The Grand Serail in Aley — the late Ottoman administrative building on the main street — is the most architecturally striking civic building in town. Built in the 1880s of the local pale limestone, it combines arched colonnades, triple-arched windows, and a long balcony that runs along the front façade. It still serves as a government building for the Aley district, which keeps the grounds maintained and the building lit at night.
From the small square in front of the Serail, the main street descends past restaurants and pastry shops to the lookout points along the western side of the ridge. The Serail itself is not open to casual visitors, but the exterior, the square and the view down the main street to the coast are a good place to start a walk through the town.