tourism crisis threatenslebanon\s jeita grotto
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

Mabas attraction close to collapse

Tourism crisis threatensLebanon's Jeita Grotto

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Tourism crisis threatensLebanon's Jeita Grotto

Lebanon's Jeita Grotto
Beirut - Somayya Mahmoud

Lebanon's Jeita Grotto The head of Mabas Lebanese tourism company, and the operator of Lebanon's "Jeita Grotto" tourism site, Nabil Hadad has said tourism in the site has been badly affected due to a variety of reasons. "The situation in the grotto this year is very bad due to a massive decline in tourism due o the unstable political and security situation in Lebanon, not enough attention from the tourism ministry and the municipality of Jeita in dealing with changing requirements for tourism services and the upkeep of the Grotto facilities," he said.
Hadad said to Arabstoday during an inspection visit: "After former prime minister Rafiq Hariri was assassinated in 2005, tourism severely declined...there was also the July wat and Nahr el-Bared conflict..plus today's crisis in Syria has all negatively impacted Lebanese tourism."
Jeita Grotto can be considered the essence of Lebanese tourism, with mysterious, ancient rocks forming its coral and narrow cavities between lobbies, halls, and structures carved by nature.
Across the time limestone water leaked in forming forming domes and sculptures whose beauty cannot be described in words.
The grotto is located in Nahr el-Kalb about 20km from north Beirut and consists of two levels: the lower part where water accumulates forms a pure swamp between tunnels made of limestone rocks, as discovered in the 1830s by an American missionary, William Thomson.
He ventured about 50m inside it after shooting from his hunting gun and discovered from the echo that it was an extended grotto.
The upper level was opened in 1969 after it was discovered in 1958 when the Lebanese artist and engineer Ghassan Click found it in a festival inside the grotto,  playing electronic music prepared by the French musician François Basil for the occasion.
The stages of discovering the Jeita Grotto witnessed a radical change starting from the 1940s and until today new generations of Lebanese excavators, prominent among them an excavators' club founded in 1951 by Lebanese excavator Lionel Ghara, study the site, extending it by 9km today.
Visiting the lower part of the grotto is limited to 600m from 6910m that is known to exist. Visitors of the lower parts move in small boats in a winding water stream, breaking the silence along with the sound of underground water, while passing by natural columns that were formed millions of years ago. The grotto entrance is the biggest in the Middle East, with the pattern standing at  660m and 75 tonnes.
The investment company, the ministry of tourism, and some cultural and social groups had tried to make the natural wonder one of the seven Wonders of the World, but Lebanon was deprived of the blessing.
Hadad said, replying to the grotto administration's critics: "I challenge any investor who can come and invest his money in Jeita Grotto with the conditions and terms imposed on the Mabas company...despite the Lebanese state having a fixed share in entry tariffs, it hasn't borne any extra costs in reconstruction especially after the war...when the contract ends, the government will retain full ownership."

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

tourism crisis threatenslebanon\s jeita grotto tourism crisis threatenslebanon\s jeita grotto



GMT 08:31 2018 Monday ,22 January

West's 'Russiaphobia' worse than

GMT 12:40 2017 Thursday ,06 April

As streaming booms, songs getting faster

GMT 01:25 2011 Friday ,25 November

Giant volcanoes in Chile\'s wild Atacama

GMT 01:55 2017 Friday ,21 April

Unveils giant restored statue of Ramses II

GMT 13:53 2012 Monday ,16 January

Will Saleh’s men compromise his exit strategy?

GMT 17:38 2011 Monday ,09 May

10 of the best places for summer holidays

GMT 13:36 2015 Tuesday ,25 August

Lion kills guide in Zimbabwe park where Cecil lived

GMT 08:24 2016 Tuesday ,15 November

Berlin wild charms make it first choice

GMT 10:45 2012 Thursday ,19 July

ProSiebenSat.1 plans online TV channel

GMT 06:05 2012 Tuesday ,14 August

Memory, learning power unaffected

GMT 13:26 2017 Tuesday ,25 July

Nasr: lure dlrs 30 bn in investments in SCZone

GMT 13:58 2012 Tuesday ,07 February

Upstaged Bastakiya fights to regain place in Dubai
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday