The Grand Serail crowns a hill above downtown — a long, honey-coloured Ottoman barracks built in 1853 and converted to government use after the First World War. Today it houses the office of the Lebanese prime minister and is closed to visitors.
You can still admire it from outside. The long arcaded facade and clock tower in the courtyard are excellent examples of Ottoman civic architecture, and the lawns out front have hosted several historic political moments. Pair the walk-by with the nearby Roman baths and the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque.