Lebanon’s traditions, culture, and folklore are found all over Lebanon. However, if you need to see the authentic history and culture of Lebanon, visiting the old souks should be your top destination.
With various old souks in many villages and cities of Lebanon, these 10 old markets will have you discover the rich history and culture of these towns and give you the thrill of exploring their rhapsody of shops with their variety of products and partisanship.
Probably one of the most exciting parts of this particular adventure is catching great deals on beautiful handcrafted items.
Byblos Souks – Byblos city
Byblos souks are one of the most famous traditional souks of Lebanon, and the most visited.
With different shops filled with Lebanese traditional souvenirs and cultural artifacts, you can also visit different restaurants that serve a variety of food and cuisine.
Douma Souks – Batroun district
Douma souks hold a variety of small designed shops that sell Lebanese goods and are designed accordingly.
Douma souks are famous for their Zahlawi ice cream, which is known all around Lebanon
Zouk Mikael Souk – Keserwan
Zouk Mikael’s souk is famous for its carpentry, handmade jewelry, traditional loom weavers, and more.
It is a vibrant souk both during the day and night because of its different restaurants and cafes.
Hasroun Souk – Bsharri district, North Lebanon
Hasroun souk reflects the antiquity and traditions of its village.
The shops are scattered on both sides of the road under old vaults and arches.
You can find a variety of old coffee shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, and fruit and vegetable shops.
Tripoli Souks – North Lebanon
Tripoli souks are one of the largest and busiest souks in Lebanon. They are a perfect destination for Lebanese people all around the country to shop for gold, carpets, tapestry, and many more.
Tripoli’s souks also hold a variety of the city’s heritage, from mosques to soap makers.
Beirut Souks
Beirut souks are large buildings and streets in which different shops are found.
Beirut souks have brands and shops that are not found anywhere else in the country.
The buildings are architectural designs that embellish the streets and make these souks visited by many tourists and locals.
Batroun Souks
Batroun souks are long roads that are filled with shops, restaurants, food courts, and bakeries.
The souks of Batroun witness great activities and festivals throughout the year, so if you want to have more fun, visiting Batroun souks during summer or Christmas times is a great idea.
Sidon Souks – South Lebanon
Sidon’s old souk is a traditional Arabic souk dating back to the Phoenician era where you can find different categories of products ranging from clothes, souvenirs, local products, and food.
It is considered a tourist attraction site because of its traditional and cultural setting.
Tyre Souks – South Lebanon
The souks of Tyre hold a variety of different shops that sell gold, meat, fish, clothes, fruits, and vegetables.
There is also a variety of restaurants for a quick bite.
Rashaya Souks – Bekaa
Rachaya souks are one of the oldest souks in Lebanon, dating back to the 17th century.
You can find many sellers selling local products.
Baalbek Souks
The ancient yet lively souks of Baalbek are comprised of a variety of shops that serve locals and also tourists. You can find hand embroidered linen, clothes, and also spice shops and bakeries.
Jezzine Souks – South Lebanon
Known as Souk El Sedd, this old vibrant market in Jezzine has a variety of artisan shops, where you can find the traditional mastership cutlery of “firebird” (also dubbed as the Phoenix), decorative items, handcrafted jewelry, handmade bags, and more.
The souk has also shops selling local “mouneh” in variety like thyme, pickles, and so on.
Jounieh Old Souk – Keserwan
A vibrant old souk by the coast, Jounieh old market is as picturesque as it could be, with plenty of stone-arched stores, pebbled street, and eateries.
