El Mina

Mina is a coastal city in Lebanon. It occupies the old Phoenician city of Tripoli. It is on the Mediterranean and it is one of the most lively cities in Lebanon. Mina means "Harbour" and it was called "Askala" until 1978.

Understand
Many people get confused between Tripoli and Mina thinking that Mina is just one neighbourhood of Tripoli. But this is not correct; Mina is a city with a long and rich history and a municipality that dates back to the 19th century. The Greeks first inhabited the city and then the Turkish and of course the Syrians.

The people of Mina (Minawiyeh) have their own accent which is totally different than other accents in other areas and regions in Lebanon. French and English are widely spoken in Mina although the average English knowledge is very low.

By plane
The closest airport is Beirut International Airport, 89 km to the south (around 90 minutes).

By road
Mina has good road networks that connect it to its neighbouring city Tripoli and to Beirut. You can reach Mina from Syria by taking the Northern Highway.

By boat
There are ferries that connect Mina to Ayia Napa in Cyprus and Mersin in Turkey. These ferries are not scheduled on regular basis so it is recommended to check before you plan your visit.

On foot
There is only one way to see Mina, walking. Mina is a small city and you can walk around the city in almost one hour. Added to that, side walks are everywhere.

By taxi
In order to visit Tripoli, you may need a taxi, which is not expensive, one dollar will be enough to take you to Tripoli city centre. You may find it easy to reach Tripoli walking, especially if the weather helps.

By car
Traffic in Mina is nuts. It is the place where the social order breaks down and it is every man for himself (the traffic lights don't exist and if they do, they are usually ignored). You will find cars double and triple parked. Cars going the wrong way down one way streets. Before attempting to cross the street, observe the locals. The idea is to spot a gap in the traffic and start across and hopefully people will stop. If this fails look for a pretty girl or a mother with young kids and let them cross before you. Good luck!

See
There are too many things to see in Mina; The islands, the old towers, the sea side Corniche and the scaffolds.

Buy
The best thing to buy from Mina is furniture, but come on! who is going to visit Mina and leave with a sofa or a bedroom? (you are allowed 30 kg maximum baggage on board of most airlines, except for Sudan Air and Yemeni Airlines.

You can buy fish...but why the hassle if we can just go to any restaurant in Mina and eat fish.

You can buy clothes that are 100% produced in Turkey. But if you are planning to visit Turkey after Lebanon, do the shopping there.

Connect

 * El Mina Tourism Information centre. :Telephone: +961 6 600459
 * El Mina Municipality. click here: Telephone: +961 6 600458
 * El Mina Police Station. Telephone: +961 6 211631. for emergencies call 112.
 * El Mina Post Office. click here: Telephone: +961 601181
 * Red Cross Mina office. telephone: +961 6 602510
 * general information: info
 * Lebanese Ministry of Tourism click here