Deir el Nouriyeh cliffs of Ras Chekaa. 16/04/99. The site is part of a coastal limestone promontory just north of Beirut, amid the highly-developed narrow coastal plain between Beirut and Tripoli, and is described as "a mosaic of woodland and olive groves". The site is significant because of its position as a coastal headland on the Middle East bird migration route: notable bird species include the White Pelican and Purple Heron. The presence of submarine freshwater springs off the coast at Ras Chekaa is thought to enhance the biodiversity of the waters here. Of historical and cultural interest is the convent of Deir el Nouriyeh. The main agricultural use of the site is the cultivation of olives. Ramsar site no. 979.