Above Bcharri the road climbs to one of Lebanon's few remaining forests of Biblical cedars. This is only a small forest - although the tree once grew throughout the country, it has been heavily exploited. Some of the trees here are 1500 years old, and the site is classified as a national monument.
Beiteddine (House of Faith) lies around 50km southeast of Beirut, about 850m above sea level. It is a home to a magnificent palace complex, erected by Emir Bashir over 30 years starting in 1788. The village hosts a festival every summer in July and August featuring a mix of distinguished Arabic and International artists.
Baalbek, was originally named after the Phoenician god Baal. The town was later made center of Jupiter worship by the Romans. During its Roman era, Baalbek was the premier city in Roman Syria. The modern town is very small, but its Roman ruins are probably the best archaeological site in the country.
Baalbek's temple complex is one of the largest in the world. The complex is about 300m long and has two temples with porticoes, two courtyards and an enclosure built during the Arab period. The Temple of Jupiter, completed around 60 AD, is on a high platform at the top of a monumental staircase; only six of its colossal columns (22m) remain, giving an idea of the vast scale of the original building. The nearby Temple of Bacchus, built around 150 AD, is quite well preserved. Outside the main area is a tiny, exquisite Temple of Venus, a gorgeous circular building with fluted columns.
Gala Dinner:
As a fundraising event, SCORE and SCOPE hold a yearly Gala Dinner whose primary aim is to cover the expenses of the exchange program. This is proving to be a big success, since more than two hundred people attended the dinner that took place at the Marriott Hotel. The event was under the patronage of the minister of public health.
The dinner proved to be not only a fundraising event but also a social event where the medical community meets outside the classical cadres of the hospital and the classroom; moreover, the Gala dinner is an occasion for the medical students to show their talents and an incentive for extracurricular activities.
Karaoke Night
More of a social and promotional event than a fundraiser, Karaoke night is an annual event organized by SCOPE/SCORE. A draw on a few SCOPE and SCORE contracts usually takes place during the event.
Other Activities
SCORE members have a chance to participate in many other activities, such as the Sub Regional Trainging (SRT) which was organized by SCOPE/SCORE and was held during April of 2004 in Beirut.
It was attended by medical students from over 12 countries and made for a perfect forum to introduce our members to international work of SCOPE/SCORE.
