- 1. Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, is a vibrant metropolis known for its rich history, cultural diversity, and resilient spirit. Nestled along the Mediterranean Sea, this ancient city has been a melting pot of civilizations for thousands of years, influenced by Phoenician, Roman, Ottoman, and French cultures, among others. Beirut's skyline is a stunning blend of modern architecture and historical landmarks, such as the iconic Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque and the picturesque Pigeon Rocks at Raouche. The city's vibrant neighborhoods, like Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, are renowned for their lively cafes, bustling nightlife, and artistic scenes, attracting both locals and visitors alike. Beirut has faced significant challenges, including civil unrest and the aftermath of a devastating port explosion in 2020, yet it remains a symbol of resilience and hope, with a population known for its warmth and hospitality. The culinary scene is equally impressive, offering a tantalizing array of traditional Lebanese dishes, such as tabbouleh, hummus, and kebabs, alongside contemporary gastronomy. With its unique blend of history, culture, and modernity, Beirut is a city that captures the hearts of those who experience its vibrant energy and enduring charm.
What is the capital city of Lebanon?
A) Dubai
B) Beirut
C) Cairo
D) Istanbul
- 2. Which sea does Beirut border?
A) Red Sea
B) Mediterranean Sea
C) Dead Sea
D) Black Sea
- 3. What is the predominant language spoken in Beirut?
A) French
B) Russian
C) Arabic
D) English
- 4. Beirut is often referred to as the __________ of the Middle East.
A) Paris
B) Tokyo
C) New York
D) Rome
- 5. Which river flows through Beirut?
A) Nile River
B) Tigris River
C) Beirut River
D) Euphrates River
- 6. What is the Beirut Central District commonly known as?
A) Beirut Souks
B) Gemmayzeh
C) Hamra
D) Downtown Beirut
- 7. What is the name of the famous coastal promenade in Beirut?
A) Corniche Beirut
B) Zaitunay Bay
C) Raouche Rocks
D) Pigeon Rocks
- 8. What industry was Beirut known for prior to the civil war?
A) Mining
B) Agriculture
C) Banking
D) Fishing
- 9. Which Lebanese author wrote 'The Prophet'?
A) Amin Maalouf
B) Kahlil Gibran
C) Hoda Barakat
D) Naguib Mahfouz
- 10. What is the official currency used in Beirut?
A) Dollar
B) Yen
C) Lebanese Pound
D) Euro
- 11. Which mountain range overlooks Beirut?
A) Atlas Mountains
B) Taurus Mountains
C) Mount Lebanon
D) Anti-Lebanon Mountains
- 12. What is the name of the national flag carrier airline of Lebanon based in Beirut?
A) Royal Jordanian
B) Emirates
C) Qatar Airways
D) Middle East Airlines
- 13. What is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Beirut and Lebanon?
A) Wine
B) Arak
C) Beer
D) Whiskey
- 14. What ancient city is located near Beirut and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) Byblos
B) Athens
C) Rome
D) Cairo
- 15. In which year was Beirut declared the capital of Lebanon?
A) 1950
B) 1920
C) 1980
D) 2000
- 16. What is the name of Beirut's international airport?
A) John F. Kennedy International Airport
B) Heathrow Airport
C) Changi Airport
D) Rafic Hariri International Airport
- 17. Which famous Lebanese singer was born in Beirut?
A) Nancy Ajram
B) Umm Kulthum
C) Fairuz
D) Shakira
- 18. Beirut is a popular destination for ______ tourism, with its mix of historical sites and modern attractions.
A) Adventure
B) Eco
C) Cultural
D) Medical
- 19. Which famous director's film 'West Beirut' showcases the city during the Lebanese Civil War?
A) Ziad Doueiri
B) Martin Scorsese
C) Quentin Tarantino
D) Steven Spielberg
- 20. Which Lebanese-American author wrote the novel 'An Unnecessary Woman' set in Beirut?
A) Etel Adnan
B) Amin Maalouf
C) Rabih Alameddine
D) Khalil Gibran
- 21. What natural disaster has Beirut experienced in recent years, causing widespread destruction?
A) Explosion
B) Earthquake
C) Tornado
D) Flood
- 22. Which French architect undertook the urban planning of Beirut in the 1920s?
A) Haussmann
B) Eiffel
C) Le Corbusier
D) Michel Ecochard
- 23. As of 2025, what is the population of Greater Beirut?
