Raouché is a residential and commercial neighborhood in Beirut

Beirut

Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...

, Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

. It is known for its upscale apartment buildings, numerous restaurants, and cliff-side cafés that line Avenue de Paris

Avenue de Paris

Avenue de Paris is a seaside, palm-lined street in Beirut, Lebanon. The avenue, which forms with Avenue General de Gaulle the Corniche Beirut promenade, is popular with rollerbladers, cyclists and joggers.-Benches:...

, which forms part of the Corniche Beirut

Corniche Beirut

The Corniche Beirut is a seaside promenade in Beirut, Lebanon. Lined with palm trees, the waterfront esplanade offers visitors a magnificent view of the Mediterranean and the summits of Mount Lebanon to the east...

. The corniche

Corniche

The word corniche typically refers to a road on the side of a cliff or mountain, with the ground rising on one side of the road and falling away on the other...

 or the wide, seaside sidewalk of Avenue de Paris is popular on weekends and evenings where strollers and joggers crowd the pavements.

Off the coast of Raouché, there is a natural landmark called the Pigeons' Rock (also known as the Rock of Raouché). Located at Beirut's western-most tip, the two huge rock formations, which stand like gigantic sentinels, are a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

Raouche's Pigeons' Rock has recently been featured on the front page of Microsoft's Bing.

Etymology

Some historians believe that the word "raouché" derives from the Aramaic word rosh, meaning head. Other historians argue that it is a corruption of the French word roche (rocher), meaning rock.

History

The shores near Raouché have yielded the area's oldest evidence of human existence, flints and basic stone tools, which are displayed in the AUB

American University of Beirut

The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...

Archaeological Museum.