Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Beneath downtown Minneapolis, Schieks Cave has surprisingly warm groundwater, evidence of a subterranean heat island.
Schieks Cave Below Minneapolis Contains a Lake of Warm Sewage
about 4 hours ago
Athenaeus described various kinds of Greek drinking vessels, like the deep, rounded skyphos and wide, flat kylix.
The Ancient Greek Guide to Succeeding at Dinner Parties
1 day ago
No thanks.
AO Mailbag: Which Places Just Aren’t Worth Visiting?
2 days ago
Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.
Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent Film Narrators
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Lebanon Stelae of Nahr el-Kalb
AO Edited

Stelae of Nahr el-Kalb

In a narrow river valley just north of Beirut, Lebanon, is a chronicle of human history unlike anything else in the world.

Nahr El Kalb, Lebanon

Added By
Michael Ballard
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Stele of Napoleon III overwritten on Assyrian stele   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
Stele of Napoleon III overwritten on Assyrian stele   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
Two stelae from the Islamic era   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
Assyrian stelae   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
Stele commemorating victories of Allied troops   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
Bridge build by Mamluk sultan, Barquq   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
View of Malmuk bridge from above   michaelsballard / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

What do Ramses II, Nebuchadnezzar, the Roman Emperor Caracalla, and Napoleon III of France have in common? Other than the obvious fact of being conquerors and rulers, they also had a penchant for graffiti. In particular, they created stelae, carving their names and deeds into the steep stone walls that descend to the Nahr el-Kalb River as it slices its way from the Lebanese highlands to the Mediterranean Sea.

Beginning with the oldest inscription commemorating the victory of Ramses during his Syrian campaign of 1275 B.C., this same valley bears the exploits of the Assyrian King Esarhaddon after he returned the favor and conquered Egypt in 671 B.C. Then, Nebuchadnezzar subjugated this land and left his mark. As did invaders from Hellenistic Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, and the various Islamic empires that rose and fell here.

Even Herodotus, that legendary Greek historian, cited inscriptions found at Nahr el-Kalb to support arguments in his Histories.

In the modern era, Allied troops marked their capture of Damascus, and French troops chronicled their taking of Beirut during World War II. There’s even an inscription celebrating the expulsion of foreign forces from Lebanon in 1946 and the beginning of Lebanese independence.

The valley became a veritable who’s who of important people and heroic happenings, with every new kingly passerby or victorious army adding to the narrative. A diary writ large and in stone. 

Most remarkable, however, is that through this long succession of empires, of victories and defeats, of freedoms lost and won, adversaries have left the words of the vanquished intact, to stand in contrast with the jubilance of the newly victorious. In all of human history, it has typically been customary to eradicate the monuments of the defeated. But, here, the victors seem to have abandoned that custom, and our collective history is made all the richer for it.

That said, one ruler did, in fact, purposefully destroy one of the markers. When Napoleon III passed through in 1861, he decided to repurpose a badly worn Assyrian stele and overwrote it with his own exploits. Thanks a lot, Napoleon III.

Related Tags

World War Ii Napoleon Bonaparte Archaeology Graffiti History & Culture

Know Before You Go

Although this place is currently on UNESCO’s tentative list awaiting World Heritage status, it is largely ignored by visitors and locals alike, hidden behind tall weeds along a well-used road to a water park, a zoo, and the heavily-touristed Jeita Grotto.

It’s an easy drive from downtown Beirut to the site which is completely unmarked. Heading away from Beirut, simply turn right off the Jounieh-Beirut Highway onto Zouq El Kharab. Find a place to park beside the road or continue to the parking lot at Palms the Legend restaurant and walk back toward the sea. The stelae are easily found along the southern face of the cliff wall. Watch out for traffic as no one will expect you to be standing so close to the road.

Spanning the river, you will also find an historical bridge built by the Mamluk sultan, Barquq. It’s only 650 years old. No big deal.

Community Contributors

Added By

michaelsballard

Published

September 25, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://factumfoundation.org/our-projects/digitisation/nahr-el-kalb-cuneiform-inscriptions-lebanon/
  • https://www.livius.org/articles/place/lykos-nahr-al-kalb/
Stelae of Nahr el-Kalb
Nahr El Kalb
Lebanon
33.955363, 35.597359

Nearby Places

Lebanese "Hall of Fame" Museum

Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

miles away

Jeita Grotto

Jitta, Lebanon

miles away

Jounieh Cable Car

Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lebanon

Lebanon

Middle East

Places 14
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Lebanese "Hall of Fame" Museum

Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

miles away

Jeita Grotto

Jitta, Lebanon

miles away

Jounieh Cable Car

Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lebanon

Lebanon

Middle East

Places 14
Stories 5

Related Places

  • More Victorian graffiti

    Fars Province, Iran

    Graffiti at Persepolis

    Marked by the hand of the explorer Henry Morton Stanley.

  • Royal Palace of King Maha Parakramabahu.

    Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

    Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

    This site was once the religious, cultural, and trade center of Sri Lanka.

  • Al-bayt al-wastani. Temperate room of the Arab Baths of Yayyan (11th century)

    Jaén, Spain

    Arab Baths of Jaén

    For centuries, the largest Arab bathhouse in Spain was hidden under a palace.

  • The city pillar

    Vientiane, Laos

    Hor Lak Muang

    The site of an ancient city pillar that was lost and rediscovered.

  • The real Shakōki Dogū idol is exhibited in Tokyo.

    Tsugaru, Japan

    Kamegaoka Stone Age Site

    This prehistoric burial site is where one of Japan’s most iconic ancient idols was found.

  • Toenga o Te Aro Visitor Center

    Wellington, New Zealand

    Toenga o Te Aro (Remains of Te Aro Pā)

    The only known remains of an extensive Maori settlement are preserved underneath an apartment building.

  • Ruins of the church in Dvorine from above.

    Banja, Serbia

    Dvorine

    The remains of a luxurious 14th-century church built by the last despot of Serbia.

  • Dhamnihawa Stupas

    Kapilvastu, Nepal

    Dhamnihawa Stupas

    A pair of stupas that archaeologists believe were built to honor the parents of Siddhartha Gautama (aka Lord Buddha).

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.