Khalde

Khalde is a coastal town 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Beirut, Lebanon. It is famous as a tourist destination in the summer especially for its various beach resorts. Excavations, now covered over, show that the site has been occupied since at least the beginning of the first millennium BC. A few kilometers south of Khalde is Khan Khalde, where a major Roman-Byzantine settlement once existed. Here, two 5th and 6th century Christian basilicas were found, one built over the other. Both were paved with mosaics.

The southern portion of Beirut International Airport is located in Khalde, in addition to a Lebanese Air Force base. Also the motorway connecting Beirut and Southern Lebanon passes through Khalde. Khalde lacks any form of urban planning, and in the past few years a lot of the green spaces have been replaced by commercial and apartment buildings. Some vegetables and citrus trees can still be seen grown in smaller and dispersed areas. As for industries, there are aluminum and glass factories in this area. In addition to that a University and two Schools are present in Khalde.

Dar Khalde (or the "Khalde Palace") is located in Khalde and is the home of Prince Talal Arslan and the Arslan Druze leading family. This is mainly the reason why the town is so popular in Lebanon.

External links

• http://lebanon.com/tourism/khalde.htm
• http://www.lebbeach.com/index.php?option=com_alphacontent&section=12&cat=28&Itemid=47
• http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/042175
• http://www.beirutnationalmuseum.com/e-collection-fer.htm