The Roman Temple of Bacchus at Baalbek, its colonnade framed by ancient ruins, Lebanon
Nº 09Travel PhotographyBeirut

Lebanon

Where beauty and struggle coexist, and shape an identity.

A travel and documentary photography series from Beirut to Baalbek — where the first thing people ask is “is it safe?”

When you search for “Lebanon” online, you’ll often see questions like, “Is it safe?”

I heard this from people before leaving, but my experience was something else entirely. Walking through Beirut shortly after the anniversary of the explosion, you still see the effects—wreckage, scarred buildings, and the pain that lingers in the voices of the locals. Yet, what stood out more was how the Lebanese look out for each other and the impressive way they’ve rebuilt.

An old iron wind-pump mirrored in the still water of a coastal pool, Lebanon
A lone figure fishing on the rocks as the sea turns to dusk, Lebanon

From the moment Joelle, my friend and guide, gave me a crash course on Beirut, I realized how much history sits beneath every step. In Martyr’s Square, bullet holes in the monuments bear witness to the area’s turbulent past. Yet, just a block away, a mosque stands beside a Christian church—a juxtaposition that speaks to Lebanon’s layered history, where civilizations from the Phoenicians to the Romans have left their mark.

And then there are the everyday interactions: the warmth of a stranger inviting you for coffee, or the talking over a shisha, moments that show a different side of Lebanon—a place that, despite its challenges, pulses with life and resilience.

A young man on a rooftop, hands to his mouth, a keffiyeh over his shoulder, Lebanon
A young man holding round sesame kaak loaves at a street bread cart, Lebanon
A street fruit cart of oranges below a blue-glass building, a man crossing, Tripoli
A busy street of aged buildings and tangled wires, mountains at its end, Tripoli
An 'Amer Fashion' shopfront with stacked water bottles and a scooter below an old stone facade, Tripoli
The vaulted stone arcade of Tripoli's covered souk, cloth awnings and men talking
A smiling shopkeeper in a white coat pressing his hands together, Lebanon
A sandstone church with a red-tile roof and pointed arches behind an old olive tree, Beirut
A stone belvedere of arches with a figure looking out over the valley, Lebanon
A cobbled old-town lane of stone houses, a man seated in a doorway, Lebanon
Three boys smiling against a red door, one giving a thumbs-up, Lebanon
A hillside city of red-tile roofs and a church bell tower among concrete blocks, Lebanon
Red-tile rooftops with a minaret and the Mediterranean beyond, Lebanon
The ancient columns and old harbour of Byblos above the sea, Lebanon
Beirut to Tripoli01 / 08Scroll to advance

Traveling through Lebanon, I found that beauty and struggle coexist in a way that shapes its identity.

From exploring the depths of Jeita Grotto, where natural wonders stretch for miles, to witnessing the generosity of locals who still make soap the old-fashioned way, Lebanon reveals itself as a country of deep-rooted traditions and enduring spirit.

A golden-hour street with a fruit cart and slow traffic among old buildings, Tripoli
A single fishing boat on a calm sea at dusk, Lebanon
An aerial of a red pickup loaded with apples on a cobbled mountain road amid pines, Lebanon
Tall cedars of the Cedars of God at sunset, a small figure among the trunks, Lebanon
A stone-walled sitting room with a low sofa, a lamp and lavender on the coffee table, Lebanon
A herd of black goats grazing a barren mountain slope, a 4x4 among them, Lebanon
The Temple of Bacchus colonnade at Baalbek seen through a gap in the ruins, Lebanon
The soaring columns of the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, seen between fallen column drums, Lebanon
An overhead spread of a Lebanese mezze breakfast — manakish, labneh, fruit and eggs
A minaret and harbour framed through a narrow slit window in old stone, Lebanon
An ornate Ottoman-era palace hall with arched arcades, red banquettes and brass trays, Lebanon
A portrait of a smiling bearded man in a grey T-shirt in a sunlit alley, Lebanon
The bullet-scarred Martyrs' Statue in Martyrs' Square, a graffiti wall behind, Beirut
A graffiti-covered interior with a painting reading 'Don't live your life blindfolded', Beirut
A vintage green car parked in a stone courtyard beneath a red-tile roof, Lebanon
A hillside old-town lane with bougainvillea, a church tower above red-tile roofs, Lebanon
A woman walking past a grand sandstone house with green shutters and a carved wooden door, Lebanon
A traditional house courtyard with a citrus tree and a stone fountain basin, Lebanon
Words & pictures — Jacob SigalaBeirut · Tripoli · BaalbekWith thanks to Nada and Joelle