The village of Beit Mery is located about sixteen kilometers away from Beirut at an altitude of approximately eight hundred meters above sea level. There are three possible routes to Beit Mery from the capital. The first is through Mkalles - Ain Saade - Beit Mery, the second through Fanar - Ain Saade - Beit Mery, and the third through Nahr El Mawt - Roumieh - Ain Saade - Beit Mery.

    Beit Mery is famous for it's breathtaking views, rarely equaled anywhere else in Lebanon. Its altitude and position gives Beit Mery a unique view of Beirut and its suburbs. It is this position that gave Beit Mery its importance through history, and transformed it into one of the most important resorts in Lebanon and the Middle East.

    As a resort, Beit Mery lives up to its reputation. The village is full of hospitable people, first class hotels and restaurants, and everything that a tourist could possibly desire. The village also boast an old 'souk' where festivals take place on a regular basis, and an incredible art center.

    Besides the incredible view and the facilities, Beit Mery itself is a work of art. The red brick houses are surrounded by oak and pine trees, and the houses themselves are a proof that Lebanese culture still survives till this day. Some say the village is suspended between heaven and earth.

Beit Mery - Ain Saade Through History

Two thousand years ago, the Romans appreciated the strategic location of Beit Mery - Ain Saade almost as much as we do today. Because of its wide angle of view over the coast, the Romans chose Beit Mery - Ain Saade as a position for one of their settlements. Later on, the Byzantines built their churches and houses on the very same site. Amazingly, many elements of these old towns and churches can be seen.

There are three levels of ruins to visit. Starting at the very top, you’ll see the church of Saint John the Baptist, which was built on the foundations of a Roman temple. Although the church was built in the 1750s, and the temple built back in the first century AD, the two structures appear almost like one. Some of the more noticeable aspects are the temple’s foundation walls, which are about three meters high, and three huge columns, all that now remain from the original six.

A short walk down the hill brings you to the second level and the ruins of a small second century AD Roman temple. There, you will see a doorway surrounded by fallen stones, some with Latin inscriptions.

Finally, you’ll reach the huge Roman-Byzantine settlement, which is littered with ruins of temples, two public baths, and a colonnaded street.
Most buildings are not easily identifiable. But some of the more fascinatingly intact ones are the mosaic floor of a 6^th century Byzantine church, and a public bath to the left of the mosaic floor.

Although in ruin, you can still locate the different rooms and doorways, and it is even possible to see how the ancient heating systems of the baths worked, since one of the floors has a hole in it. Inside, you can see the columns of hypocaust tiles that used to conduct heat all in place.