A) 2.4 million
B) 2.7 million
C) 1.8 million
D) 3.0 million
- 24. How long has Beirut been inhabited?
A) Around 3,000 years
B) Over 5,000 years
C) About 10,000 years
D) For approximately 7,500 years
- 25. What does the Arabic name 'Bayrūt' derive from?
A) Akkadian Biruta
B) Phoenician bēʾrūt, meaning 'wells'
C) Latin Berytus
D) Greek Bērytós
- 26. How was Beirut's name hellenised by the Greeks?
A) Bērytós
B) Bayrūt
C) Berythus
D) Beirutus
- 27. What was Beirut's official Roman name when it became a colony?
A) Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus
B) Colonia Augusta Berytus
C) Colonia Berytus
D) Colonia Iulia Berytus
- 28. During the Crusades, what were some French names for Beirut?
A) Berutum or Berythus
B) Barut or Baruth
C) Beyrouth or Bayrūt
D) Beirutus or Beirout
- 29. What evidence suggests that the surrounding area of Beirut was inhabited tens of thousands of years ago?
A) Roman ruins and Byzantine structures
B) Prehistoric archaeological sites with flint tools from various periods
C) Modern urban development
D) Crusader castles
- 30. What was Beirut I (Minet el-Hosn) known for?
A) It was primarily an agricultural settlement.
B) It was listed as 'the town of Beirut' and had a Mousterian flint industry.
C) It was known for its Byzantine mosaics.
D) It was the site of a major Roman colony.
- 31. What did Beirut II (Umm el-Khatib) contain?
A) Neolithic pottery and tools
B) Middle Bronze Age tombs
C) A Copper Age flint industry discovered by P.E. Gigues
D) Roman coins and artifacts
- 32. What did Beirut VII sites reveal?
A) Collapsed walls, pits, floors, charcoal, pottery, flints, and Bronze Age tombs.
B) Modern urban infrastructure
C) Extensive Roman aqueducts
D) A large Phoenician harbor
- 33. When was another suggested port or dry dock claimed to have been discovered?
A) In 140 BC
B) In 26 June 2012
C) In 2011
D) In 1993
- 34. Who destroyed the Phoenician city in 140 BC?
A) Roman general Pompey
B) Diodotus Tryphon
C) Antiochus VII Sidetes
D) King Tigranes the Great
- 35. What was built upon the site of the destroyed Phoenician city?
A) A Roman fort
B) An Armenian settlement
C) A Seleucid palace
D) Laodicea in Phoenicia
- 36. What symbol appeared on mid-1st-century coins from Berytus?
A) A dolphin entwines an anchor
B) An image of Diodotus Tryphon
C) A depiction of Pompey
D) The head of Tyche
- 37. Who took up the symbol from Berytus in 15th century Venice?
A) The early printer Aldus Manutius
B) Antiochus VII Sidetes
C) Diodotus Tryphon
D) King Tigranes the Great
- 38. Who conquered Beirut after the Battle of Tigranocerta?
A) King Tigranes the Great
B) Diodotus Tryphon
C) Antiochus VII Sidetes
D) Roman general Pompey
- 39. Which Roman emperor established veterans of two legions in Berytus?
A) Claudius
B) Nero
C) Trajan
D) Augustus
- 40. Which Roman emperors were Papinian and Ulpian associated with as teachers?
A) The Julio-Claudians
B) The Flavian emperors
C) The Severan emperors
D) The Antonines
- 41. What is a major component of medical tourism in Beirut?
A) Cardiac surgery
B) Neurosurgery
C) Orthopedic surgery
D) Cosmetic surgery
- 42. Which suburb includes Dekwane and Mkalles?
A) Northern suburbs
B) Eastern suburbs
C) Western suburbs
D) Southern suburban districts
- 43. What role did Beirut play in the eastern Mediterranean during the Middle Ages?
A) Trading centre
B) Military stronghold
C) Religious hub
D) Cultural capital
- 44. What percentage of the capital area is covered by concrete roofs?
A) 10%
B) 50%
C) 80%
D) 30%
- 45. Who took control of Beirut in 1187?
A) Saladin
B) Henry I of Brabant
C) Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil
D) John of Ibelin
- 46. Under which emperor did Berytus expand to include Heliopolis (Baalbek)?
