Hezbollah is a political party and militant group in Lebanon. The west, mainly the US and Israel consider them as a terrorist. Whether you agree with it or not depends on how you look to the conflicts in the world. The Hezbollah is also involved in the Syrian civil war as it has deployed militants in Syria and Iraq to fight against ISIS.
Mleeta is considered as the town of Hezbollah and lays in the south of Lebanon. It is not easily reachable by public transport, but asking someone to be your private driver for a day will get you there easily. If you stay in a hostel you might meet a few people and ask them if they want to share the cost of the driver.
Inside Mleeta is a so-called “Tourist Landmark”, a museum featuring a lot of weapons and captured materials from the Israelis. When you start to get into the South of Lebanon, you’ll see the flag of Hezbollah nearly everywhere, the flag looks like this:
Arabic text translated: Then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant – The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon
I decided to visit the place and it was quite an interesting experience. If you have plans to visit the place, make sure to check the “official” website if it is open.
On our way to Mleeta, we passed the city Sidon, known for its Sidon Sea Castle, which was built by the Crusaders in the 13th century.
This is “Mleeta Tourist Site”.
We first watched a video of about 30 minutes with footage of the Lebanese war. The explanation is given by Hassan Nasrallah, the current Secretary-General.
In the forest behind the Israeli tanks and remnants of the helicopters, displays show how Hezbollah militants were hiding in the mountains.
A flag inside the woods and a medic kit ready to be used.
Inside the bunkers, you can find long concrete corridors with several rooms such as a cooking place, sleeping room, communication room, weapon room and prayer room.
Some more exhibition of the weapons:
I finish this blogpost with some stunning view from Mleeta over the rest of South Lebanon…
Interested to visit this place? Arrange your trip a day before and not too much in advance. It is easier to arrange transportation or share the costs with others when you’re in Beirut!
Unusual Travel Blog
Great blog and thanks for describing everything in detail. I have been to Beirut but never heard of Mleeta as a tourist spot. Can you tell me if it is safe to travel here with family of 4? Also, if a day’s trip is enough to have a look around this place?
LikeLike