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For more than sixty years, Ahmed Kassab has had a behind the scenes view of Lebanon's recent history. All that time, Ahmed has worked at the Palmyra Hotel in Baalbek. In its heyday it regularly hosted music stars and heads of state attending an international festival that began in the town in 1955. But in recent years, Baalbek's situation close to the Syrian border has left the hotel empty of guests. Ahmed's been sharing his memories with Outlook. Photo: Ella Fitzgerald performing on stage Credit: Baalbek International Festival