The Rafik Hariri Mosque

Before we headed to dinner this evening we were treated to a brief walking tour of downtown Beirut. Bechara took it upon himself to lead us through some of the historic buildings in the city center, pointing out how multiple civilizations were layered into the fabric of the city, with mosques, churches, and synagogues all clustered together as neighboring houses of worship. It's a pretty amazing place. We started out our tour with a brief stop at Martyr's Square inside the Rafik Hariri Mosque, otherwise known as the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque, which was opened only 5 years ago in 2008. It's a gorgeous building, and we tiptoed through it eying all the intricate designs on the walls and the central dome. Regardless of your religious affiliations, this is a beautiful place of worship. 

For women to enter the mosque, they are asked to cover their heads and are provided with robes to do so. Here's my Serbian friend Anja looking quite devout.