The first visit of a pope to the modern Lebanese state in 1964 came during a prosperous time that today many look back on nostalgically as the country's golden era. It came in a lull between the country's first civil war in 1958 and the 15 years of internal fighting that began in 1975.

Israel has attacked Beirut’s suburbs just two days after Lebanon’s president said he was open to negotiations.

Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the region and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.

Lebanon is a country where crosses rise from mountaintops, rooftops and street corners, and Christian symbols are woven into everyday life.

The Beirut-set drama stars Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl as childhood sweethearts Nino and Yasmina, who lose sight of one another, to reunite in their 20s, with their relationship developing in step with Lebanon’s tumultuous history.