Over the last few months, Anjar has been repeatedly mentioned in the media. This is primarily because Anjar was the control center for the Syrian command in Lebanon. Anjar was in effect the last town the Syrians left on their way out of Lebanon.

Anjar is situated 58 kilometers (36 miles) east of Beirut in the Beqaa valley sandwiched between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. This almost perfect quadrilateral of ruins lies in the midst of the richest agricultural land in Lebanon.

The same year (1943) that Lebanon gained its independence, the excavation started. At the time, Anjar looked barren and stagnant swamps covered the vast area of the archaeological remains. Excavation engineers drained the swamps, planted evergreen cypresses and eucalyptus trees, and restored some monuments. The result is a 114,000 square-meter (28 acre) site of the eighth century Umayyad dynasty.

The Umayyads were the first of the two great dynasties of the Arab Muslim empire. They ruled in the first century after the Prophet Mohammed, from 660 until 750 A.D. The Umayyads excelled at planning and execution, and lead some of the greatest Arab conquests in history. Their skills allowed the empire to prosper for one hundred years. The founder Walid I, son of Caliph Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwan, lead the effort approximately between 705 and 715 A.D.

The Umayyad city is a testament to city planning. The city was built around three palaces. The southeast contained Palace I and a mosque. The southwest is the residential area. The northwest featured Palace II, and the northeast contained Palace III and public baths.

The palaces are an architectural beauty of slender columns and fragile arches. The city is divided into four quarters by the intersection of two wide main streets that run from north to south and from east to west with shops on both sides. It reminds you of a modern day shopping mall.

You can credit the Umayyads for building the first shopping mall. 600 shops have been uncovered. Standing between these ruins makes you imagine how this area used to buzz with trade and commerce.

The site is rectangular in shape surrounded by four tall walls with a huge gate and towers on each wall. The gates and towers were deemed an Architectural necessity by the Umayyad rulers for protection. The masonry work, of Byzantine origin, consists of courses of cut stone alternating with courses of brick. This technique reduced the effects of earthquakes.

The Umayyads were masters in utilizing technologies available to them for improving their style of living. Take for example the Umayyad baths. These contain the three classical sections of the Roman bath: the changing room which is large enough for resting and socializing, and three rooms for cold, warm and hot water.

Umayyad ruins are not the only attraction in Anjar. The Anjar Spring is just steps away from the Umayyad ruins. Besides being a beautiful picnic area, it is surrounded by a variety of ruins suggesting that a Greek-Roman city once flourished around it. Excavations have yet to start in the Anjar Spring, but when they do, there is a good chance that archaeologists will unearth the lost "Chalcis of Lebanon".

Another attraction in Anjar is Zobah, the former capital of a large Aramean kingdom which existed one thousand years before Christ, stretching from the Euphrates to the Yarmouk River. Karak Nuh is well worth a visit and can be found a few kilometers west of the ruins. Here, legend says, a large lake once covered the now fertile plain and it was there that Noah's ark landed after the flood.

Anjar ruins are open daily for visits. Close to the ruins of Anjar are a number of restaurants which are famous for fresh trout plus a full array of Lebanese and Armenian dishes. Armenians, who emigrated from Turkey and surrounding countries, are the current residents of Anjar. While there are not any hotels in Anjar, accommodations can be easily found within a 15 Km (9 mile) radius.

View the associated photos of Anjar.