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Saidon :
Saidon, Sidon (Saida) is said to mean "fishing". Saida
was the third greatphoenician city-state, rivaling Byblos and
Tyre as a naval power. In Darius' time, towards the end of the
6th century B.C., it was the capital of the fifth Persian satrapy
and a showplace of buildings and gardens. The town was conquered
by the cursaders after a famous siege lasting 47 days, then retaken
by the Saladin 70 years later. The Castle of the Sea, built by
crusaders in 1228, guards the entry to the harbor. The Great Mosque,
the ruins of the castle of St. Louis, the Phoenician temple to
the god Eshmoun, and the burial grounds with their catacombs and
underground chambers, are all relics of Sidon's impressive past.
Today the Town, 41 km from Beirut and known as the capital of
the South, has grown into a thriving commercial and business center
serving the entire region. Saidon is built like all ancient Phoenician
cities on a promontory facing an island to shelter its fleet.
There are few remains of the ancient city which has been twice
destroyed in wars between the seventh and fourth centuries BC
and again during an earthquake in the sixth century AD. In commercial
and religious significance, Saidon surpassed other Phoenician
cities. Glassblowing was the most important industry, closely
followed by the production of Tyrian Purple, a dye made from the
shell of the murex, a marine snail. Like all Phoenician cities,
Sidon was conquered many times over. One invasion by the Persian
Emperor Artaxeres III, is unique in its horror. Rather than submit
to the attackers, the Sidonians locked their doors and immolated
themselves in their homes. Saidon's sights are within walking
distance of each other. The vaulted souks of the Old City, the
harbour, the 13th century Crusader sea castle, and the Great Mosque
are west of the town square (in reality a roundabout), and the
new town buildings and residential areas are on the eastern side. |
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Tyre :
This Phoenician city withstood a 13-year siege before it fell
to Alexander the Great who literally bridged the gap between
the fortified island city and the mainland by building a causeway
and thus capturing the city. Tyre became wealthy exporting thepurple
Tyrian-died textiles throughout the ancient world. There are
three interesting areas of ruins (pictured). The colonnades,
mosaic streets and Roman baths of the ancient fortified city-island,
the ruins of a Crusader church and the most extensive area of
ruins -- a Roman-Byzantine necropolis, and the largest Roman
hippodrome ever found, which hosted chariot races in its heyday. |
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Chouf Mountains :
Their main attraction is the Palace of Beiteddine. Dating from
the 18-19th century the palace features richly decorated ceilings,
colourful marble mosaics, luxurious Turkish baths and harem
rooms in a beautiful garden setting. Minutes away from Beiteddine
is a restored palace of the same period that is now a luxury
hotel. It has 24 rooms and a swimming pool which is tiled at
the bottom to resemble a Persian carpet. The picturesque town
of Deir El Qamar, between Beirut and Beiteddine, was the seat
of Lebanon's emirate during the 17th and 18th centuries. The
town has some beautiful examples of Arab architecture including
the Mosque of Fakreddine, built in 1493. |
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