In 1914, on the eve of World War I, Mehmet Cemal Azmi Bey, governor of the Vilayet of Beirut (the Ottoman province of Beirut), decided to send two young Arab scholars on a unique mission: a documentary journey through the provinces of the province. The authors describe in detail the life that took place in the country – of Muslims, Christians, Samaritans and Jews; of residents of villages, Bedouin tribes, towns and cities. Their report includes data and interviews, excerpts from official sources, memoirs and folk songs.
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