A) Domitian
B) Vespasian
C) Tiberius
D) Claudius
- 47. Who fortified Beirut early in the 17th century?
A) Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
B) Fakhr-al-Din II
C) Tafil Buzi
D) Jezzar Pasha
- 48. What environmental issue did Beirut face from July 2015 to March 2016?
A) An air pollution crisis
B) A deforestation crisis
C) A water shortage crisis
D) A massive garbage crisis
- 49. How many unofficial refugee camps are there in Beirut?
A) 15
B) 59
C) 12
D) 24
- 50. Which city was as important as Beirut during the Middle Ages?
A) Acre
B) Damascus
C) Jerusalem
D) Alexandria
- 51. In what century did Justinian assemble his Pandects, incorporating laws from Berytus's jurists?
A) 7th century
B) 6th century
C) 5th century
D) 4th century
- 52. Which religious group comprises 63% of Beirut's population?
A) Druze
B) Christians
C) Others
D) Muslims
- 53. How many quarters is Beirut divided into?
A) 6
B) 12
C) 24
D) 59
- 54. What is forbidden in Zeituna Bay, a marina in Beirut Central District?
A) Sailing boats
B) Swimming
C) Walking on the promenade
D) Riding bikes
- 55. What is the estimated low range of Beirut's population?
A) 1,000,000
B) 938,940
C) 2,000,000
D) 1,500,000
- 56. Which university professor criticized the loss of Ottoman and medieval remains in Beirut?
A) Saree Makdisi
B) Nabil Beyhum
C) Rafic Hariri
D) Saad Hariri
- 57. To which city were the students of Berytus's law school transferred after the earthquake?
A) Sidon
B) Byblos
C) Tyre
D) Tripoli
- 58. In which year was Beirut made the capital of a vilayet in Syria?
A) 1911
B) 1894
C) 1907
D) 1888
- 59. What is the name of Beirut's artistic bohemian quarter?
A) Ashrafieh
B) Zokak el Blat
C) Gemmayzeh
D) Mar Mikhael
- 60. What percentage of Beirut's tourists in 2012 came from European countries?
A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 40%
D) 33%
- 61. Which hospital was ranked one of the world's top ten best hospitals for medical tourism in 2012?
A) Hôtel-Dieu de France
B) Rizk Hospital
C) Clemenceau Medical Center (CMC)
D) American University of Beirut Medical Center
- 62. What percentage of Beirut's population is Druze?
A) 1%
B) 15%
C) 5%
D) 10%
- 63. What was a significant consequence of the Lebanese Civil War on Beirut Central District?
A) Population increase.
B) Establishment of new educational institutions.
C) Devastation that required thorough reconstruction.
D) Immediate economic boom.
- 64. Who announced their resignation as Prime Minister of Lebanon on 10 August 2020?
A) Hassan Diab
B) Saad Hariri
C) Tammam Salam
D) Fuad Siniora
- 65. What was the name of the operation carried out by Hezbollah in 2006?
A) Operation Cedar Revolution
B) Operation Independence
C) Operation Truthful Promise
D) Operation Liberation
- 66. Where was a massacre during the civil war located?
A) Ras Beirut
B) Bourj el-Barajneh
C) Moussaitbeh
D) Sabra, adjacent to Shatila
- 67. What system is used for handling family matters in Lebanon?
A) Ottoman 'millet' system
B) Lebanese secular law
C) British common law
D) French civil law
- 68. What organization is responsible for the reconstruction of Beirut Central District?
A) Beirut Municipality
B) Lebanese Government
C) Solidere
D) UNESCO
- 69. What was one of the public architectural features found in Roman Berytus?
A) Several bath complexes
B) Pantheon
C) Aqueducts
D) Colosseum
- 70. What year did the Lebanese Civil War begin?
A) 1990
B) 1982
C) 1975
D) 2006
- 71. In which year did Muslims first conquer Beirut?
A) 1110
B) 635
C) 1187
D) 1291
- 72. Which Roman emperor recognized the law school in Berytus as one of the three official law schools?
A) Constantine
B) Theodosius
C) Diocletian
D) Justinian
- 73. What was one of the major public entertainment venues in Roman Berytus?
A) An amphitheater
B) An arena
C) A stadium
D) A circus
- 74. What percentage of Beirut's banking sector assets were bank deposits in 2012?
