Baabda

Coordinates: 33°50′0″N 35°32′0″E / 33.83333°N 35.53333°E / 33.83333; 35.53333
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Baabda
بعبدا
City
Baabda skyline
Baabda skyline
Map showing the location of Baabda within Lebanon
Map showing the location of Baabda within Lebanon
Baabda
Location within Lebanon
Coordinates: 33°50′0″N 35°32′0″E / 33.83333°N 35.53333°E / 33.83333; 35.53333
CountryLebanon
GovernorateMount Lebanon Governorate
DistrictBaabda District
Population
 (2006)
 • Total84,900
 Metro population
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Dialing code+961

Baabda (Arabic: بعبدا) is the capital city of Baabda District as well as the capital of Mount Lebanon Governorate, western Lebanon. Baabda was the capital city of the autonomous Ottoman Mount Lebanon. Baabda is known for the Ottoman Castle (the serail) and it has many embassies (Italian, Japanese, Jordanian, Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian, Indonesian, Spanish, and others), the Ministry of Defense and many important organization and administrative centres in Lebanon.

Baabda Palace, residence of the president of Lebanon is also located in Baabda.[1] The palace was built in 1956 on a hill in the mountain town of Baabda overlooking the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The first president to reside in it was Charles Helou (25 September 1913 – 7 January 2001).

During his two years, 1988 to 1990, as Lebanon's interim prime minister, Michel Aoun took up residence in the Baabda Palace surrounded by those troops from the Lebanese army who had remained loyal to him.[2]

Also in Baabda, Dany Chamoun was assassinated with his family in 1990, after Aoun had fled the presidential palace to seek shelter in the French Embassy in Baabda.[3]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tourism in Baabda Region. Lebanon.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
  2. ^ Salam, Mohammed (13 October 1990). "Bombarded Aoun Flees To Embassy, Asks Cease-Fire; Govt Demands Surrender". AP News.
  3. ^ Jaber, Ali (22 October 1990). "Leader of a Major Christian Clan in Beirut Is Assassinated with His Family". The New York Times.