Nejmeh Square

Nejmeh Square is the ceremonial heart of downtown Beirut, a star-shaped plaza from which the main streets of the central district radiate outward. Known in French as Place de l'Étoile, it was laid out under the French mandate in the 1920s and 30s in the radial, geometric style then fashionable across Europe.

Its clock tower is the defining landmark. A handsome four-faced clock, a gift from a wealthy Lebanese emigrant early in the twentieth century, rises at the centre of the square and has become one of the most photographed sights in the entire city. Pale stone arcades, shuttered windows and elegant facades line the surrounding streets, giving the plaza a distinctly Mediterranean-European air quite unlike the rest of the Middle East.

The square carries considerable political weight. The Lebanese Parliament building stands directly on it, and nearby churches and the great blue-domed Al-Amin Mosque frame the wider downtown beyond. For years after its careful post-war reconstruction, the plaza and its cafés were a favourite evening promenade, though tight security around the Parliament has at times restricted public access to parts of it.

For visitors it is the natural centre of the rebuilt downtown. When open, it is a pleasant place to sit at a café table beneath the clock tower and take in the restored architecture, an easy stop on a walk that can also take in the exposed Roman ruins, the souks and Martyrs' Square nearby. It is flat, central and accessible, though access may be limited during political tensions; check conditions locally, and combine it with the surrounding sights of the central district. When the plaza is closed for security, the surrounding arcaded streets and rebuilt souks still make for a pleasant stroll.