Deir el Qamar

Deir el Qamar was the seat of the emirs of Mount Lebanon from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, and the centre of the town has kept the shape it had then: a square of ochre limestone buildings with arcades and tiled roofs, the Fakhreddine mosque of 1493 with its octagonal minaret, a silk khan, the emir's palace and a synagogue. Building regulations have kept modern construction out of the core, which is why it reads as a single piece rather than a few survivors.

What you actually see

• The main square - an arcaded ensemble of ochre limestone buildings.
• The Fakhreddine mosque - a 1493 building with an octagonal minaret.
• The palaces - the emirs' residences around and above the square.
• The silk khan - the caravanserai from the town's trading years.

When to go

April to November is the comfortable season. Summer weekends bring day trippers from Beirut. Winter is cold with snow possible and many places shut.

Honest expectations

Several of the historic buildings are closed or keep unpredictable hours. The town is small and two hours covers it. Parking in the centre is very limited.

Nearby

Beiteddine Palace is a few kilometres away, and the Chouf cedar reserve is above.