Lebanon's Strange Stories: Myths, Mysteries And Evidence

Introduction

Some Lebanese mysteries remain as cultural stories rather than evidence-backed events. Others are examples of a familiar pattern in strange reports worldwide: something genuinely unusual is seen, but the available information is too limited to determine exactly what happened. The most valuable way to approach Lebanon’s Forteana is therefore not to ask only “was it supernatural?” but also “why did people believe the story, how was it recorded, and what does it reveal about the culture that preserved it?”

The sky mysteries: UFO reports, lights and mistaken objects

Lebanon has produced many modern reports of unusual objects in the sky, particularly through newspapers, television reports and social media. Most accounts fall into the broad category of unidentified aerial phenomena: something observed from the ground that the witness could not immediately identify. That does not mean the object was extraordinary; it simply describes the limits of the available information.

One example came in 1973, when reports of a bright object moving across the sky were made in Israel and Lebanon. The object was described as glowing like a bright star, with smaller lights around it. At the time, observers could not immediately explain it, and it became part of the wider regional UFO record.[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]jta.orgJewish Telegraphic Agency If It Orbits, It Must Be a UfoJewish Telegraphic AgencyIf It Orbits, It Must Be a Ufo - Jewish Telegraphic AgencyMay 16, 1973…Published: May 16, 1973

More recent Lebanese sightings show how quickly modern technology can create new forms of sky mystery. In 2020, videos circulated showing unusual lights above Lebanon, with some viewers speculating about unknown objects. The lights were later linked to a group of satellites launched by SpaceX as part of the Starlink programme rather than anything unexplained.[Lebanon24]lebanon24.comأجسام غريبة في سماء لبنان.. ما قصتّها؟ (فيديوLebanon24أجسام غريبة في سماء لبنان.. ما قصتّها؟ (فيديو)April 30, 2020…Published: April 30, 2020 Similar confusion occurred in 2022 when bright objects seen over Lebanon prompted speculation about meteors or other unusual events; reports connected the display to a rocket launch carrying satellites.[سكاي نيوز عربية]skynewsarabia.com1541599 حقيقة الأجسام الغريبة شوهدت سماء لبنان؟سكاي نيوز عربيةما حقيقة الأجسام الغريبة التي شوهدت في سماء لبنان؟ | سكاي نيوز عربيةJuly 24, 2022…Published: July 24, 2022

Why these sightings continue to fascinate

Sky reports are especially powerful pieces of folklore because they combine a real personal experience with uncertainty. A witness may honestly describe a strange light, but without measurements, multiple viewing angles, or recordings that preserve scale and movement, identifying the object can be difficult.

Lebanon’s position in a region with heavy military activity also affects interpretation. Modern observers may encounter aircraft, drones, flares, satellites and other technology that would have been unknown to earlier generations. Discussions among Lebanese observers frequently reflect this tension between extraordinary explanations and ordinary possibilities, with many sightings eventually attributed to human-made objects.[Reddit]reddit.comAny UFOs sighting hysteria in Lebanon?Any UFOs sighting hysteria in Lebanon?December 14, 2024…Published: December 14, 2024

Miracles, mystics and the strange career of Dr Dahesh

Not all Lebanese Forteana comes from the sky. Some of the country’s most enduring strange stories centre on people believed by followers to possess unusual powers.

The best-known example is Dr Dahesh, a 20th-century figure surrounded by stories of supernatural abilities. Tales associated with him include accounts of miraculous events, mysterious appearances and extraordinary personal powers. These stories became part of Lebanese popular culture, appearing in oral retellings and later media discussions.[Al Jazeera]aljazeera.comAl JazeeraSpooky Arab tales for Halloween: Lebanon’s Dr Dahesh of miracles | News | Al JazeeraOctober 31, 2023…Published: October 31, 2023

From a sceptical viewpoint, such accounts are difficult to verify because they rely mainly on testimony, tradition and interpretation rather than controlled evidence. From a cultural viewpoint, however, they are important because they show how ideas about miracles, spirituality and hidden knowledge can become attached to a historical personality.

The Dr Dahesh stories also demonstrate a recurring Fortean theme: the boundary between religion, folklore and claimed paranormal ability is often blurred. A person regarded as a fraud by some may be remembered as a wonder-worker by others, and the debate itself becomes part of the legend.

Haunted places and village legends

Lebanon’s landscape contains many locations surrounded by stories of curses, spirits and unexplained events. Abandoned villages, old houses and ancient ruins naturally attract supernatural interpretations because they combine visible traces of the past with gaps in historical memory.

Reports about deserted settlements have sometimes described them as “cursed” places associated with spirits or frightening stories. Such accounts often grow around genuine historical changes, such as migration, economic decline or abandonment, with later generations adding legends to explain why a place became empty.[Lebanos]lebanos.orgهل هي ملعونة فعلا قرية بلا سكان وأساطير ترعب الزائرينLebanosهل هي "ملعونة" فعلًا؟ قرية بلا سكّان وأساطير تُرعب الزائرينJanuary 19, 2026…Published: January 19, 2026

These stories are not unusual in the region. Across Lebanon and the wider Middle East, traditions involving spirits, mysterious visitors and strange encounters have long existed as part of storytelling culture. Their importance lies less in proving paranormal claims and more in showing how communities use stories to preserve memories of landscapes, families and lost ways of life.[Al Jazeera]aljazeera.comAl JazeeraSpooky Arab tales for Halloween: Lebanon’s Dr Dahesh of miracles | News | Al JazeeraOctober 31, 2023…Published: October 31, 2023

Strange falls, objects and the search for explanations

One classic Fortean category is the unexplained fall: unusual objects appearing from the sky or apparently arriving from nowhere. Lebanon has had its share of reports of strange falling lights and objects, though many have later received ordinary explanations.

In 2015, residents near Qalamoun, close to Tripoli, reported seeing a glowing object apparently fall into the sea. Local reports described searches for a possible object, but later explanations suggested it was a small illuminated balloon rather than an unknown craft or meteorological mystery.[Lebanon24]lebanon24.comما حقيقة سقوط جسم مضيء في بحر القلمون؟Lebanon24ما حقيقة سقوط جسم مضيء في بحر القلمون؟August 1, 2015…Published: August 1, 2015

These cases illustrate why Fortean investigation depends on careful separation between observation and interpretation. The observation — “people saw a bright object descend” — may be accurate. The explanation — “therefore it was something extraordinary” — requires additional evidence.

Why Lebanon’s strange stories endure

Lebanon’s unusual reports remain compelling because they sit at the meeting point of several powerful forces: ancient traditions, religious imagination, changing technology, conflict, journalism and human curiosity. A strange light in the sky, a story about a mysterious person, or a tale attached to an abandoned place can survive for generations because it answers deeper questions about uncertainty and the unknown.

The strongest Lebanese Fortean stories are therefore not necessarily the ones with the most dramatic claims. They are the ones that reveal how people make sense of unusual experiences. A satellite train mistaken for a mystery object, a village legend built around abandonment, or a miracle story attached to a charismatic figure all show the same human pattern: when something does not fit ordinary expectations, people create explanations, share memories and turn uncertainty into folklore.

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Lebanon's Strange Stories Myths, Mysteries And Evidence. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

The UFO Experience

By Joseph Allen Hynek

Supports Lebanon's unexplained lights and UFO reports section.

See on Amazon

Book

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits

By Rosemary Ellen Guiley

First published 1999.

See on Amazon

Book

The occult

By Colin Wilson

First published 1971. Subjects: Occultism, Occultisme, History, Magic.

See on Amazon

Book

The UFO Experience, A Scientific Inquiry

By J. Allen Hynek

First published 1972.

