Tyre, Ancient Phoenician city-state in South Governorate, Lebanon
Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast in southern Lebanon, sitting on a peninsula linked to the mainland by a causeway. The old town preserves narrow lanes and traditional houses, while Roman arches, columns, and the hippodrome spread across the archaeological area.
This harbor was one of the most important Phoenician trading centers, exporting purple dye and glass across the Mediterranean. Alexander the Great conquered the island city in 332 BCE and built a causeway that permanently connected it to the mainland.
Fishermen sell their catch daily at the harbor, while families picnic on public beaches under the shade of palms. In summer the Roman hippodrome becomes a stage for music festivals and dance performances, where locals and visitors celebrate together.
The Roman excavations lie in the southern part of the city, while the old harbor and souk sit near the tip of the peninsula. Three Palestinian refugee camps are farther south in the contemporary urban area and are separate residential neighborhoods.
A marine reserve covers 380 hectares and provides nesting grounds for loggerhead and green sea turtles, which come to the sandy beach in spring. The ancient aqueduct still runs visibly from the mainland to the peninsula and once supplied the city with fresh water from inland springs.
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