Did you know that the first Lebanese newspaper dates back to..the Ottoman rule, in 1858 more precisely?

It was called Hadikat al-Akhbar (The News Garden) and was founded by Khalil el-Khoury. It was the first newspaper in Arabic, founded by an Arab person in an Arab country.

It will take 50 more years for the first Lebanese publication in French to be launched, in 1907: it was called Correspondant d’Orient.

As for the first English publication, we’re not really sure, but it might be..the Daily Star, founded by Kamel Mroue in 1952 and still active today. If anyone can confirm or challenge this info, it would be great!

Funny thing is, since the beginning, Lebanese newspapers served as platforms to the different religious and political communities of the country. So nothing really changed over the course of more than 150 years of press in the country!

Pic: Beirut Port and Lebanon Mountains aquarelle, James Lewis Farley, 1859. From the book “Regards sur Beyrouth”