The Mir Amine Palace Bookmark

The Story Behind the Mir Amine Palace:  Mir Amin Palace, built in 1838 by Prince Bashir Al-Shehabi II for his son Prince Amine, is a historical gem in Beiteddine, Lebanon. Nestled in the Chouf Mountains, it showcases Lebanese architecture, blending Ottoman and Italian influences. In 1840, Bashir II surrendered to the British backed by the Ottomans and went into exile, transferring the palace to the Archbishopric of the Maronite Diocese of Sidon and Mount Lebanon, who turned it into an orphanage and then a school. The palace deteriorated until the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism bought it and restored it in the 1960s, so that President Charles Helou opened it in 1969. Later, it became a private club for the Lebanese Army. In 1974, the palace underwent a second restoration process and was transformed during the reign of President Suleiman Franjieh into a hotel managed by Intercontinental, who built the luxurious mosaic-carpeted pool. Severely damaged during the 1975 war, it was extensi