Place de l'Etoile (Star Square), Beirut

Nejmeh Square, or Star Square, as otherwise called by the French, is the main square of downtown Beirut. Seen from above, it is roughly in the shape of a star, with six main roads radiating from the center. It is the home of the Art Deco Lebanese Parliament and its adjuncts, two cathedrals, a museum, and restaurants.

In the center of the square is the iconic 1930s Rolex clock tower. The tower was a gift to the city from Mexican-Lebanese emigrant Michel Abed. The tower has four sides with a clock on each side near the top. The square is a tourist magnet also remembered as a convention site for pigeons.

The square is ancient. The world-famous Roman Law School of Berytus is believed to be buried underneath the square, near the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The school was the foremost center of jurisprudence of the Empire. It was lost in the earthquake of 551.

The square was a Levantine souk or marketplace with stalls, kiosks and cafes before the civil war. Everything downtown was erased in the war. Beirut is said to have been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. It is coming back, better than before.