By Stephanie Wigan

At the recent WLCU Sydney Gala Event, En Route to Beirut 2021, five Lebanese destinations were explored as part of the famous “Lebanese Taxi” journey to the beloved capital city, Beirut. We now provide the following summary on each of the destinations.

Tannoureen (تنورين‎)

The first destination explored at En Route was the wonderful Tannoureen. Well known for its ancient monasteries, Tannoureen is one of the main Lebanese towns located in the beautiful Batroun District.

The song played at the Gala Event for this region was A Hadeer El Bousta by Fairouz which translates to “The roaring of the bus”, and specifically refers to Tannoureen in the lyrics.

Highest altitude	1,500m
Co-ordinates: Latitude	34.1611° N
Co-ordinates: Longitude	35.9281° E
Distance from Beirut	75 km
Population	25,000 inhabitants

 

Zahle (زحلة‎)

The second destination explored at En Route was the majestic Zahle, which is known for its breathtaking scenary and is also the largest city within the Beqaa region.

The song played at the Gala Event for this region was Zahle Ya Dar Assalam by Nicola El Ousta. The title of this song translates to “Zahle, Oh home of peace” and there is also specific reference to Zahle in the lyrics.

Highest altitude	1,150m
Co-ordinates: Latitude	33.8463° N
Co-ordinates: Longitude	35.9020° E
Distance from Beirut	55 km
Population	150,000 inhabitants

 

Byblos (جبيل)

The third destination explored at En Route was the glorious Byblos. As one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Byblos (Jbeil) was first occupied in approximately 7,000 BC.

The song played at the Gala Event for this region was Endak Bahriyah by Wadih El-Safi. The title of the song translates to “Do you have sailors” and in the lyrics reference is made to the ports, the sea, wet sand and sailors.

Highest altitude	1,169 m
Co-ordinates: Latitude	34.1230° N
Co-ordinates: Longitude	35.6519° E
Distance from Beirut	35 km
Population	40,000 inhabitants

 

Sidon (صيدا‎)

The fourth destination explored at En Route was the delightful Sidon (commonly known as Saida), situated on the coast and was one of the most important Phoenician cities.

The song played at the Gala Event for this region was Waadouni W Natarouni by Sabah. The title translates to “They promised me and they made me wait”, and the song specifically refers to Saida in the lyrics.

Highest altitude	1,000m
Co-ordinates: Latitude	33.5571° N
Co-ordinates: Longitude	35.3729° E
Distance from Beirut	40 km
Population	80,000 inhabitants

 

Beirut (بيروت)

The final destination explored at En Route was the magnificent Lebanese capital city of Beirut, renowned for its lively metropolitan culture.

The song played at the Gala Event for the beloved capital city was Ishtaknalik Ya Beirut by Pascale Sakr which translates to “We Miss you Oh Beirut”.

Capital city of Lebanon
Highest altitude	102m
Co-ordinates: Latitude	33.8938° N
Co-ordinates: Longitude	35.5018° E
Population	2.4 million inhabitants