“Tip of Beirut.” That is what Ras Beirut means. Ras Beirut is an upscale residential area in Beirut Lebanon. It boasts a mixed population. Christians Muslims and Druze live here together. The area is known for good relations between these groups.
Ras Beirut is home to some of Beirut’s prominent families. The Bekhazi Rebeiz family lives here. So do the Daouk and Itani families. The Sinno and Sidani families also call Ras Beirut home. You will also find the Beyhum family here.
Several international schools are located in Ras Beirut. The American University of Beirut is here. International College Beirut is also in Ras Beirut.
In 1946 Henri Fleisch surveyed Ras Beirut’s marine terraces. He was an archaeologist and priest. He found various artifacts. Walkers have also found flints on nearby beaches. Wadi Abu Chahine separates Ras Beirut from other sites. It is also known as South Creek. This area is important for Quaternary studies. Fleisch and others have written about it.
There are many archaeological sites in Ras Beirut. Stratified sites are numbered chronologically. Unstratified sites are listed at the end. The first four sites have Lower Paleolithic items. They are from the 45 meters beach level. The next five sites have Middle Paleolithic items. Site XI has Chalcolithic items.
Surface finds show evidence of the Levalloiso-Mousterian period. There is also a lot of Neolithic material. It is found on a 45 meters terrace. These collections are in the American University of Beirut. They are also in the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory. Urban development has destroyed many of these sites.
Ras Beirut I is on a steep limestone cliff. It is above Rue Zenzir. This site is west of Rue Jinnah. It is about 52 meters above sea level. Henri Fleisch found it. He published his findings in 1946. He found an Early Acheulean biface. It was in the breccia above Rue Jinnah. This tool is older than other tools found here. There was also a large Middle Acheulean industry.
Ras Beirut II is a fossil bar. It contains flint gravel and marine organisms. It is 2.5 meters under the soil. This site is next to and under Rue Jinnah. Henri Fleisch studied it. He found many pieces. They seemed to be Tayacian. There was also some Levallois influence. The site might still be under the road.
Ras Beirut III is northeast of Rue Jinnah. Father Fleisch found this site. Depot A had an Early Levallois industry. It included bifaces. It also had picks like Bir Hassan picks.
Ras Beirut IV is east of Pigeon Rock. It is about 1.5 meters beneath the soil. This site is on the slope of the 45 meters terrace. Auguste Bergy found it. Early Levalloisian industries were found here. They included bifacial Bir Hassan picks. Larger flint flakes were in the layer above this. Fleisch found more of the earlier tools. This happened when the Corniche Road was widened. It might still exist under a side road. That road leads to the Federal Hotel.
In 2014 Muslims were the majority of registered voters in Ras Beirut. They made up 67.83%. Christians made up 28.55%. Sunni Muslims made up 63.69% of the voters. Greek Orthodox made up 11.69%. Ras Beirut is home to many streets including Bliss Street. Rue Clemenceau is another street in Ras Beirut. So is Rue Madame Curie. Avenue General de Gaulle is also located here.