"Beqaa Valley - Coelesyria" Mohafazat Beqaa by MM212

The impressive Beqaa Valley separates the Lebanon from the Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. This highly fertile valley lies at an altitude of over 850m, between mountain peaks that reach 3000m, and provides Lebanon with much of its agricultural farms. Its dramatic topography was created by the same geological fault line that gave us the Dead Sea and the Red Sea further south. Two important rivers run through it: the Orontes and the Leontes, known in Arabic as al-Assi and al-Litani and run northwards and southwards, respectively. The Beqaa, named Coelesyria (i.e., "hollow" Syria) in the Graeco-Roman world, is home to some of Lebanon's most impressive ancient ruins, namely Baalbek and Aanjar, as well as Lebanon's wine industry.

Lebanon itinerary in March 2005:

Beirut - Beqaa Valley - Baalbek - Aanjar - Liban Nord (northern Lebanon) - El Arz - Tripoli - Mont Liban - Byblos - Tyre - Sidon

Lebanon itinerary in November 2005:

Beirut - Liban Nord (northern Lebanon) - Tripoli - Beqaa Valley - Baalbek - Aanjar - Mont Liban - Byblos

Syria & Lebanon itinerary in March 2008:

Syria - Beqaa Valley - Beirut

Lebanon & Syria itinerary in Dec 2009/Jan 2010:

Beirut - Liban Nord - Tripoli - Byblos - Beqaa Valley - Aanjar - Damascus - Baalbek - Mont Liban - Tyre - Sidon