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The Arch oF Tyre
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The Phoenician City of Lebanon
Tyre, a famous ancient Phoenician seaport; town in southern Lebanon
A richly illustrated guide to one of the world's historical and architectural site in Tyre City Lebanon
Tyre, Lebanon
Phoenician Tyre was Queen of the Seas, an island city of unprecedented splendor. It grew wealthy from its far-reaching colonies and its industries of purple-dyed textiles. But it also attracted the attention of jealous conquerors, among them the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great.
It was founded at the start of the third millennium BC. Tyre originally consisted of a mainland settlement and a modest island city that lay a short distance offshore. But it was not until the first millennium BC that the city experienced its golden age.
In the 10th century BC, King of Tyre, Ahiram, joined two islets by landfill. Later he extended the city further by reclaiming a considerable area from the sea and built two ports and a temple to Melkart, the city's god. Phoenician expansion began about 815 BC when traders from Tyre founded Carthage in North Africa.
Eventually its colonies spread around the Mediterranean and Atlantic, bringing to the city a flourishing maritime trade.
Recent excavations have uncovered Crusader, Arab, Byzantine and Greco-Roman remains, but the city that has come to light is the Roman and Byzantine settlement.
The loveliest relic is a reconstructed Triumphal Arch. A Necropolis situated on both sides of a long avenue is most impressive, and the Great Hippodrome for chariot racing is remarkable in that it was built of stone while most others were built of brick.
Also in Tyre is the Tomb of King Ahiram (970-936 BC), contemporary of King David (pbuh), who sent cedar wood and craftsmen to build King Solomon's temple (pbuh) in Jerusalem.
This site is prepared, produced and presented by
Hussein Kefel
New Photographs of Tyre City & Surroundings
TYRE
(Arabic Sur; Hebrew Zor; Latin Tyrus) is an ancient Phoenician city in southern Lebanon, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. It is located about 23 miles north of Acre (Akko), and 20 miles south of Sidon. The modern city's name is Sur.
Tyre has a long and illustrious history. In ancient times it was the most important city of the Phoenicians, amassing great wealth and power from the export of purple dye.
In the first century AD, Tyre was the home of a Christian community visited by St. Paul, and it became a major stronghold of the Crusaders in the 12th century. Today, Tyre (Sur) is the fourth largest city in Lebanon and is a popular stop for tourists due to its ancient ruins. It was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1984. And just 12 km from Tyre is where Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) made his first miracle by turning water to wine at a wedding feast in Qana (Cana) The Galilee.
TYRE
Today, offers visitors an impressive array of excavated ancient ruins, which are spread across three separate archaeological areas. Sights include the remains of a Roman cemetery (necropolis) with several freestanding stone tombs, a Roman triumphal arch, bathhouse, aqueduct, and cardo (street), and a Byzantine mosaic floor from an ancient church.
Tyre's hippodrome (arena for chariot racing), of which a significant amount survives, is unique in being built of stone instead of the more usual brick. It could seat 20,000 spectators.
Remains from other periods have also been unearthed at Tyre, including those from the Byzantine, Arab and Crusader eras, but it is the Roman ruins that are most numerous and impressive.
The sights of modern Tyre (Sur) include a colorful souk (market), a double-domed Shia mosque, and a Christian quarter that is the seat of the Maronite Bishop of Tyre and the Holy Land.
Near Tyre is the tomb of King Ahiram (Hiram) (970-936 BC), contemporary of King David, who sent cedar and craftsmen to help build King Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. It is located in Hanawai village on the road to Qana El-Jaleel where Prophet Jesus Peace Be Upon Him turned Water to Wine, 6 km southeast of Tyre.
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