A) 50%
B) 90%
C) 82%
D) 70%
- 75. Under which Ottoman sultan did the Ottomans conquer Syria, including present-day Lebanon?
A) Selim I
B) Abdul Hamid II
C) Suleiman the Magnificent
D) Mustafa III
- 76. In which year did a major earthquake strike Berytus, causing significant damage?
A) 476
B) 312
C) 551
D) 410
- 77. What is the size of Beirut's metropolitan area?
A) 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi)
B) 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi)
C) 200 square kilometres (77 sq mi)
D) 120 square kilometres (46 sq mi)
- 78. Which area became a no man's land during the Lebanese Civil War?
A) The Green Line
B) The Yellow Line
C) The Red Line
D) The Blue Line
- 79. What was the unique linguistic characteristic of Berytus in the Syria-Phoenicia province?
A) Multilingual with multiple local languages
B) The only mainly Latin-speaking area
C) Bilingual with Aramaic and Latin
D) The only Greek-speaking area
- 80. Who was killed in a car bomb explosion on 19 October 2012 in Beirut?
A) Walid Jumblatt
B) Rafic Hariri
C) Saad Hariri
D) Mohamad Chatah
- 81. Which street in Beirut is known for its concentration of shopping stores, boutiques, and nightlife?
A) Hamra Street
B) Corniche Mazraa
C) Avenue des Français
D) Rue Monnot
- 82. What was the name of the movement born from Beirut's garbage crisis?
A) "Save Our City"
B) "You Stink"
C) "Green Lebanon"
D) "Clean Beirut"
- 83. What is the historical significance of Beirut Souks?
A) An industrial zone established post-war.
B) A residential area developed during Ottoman rule.
C) They are the old medieval market recently renovated.
D) A modern shopping mall built in the 21st century.
- 84. What policy facilitated foreign capital inflows into Beirut?
A) Economic isolation
B) Import Substitution Industrialization
C) The Open Door Policy
D) Protectionism
- 85. Who was a prominent public figure in Beirut at the start of the 20th century?
A) Rafic Hariri
B) Bashir Gemayel
C) Emile Eddé
D) Salim Ali Salam
- 86. Which neighbourhood is part of the green district of Beirut?
A) Moussaitbeh
B) Ras Beirut
C) Zuqaq al-Blat
D) Badaro
- 87. Which of these is not a southern suburban district?
A) Ghobeiry
B) Hazmiyeh
C) Chiyah
D) Hadath
- 88. When was the last population census taken in Lebanon?
A) 1950
B) 1932
C) 2000
D) 1975
- 89. How large is the Beirut Governorate?
A) 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi)
B) 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi)
C) 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi)
D) 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi)
- 90. What is the religious majority in East Beirut?
A) Christian
B) Druze
C) Sunni Muslim
D) Shia Muslim
- 91. Which European power had significant influence in Beirut by the late 19th century?
A) Germany
B) Italy
C) Britain
D) France
- 92. Which historian studied at the law school in Berytus between 400 and 402?
A) Eusebius
B) Jerome
C) Sozomen
D) Socrates Scholasticus
- 93. How much did Lebanon-based banks receive from the region's petrodollars during the oil boom starting in the 1960s?
A) No involvement
B) Major recipients
C) Minor recipients
D) Only through indirect investments
- 94. What is the status of public spaces like 'The Garden of Forgiveness' promised by Solidere?
A) Converted into residential areas.
B) Dedicated to military use.
C) They remain unfinished.
D) Fully completed and operational.
- 95. What was the balance sheet of Beirut's banking system at the end of 2012?
A) $50 billion
B) $200 billion
C) $100 billion
D) $152 billion
- 96. What is the total area of open spaces in Beirut Central District?
A) 120 acres (49 ha)
B) 96 acres (39 ha)
C) 75 acres (30 ha)
D) 50 acres (20 ha)
- 97. What percentage of Beirut's population is Christian?
A) 35%
B) 45%
C) 25%
D) 50%
- 98. What was established in Beirut in 1894 that boosted trade?
A) A silk factory
B) An airport
C) A modern harbour
D) A railway station
- 99. Which quarter includes the neighbourhood Badaro?
A) Achrafieh
B) Ras Beirut
C) Saifi
D) Mazraa
- 100. How many sectors are there in Beirut?
A) 15
B) 59
C) 24
D) 12
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