Any afternoon, raise your head in Beirut and you will see dozens of pigeons flying in circles. But then they disappear onto the distant rooftops, where they live in cages. They are trained by people like Ahmad, who spend three hours every day taking care of them, feeding them and letting them out to fly once again.
For them it's a hobby. “Some children like to play football, others basketball, (growing up) I liked to train pigeons,” said Toros, who has been training pigeons for half a century, since he was 12 years old. He comes out every day of to give food and water to his birds and spend at least a couple of hours with them.
But it's not only a hobby. Pigeon trainers can make money too, as they can raise pigeons and then sell them for up to $100.
Pigeon Rocks
The natural offshore rock arches of Pigeon Rocks are the most famous, and indeed one of the only, natural features of Beirut. The stretch of the Corniche directly in front of the rocks is an excellent vantage point, but far more interesting is to take one of the tracks down to the lower cliffs. One track starts from the southern side of the rocks and, after a steep 100m, you find yourself down on the lower level of chalk cliffs.
Almost immediately, you can completely forget you are in the city. The way across the rocks is quite rugged and sensible shoes are a good idea, although you see local women teetering precariously across the cliffs in high heels.There are a number of inlets and caves in the cliffs. During summer, small boats take people around the rocks and to the caves for a small fee.
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