PIGEON CAVE

On foot or by car, you'll soon realize that to get to Raouché, it's uphill! But the result is well worth the effort... This district has acquired its reputation thanks to the vicinity of the famous Pigeon Cave, islands of limestone shaped by erosion. This rock, which appears on the majority of tourist photos of Beirut, rises to 46 m in height. Local legend has it that Raouché's ratchet is the sea monster that chased Andromeda, transformed into stone by Perseus thanks to the head of Medusa. It is one of the main natural attractions of the city. A natural staircase on the rock leads to the top.

From the ledge, there is a remarkable view of the site.

Below the Pigeon Cave, it is possible to go down to the seafront and get a beautiful view of the site. You can also see a small port that still has a few fishermen. This port was affected by an oil spill following the July 2006 war and the bombing of the Jiyé power station. To the south of the pigeon cave is the cape of El Delie, one of the few areas of the Corniche that has escaped urbanisation. Much appreciated by the Beirut people who come to swim there, El Delie is today threatened by real estate projects; a citizen's collective has been set up to save it.

A few meters after the Pigeon Cave, the Shams building, with its multicolored facade, symbolizes the Raouché of the 1950s. It was designed by the architect Joseph Philippe Karam.