Baabda Palace

Baabda Palace (Arabic: قصر بعبدا‎) is the official residence of the President of Lebanon. Built during the 1960s it is situated on a hill in the mountain town of Baabda overlooking Beirut and the first president to reside here was Charles Helou.[1]

Ministerial Meetings

The palace is surrounded by the Ministry of Defense and various other military posts. It started hosting ministerial meetings[2][3] every other week after the usual venue of the ministerial meetings was abandoned due to security reasons in mid-2005. Now, the ministerial meetings are held in alternating order at Baabda Palace and the Grand Serail.

The president also has a summer residence at Beiteddine, to where he and the entire cabinet move in the summer.[1]

Historically

In the Lebanese constitution it does not stipulate a specific place that is the presidential residence, other than in article 26 where it says: "Beirut is the center of the Government and Chamber of Deputies [Parliament]". The first president of independent Lebanon in 1943 was Sheik Bechara El Khoury and he had his presidential headquarters at the Qantari Palace in Beirut. After that it was in Sin el-FIl and Jounieh, as well as others.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Historical View". www.presidency.gov.lb. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Higher Defense Council stresses need to preserve civil peace". www.lbcgroup.tv. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Berri Backs Baabda Palace Deal as Wage Hike Fails to See Light". www.naharnet.com. Retrieved 20 November 2012.

Coordinates: 33°50′30″N 35°32′22″E / 33.84167°N 35.53944°E

External links