Byblos was an early Phoenician settlement, associated with the history of the diffusion of the Phoenician alphabet. It was a maritime commercial city with strong trade relations to Egypt. Phoenician remains on site include the Great Temple built in 2700 BC, the Temple of Baalat Gebal built in 2700 BC and the Temple of the Obelisks built ca. 1600 BC.
The town is believed to have been founded around 5,000 BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world. It was turned into a structured city with walls in about 2,800 BC.
Byblos is located on the Mediterranean coast of present-day Lebanon. It is attractive to archaeologists because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation: neolithic, chalcolithic, Assyrian, Roman, muslim and Crusaders.
Visit April 2012
Although Byblos (nowadays known as ‘Jbeil’) lies only 35 km north of Beirut, it took the rickety local bus number 6 more than 1.5 hours to get me there. As always in Beirut we got stuck in traffic, and then slowly proceeded through casino-town Jounieh until we reached the Mediterranean. Finally we were leaving the highrise buildings and American fastfood restaurants behind. The drive northwards along the coast is quite pleasant, though many good spots have been taken over by large beach hotels and exclusive fish restaurants. The bus driver dumped me at an overpass, from where I walked down into the city center of Byblos.
It is not difficult to find your way to the archeological site: just walk to the Crusader Castle, which is the highest building in the area. After paying the ´foreigners´ entrance fee of 8000 LBP (4 EUR), I started the long circuit of the complex. Paths lead to all corners of the site, with information boards in English, French and Arabic to explain what once was here. The origins of Byblos lie in the neolotihic and chalcolithic, so remains of this period are limited. Better preserved is the Roman heritage: a small theatre at a splendid location overlooking the sea, and a row of columns along a former Roman road. At the far end of the complex lies the Temple of the Obelisks, an Egyptian/Phoenician construction. A group of obelisks still is standing upright, which makes it look like a cemetery.
My walk ended at the Castle – the first Crusader Castle I have ever been to. I admired its sturdy construction. Inside a museum covers two of its floors. The best pieces that were found in Byblos are shown in the Lebanese National Museum however: the sarcophagus with the first Phoenician writing, the colossal Egyptian-looking Bronze Age statue that dominates the main hall, the little delicate, flat bronze statues that were used as votive offerings.
I spent about 1.5 hours on site, and enjoyed walking around it slowly. It was the busiest tourist site I have visited so far in Lebanon: there were about 30-40 other people, most of them in small tour groups. Before taking the bus back to Beirut, I had another good Lebanese lunch at Fenicia restaurant near the souk.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
|Jorge Sanchez (Spain):|
Sometimes you remember a place not for its history or beauties, or stones forming ruins, but for the people you get to know.
That happened to me in Byblos.
I was coming back hitchhiking from the north of Lebanon to Beirut when I resolved to stop in Byblos, owing to the history of that place.
I visited the market, churches and the castle of the crusaders, that is, the main tourists’ attractions. During a few hours I did my duty as a tourist. Then I was hungry.
I chose a nice looking restaurant called Byblos Fishing Club, inside the citadel.
That restaurant was lovely, charming, and very intimate, with a wonderful view of the Mediterranean Sea. It is, indeed, a must during a visit to Lebanon.
But the soul of the place was his owner, Señor Pepe (familiar for José), who in the sixties, during Lebanon golden age, he was a true play boy. He was born in Mexico, from Mexican mother, and migrated to the country of his father, Lebanon, to open several restaurants for the rich people (although he arrived to Lebanon without a peso in his pocket). Still, his Spanish was excellent.
The restaurant displays many pictures hanging from its walls showing world famous personages, such as Brigitte Bardot, Jaques Chirac, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a Spanish Minister in Franco’s times.
Food was delicious (Lebanese), although a little bit expensive (he made me discount, being Spanish!), but the place and Pepe presence and conversation compensated for everything.
| Date posted: October 2013|
|Paul Tanner (UK):|
Byblos is apparently/claims to be the “oldest continuously inhabited town in the world”. The “idea” is however more impressive than the reality. It is a pleasant enough town with bustling little harbour overlooked by the remains of a crusader castle (photo) – much like many a small town around the Mediterranean. On the hill by the castle there is an archaeological site with a range of ruins from Roman times going back to Bronze Age and Neolithic but in all honesty there is not a lot to see. If you have made it to Lebanon however you should go up there – it is an easy trip out of Beirut either as part of a circuit up to the Cedars of Lebanon or as a return trip. It is all very relaxed and there are some good restaurants and pleasant cafes.
| Date posted: June 2005|
Have you been to Byblos? Share your experiences!
Add your own review