Lebanon Путівник

• • Hospitality is central to Lebanese life; if invited to a home you'll be offered coffee, food and often pressed to eat more than you can manage. Refusing all food can be seen as rude, so accept at least a little.
• • Greetings often involve three alternating cheek kisses (starting on the right) between friends and acquaintances of the same or familiar mixed company; a handshake is safer with people you've just met, and some conservative Muslims may not shake hands with the opposite sex.
• • Lebanon is religiously mixed (Maronite Christians, Sunni, Shia, Druze and others), so etiquette varies by neighbourhood and region; read the social cues around you, especially regarding alcohol and dress.
• • Bargaining is expected in souks and markets but not in fixed-price shops, supermarkets or restaurants. Keep it good-humoured rather than aggressive.
• • Use your right hand for eating, passing items and greeting; the left hand is traditionally considered unclean.
• • Politics and the civil war are sensitive topics; let locals raise them and avoid taking sides on sectarian, Israeli or Syrian issues.

Beirut is cosmopolitan and fashion-conscious, and in trendy districts like Gemmayzeh, Mar Mikhael and Hamra you'll see Western dress, including shorts and sleeveless tops. Dress more conservatively (cover shoulders and knees) in rural areas, the south, the Bekaa Valley and conservative Sunni or Shia neighbourhoods. Modest dress is required to enter mosques (women cover hair, arms and legs; both sexes remove shoes); churches also appreciate covered shoulders. Beachwear belongs only at the beach or resort.

Lebanon has 18 officially recognised religious sects and a delicate sectarian balance, so respect for all faiths is essential. Dress modestly and remove shoes before entering mosques; women should carry a scarf to cover their hair. During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in Muslim areas during daylight hours, and expect altered business hours. Christian sites such as Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa and the many Maronite churches are active places of worship deserving quiet and modest dress. Never make jokes about religion or sect, and ask permission before photographing people at prayer.