The Roman Hippodrome of Beirut
The Roman Hippodrome of Beirut was the second to be discovered in Lebanon after the Tyre Hippodrome, making Lebanon home to two of the five known Roman hippodromes in the Levant, the other three being in Caesarea in Israel/Palestine, Jerash in Jordan, and Bosra in Syria. The Roman Hippodrome of Beirut is considered to have been the grandest of the five, having amphitheaters that are several meters high and a race track, which is more than 90 meters long.
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The Roman Hippodrome differs from its peers by being the only built intra muros, near private baths that may depend on it. Stretching over an area of 3000m², all elements of the hippodrome are kept on site: the bleachers, spina and stands supported the statues adorning the spina.
Parts of the Hippodrome, unearthed on lot 1370 Mina El Hosn, have been classified by the Ministry of Culture, and Solidere is preparing an international landscape design competition for a hippodrome park, which it will implement on behalf of the Ministry.