How did Muslim rule change Beirut after the conquest of 635?

When Muslim forces occupied Beirut in 635, the city was largely in ruins following a series of devastating earthquakes and a tsunami in 551. Under Muslim rule, the city was reconstructed and transformed into a small, walled garrison town.12

Administratively, Beirut was governed as part of the jund (province) of Damascus. While it remained commercially insignificant for several centuries, the city became a notable center for Islamic scholarship; for instance, the 8th-century jurist al-Awzāʿī established a school of Islamic law there that exerted significant influence across the region.23

The city's importance eventually revived in the 10th century as maritime commerce returned to the Mediterranean, particularly after the region came under the rule of the Fāṭimid caliphs. Over time, the coastal population of the city became predominantly Sunni Muslim, and the Arabic language was adopted by the broader population.23