekaa travel destination adds its own themes: in Anjar, the urban planning of an excavated complex takes center stage, while the landscape and events appeal to other interests. When choosing a vacation rental, it is therefore worth first considering whether the museum in Chtaura or several regional themes will be the focus of your trip.

The Emile Hannouche Museum in Chtaura

The Emile Hannouche Museum opened in Chtaura on September 22, 2017. Its collection comprises more than 900 Lebanese paintings and unique works of Melkite art. Painting and Melkite art give the museum a distinct cultural profile. For travelers who also base their choice of destination on their interest in art, it offers a specific connection to Chtaura.

Urban planning and culture in the wider Bekaa travel destination

Anjar: a fortified city complex

In the wider Bekaa travel destination, the excavated fortified city of Anjar is considered an outstanding example of urban planning under the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century. It was surrounded by walls with forty flanking towers and covered a rectangular area measuring 385 × 350 meters. A main axis runs north to south; together with the less important east–west axis, it divides the complex into four equal quarters. The southeast quarter contained the caliph’s large palace and the mosque, on the highest part of the complex. The axes and quarters make the layout understandable as an ordered whole: the fortifications, city plan, and significant buildings together define the character of the complex.

A monument in Zahlé

Another notable landmark in Bekaa is the bronze statue of the Virgin Mary in the tower of Our Lady of Zahlé and Bekaa. The statue is nine meters tall and was created by the Italian artist Pierotti. An elevator leads to it. If you plan to visit the statue, check in advance whether the elevator is currently operating.

Events in Zahlé

The Festival of the Vine is traditionally held every September in Zahlé. For several weeks, the program features daily concerts, plays, readings, and art exhibitions. The festival therefore offers a range of cultural highlights within a single event. For a specific trip, check the dates of the relevant edition.

Landscape in Bekaa

Those interested in natural landscapes will find the Aammiq wetlands in the wider Bekaa travel destination. They lie at an elevation of about 865 meters on the western side of the central Bekaa Valley, at the foot of the eastern slopes of the Barouk Mountains. This geographical setting gives the nature theme a different focus from Anjar’s fortified city layout: here, the landscape shapes the scene; there, it is the layout of a historic city complex.

Choose a vacation rental to suit your plans

If you also want to include Anjar’s city complex, Zahlé’s cultural attractions, or the Aammiq natural area, make your choice based on the places you actually plan to visit and the balance you want between culture, architecture, and landscape. This keeps Chtaura distinct as a destination in its own right, while other interests are associated with the wider Bekaa travel destination.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Aley, Admā, Jiyeh, Damour, Batroûn, Dhour Choueir, Ḑahr Al Ḩarf, Dahr Broummana

Back to the main travel overview: Lebanon.