Tyre
83 km south of Beirut, fourth largest city of Lebanon, Tyre was founded at the start of the third millenium B.C. It was consisted of mainland settlement and modest island city, but it was not until the first millenium B.C.that the city experienced its golden age.
 |
Phoenician Tyre was queen of the seas, an island of unprecedented splendor. She grew wealthy from her far reaching colonies and her industries of purpule-dyed textiles worn through out the ancient world as a mark of royal rank. |
The Greeks believed that various aspects of their civilisation had their origin in Tyre. The introduction of alphabet into Greek was attributed to Cadmos of Tyre, and it was Europa, the sister of Cadmos, who gave her name to the continent.
| The city attracted the
attention of jealous conquerors, among them the
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great. The importance of Tyre's impressive Roman remains was made in 1979 when UNESCO declared Tyre a Wolrd Heritage Site. |
 |