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon:The UFO ExperienceThe Encyclopedia of Ghosts and SpiritsThe occult

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Endnotes

1. Source: lebanon24.com
Title: أجسام غريبة في سماء لبنان.. ما قصتّها؟ (فيديو)
Link:https://www.lebanon24.com/news/lebanon/698959/%D8%A3%D8%AC%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%AA%D9%91%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%9F-%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88

Published: April 30, 2020

2. Source: reddit.com
Title: Any UFOs sighting hysteria in Lebanon?
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/lebanon/comments/1he5i3v

Published: December 14, 2024

3. Source: lebanos.org
Title: هل هي ملعونة فعلا قرية بلا سكان وأساطير ترعب الزائرين
Link:https://www.lebanos.org/article/%D9%87%D9%84-%D9%87%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86

Published: January 19, 2026

4. Source: lebanon24.com
Title: ما حقيقة سقوط جسم مضيء في بحر القلمون؟
Link:https://www.lebanon24.com/docs/42618

Published: August 1, 2015

5. Source: lebanon24.com
Title: صورة لضوء غريب قبالة شاطئ الناقورة
Link:https://www.lebanon24.com/news/lebanon/1157707/%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%B6%D9%88%D8%A1-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8-%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%A6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB%D8%9F

Published: January 27, 2024

6. Source: lebanon24.com
Title: أجسام غريبة في سماء لبنان
Link:https://www.lebanon24.com/news/lebanon-news/698959/lebanon24?src=rss-feeds

Published: April 30, 2020

7. Source: lebanon24.com
Title: ما حقيقة سقوط جسم مضيء في بحر القلمون؟
Link:https://www.lebanon24.com/news/lebanon/42618/%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B7-%D8%AC%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86

Published: August 1, 2015

8. Source: jta.org
Title: Jewish Telegraphic Agency If It Orbits, It Must Be a Ufo
Link:https://www.jta.org/archive/if-it-orbits-it-must-be-a-ufo

Published: May 16, 1973

9. Source: skynewsarabia.com
Title: 1541599 حقيقة الأجسام الغريبة شوهدت سماء لبنان؟
Link:https://www.skynewsarabia.com/amp/technology/1541599-%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%94%D8%AC%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D9%88%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%9F

Published: July 24, 2022

10. Source: aljazeera.com
Link:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/31/spirittales-lebanons-dr-dahesh-of

Published: October 31, 2023

11. Source: ia801301.us.archive.org
Title: Fortean Times Christmas 2015
Link:https://ia801301.us.archive.org/24/items/Fortean_Times_Christmas_2015/Fortean_Times_Christmas_2015.pdf

Additional References

12. Source: pearl-hifi.com
Link:https://pearl-hifi.com/11_Spirited_Growth/01_Books/Fort_Charles/Charles_Fort_The_Complete_Books_of_Charles_Fort.pdf

13. Source: paranormalarabia.com
Title: Wata Safarta: Forgotten Village of Whispering Spirits | Paranormal Arabia
Link:https://www.paranormalarabia.com/en/articles/2025/05/wata-safarta-forgotten-village-of-whispering-spirits/

Published: May 20, 2025

14. Source: beirut.com
Title: Lebanon’s Wadi El-Jamajem: What’s The Story Behind Its Eerie Name?
Link:https://www.beirut.com/en/718653/lebanons-wadi-el-jamajem-whats-the-story-behind-its-eerie-name/

Published: March 26, 2024

15. Source: youtube.com
Title: Mystery Lights: Marfa, Brown Mountain, Hessdalen Fortean Phenomena Lecture 14
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q_QLdmohOw

16. Source: beirut.com
Title: Who DOESN’T want to visit a creepy old building that might
Link:https://www.beirut.com/en/62658/9-spooky-abandoned-places-to-visit-around-lebanon/

Published: October 27, 2021

17. Source: lebanondebate.com
Title: ما حقيقة الأجسام الغريبة التي شوهدت في سماء لبنان؟
Link:https://www.lebanondebate.com/news/568924

Published: July 24, 2022

18. Source: annahar.com
Title: لكن نطاق انتشاره لا يقتصر على الجبال اللبنانية، إ
Link:https://www.annahar.com/investigations/276160/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%85-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8A

Published: February 14, 2026

19. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/upperpeninsulatravel/posts/6161515143876273/

20. Source: folklore.usc.edu
Title: lebanon local town hyenas legend
Link:https://folklore.usc.edu/lebanon-local-town-hyenas-legend/

Published: May 13, 2023

21. Source: mtv.com.lb
Title: Unidentified flying object UFO
Link:https://www.mtv.com.lb/news/96164

Published: June 7, 2012