Tyre Travel Guide

 MM212 Says:  Beautifully landscaped and lined with palm trees, the northern Corniche of Tyre curves along the scenic Sidon Habour, named so because it faces the city of Sidon. On clear days, views extend all the way to the snow-capped Mont Liban and Mount Hermon. A stroll along this... 

 MM212 Says:  At the western end of the peninsula of Tyre is a tranquil seashore road that runs from the Christian Quarter to the archaeological areas in the south of the peninsula. It is a great place for an afternoon stroll with excellent views over the Mediterranean Sea. The area and... 

 MM212 Says:  Located on the northern side of the peninsula of Tyre, facing the Sidon Harbour, is the covered Fruit & Vegetable Market of Tyre. It is the place to mix with the locals who are here to shop for fresh produce just off the farms of the fertile plains around Tyre. It is an... 

 MM212 Says:  Phoenician Tyre was built on an island offshore, a positions that contributed significantly to its defensive strength. During the siege of Tyre by Alexander the Great, the Macedonian leader constructed a causeway to allow his army to finally conquer the impenetrable city in... 

 MM212 Says:  Old Tyre is the area just south and west of the fishing port in the peninsula of Tyre. The charming town is rather compact and has some beautiful old architecture. However, it has lagged other Lebanese cities in terms of restoration and rehabilitation, likely because of its... 

 MM212 Says:  Hard to believe, but it is from this tranquil fishing port that Phoenician Tyre ruled the Mediterranean Sea around 950 BC. At the time, Tyre was still an island, but since Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BC, the island has been a peninsula connected to the mainland.... 

 MM212 Says:  Immense red granite pillars from the Crusader Cathedral of the Holy Cross tower above Archaeological Area 2. The foundation walls of the cathedral, showing triple naves and apse, are also clearly discernible. The size of this Cathedral is a testament to the importance of... 

 MM212 Says:  Al-Bass Archeological Area 3 is rich in mosaic and marble floors from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Many of these floors were part of burial chambers in the Necropolis, but others possibly belonged to Byzantine chapels. Attached are a couple of examples. For more photos,... 

 MM212 Says:  This very well-preserved mosaic floor appears to belong to a Byzantine-period church. It is located in al-Mina Archeological Area 1 on the left hand side as one enters the site. It seems to have been moved to its present location for display, but was originally located... 

 MM212 Says:  As was typical in Roman cities, the Necropolis of Tyre was located just outside the city limits, on both sides of the long road leading to the Monumental Arch. This particular necropolis is vast, and served as a burial ground during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine... 

 MM212 Says:  Tyre's main east-west thoroughfare, the magnificent Decumanus Maximus led from the Monumental Arch to the heart of Roman Tyre in the peninsula. The important road was paved with stones, which have survived remarkably intact, and as was customary in the Roman East, it was... 

 MM212 Says:  Symbol of Roman Tyre, this magnificent Monumental Arch is the best-preserved structure from the city's Roman period. It was built in the 2nd century AD, the golden age under the Romans, as the main entrance into the city. It separated the Necropolis to the east from the... 

 miso80 Says:  If you ask any local about the two best restaurants around tyre, they will surely tell you one of two: Le Petit Phoenicien also known by the family name as 'Hadeed' (see other restaurant tip for details) or Salinas Restaurant. This restaurant is situated on Mina street, very... 

 MM212 Says:  Adjacent to al-Bass Archaeological Area 3 is its namesake Palestinian refugee camp, one of several around Tyre and all of Lebanon. It is heartbreaking to know that these families cannot return to their homes, which once were beyond the nearby Israeli border only 20-30... 

 MM212 Says:  The presence of United Nations vehicles is a common sight in Tyre. The city is only a short distance from the area currently monitored by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and only 20-30 minutes from the troubled Israeli border. Fortunately, the political situation...