Travel Guide Tyr (Sour)

Tyre, a prestigious city on the Lebanese coast, has repeatedly been mentioned in the Bible by the Isaiah prophets and Ezekiel. Located on the southern coast of Lebanon, the city has more than 100 000 inhabitants. With its 7 km of beaches and turquoise blue water, Tyre is a popular seaside city. However, it undoubtedly suffers from its geographical position. A former border town between Lebanon and the area occupied by Israel, and cited particularly affected by the war in summer 2006, Tyre still remains regarded as one of the areas at risk in Lebanon. However, tourist attractions are not lacking: One of the most beautiful beaches in the country, two exceptional Roman sites and a small fishing port full of charm.Tyre has been classified by UNESCO on the list of world heritage of mankind and has been integrated into an international campaign for the preservation and preservation of archaeological and historical sites.Today, Tyre suffers from massive urbanization with the presence of buildings that encircle the site of the Roman hippodrome and the multiplication of illegal buildings on the coast.On the other hand, many Palestinians still reside in the region pending a final settlement of their fate. Three camps (El Bass, Bourj el-Shemali and Rashidyeh) are located around the city.In ancient times, Tyre consisted of a set of islands which, over the centuries, ensablèrent and soudèrent each other to finally connect to the continent.The origins of the city are very old. The historian Herodotus, who visited Tyre in the 2750 th century BC, said that according to the priests of the temple of Melkart, the city and temple were built twenty-three centuries earlier, in BC.In any case, Tyre became, in the th century BC, the main port of Eastern Mediterranean. It trade with the West and bases settlements, including Carthage. In the th century B.C., Tyre, under the reign of the famous King Hiram, helps David and then his son Solomon build the Grand temple of Jerusalem. Thanks to the cooperation between the two kings and the prosperity of the purple and glass trade, Tyre's enrichment will be considerable. From the ninth century B.C., Tyre falls under the domination of Assyria. Later, coveted by many peoples, she suffered multiple assaults. In the Fifth century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar grabbed it after a seat of thirteen years and then, in the fourth century BC, it was conquered by Alexander the Great. The latter connects the island to the mainland by a pier made of cedar and stone drums. The conquest of the city by the Greeks is followed by a terrible massacre. Many people die crucified, while others are sold as slaves. However, ten years later, Tyre regained its vitality and became the headquarters of an important shipyard. In 64 BC, the phoenician cities fall under Roman rule. Tyre then became "metropolis" under Hadrian's reign and then colony in the time of Septime Severe (201 apr. ).As large navigators and skilled traders, the Tyre make the city prosperous thanks to many industries, including the purple (colouring material that, at that time, could give up to twenty times the price of gold) and garum factories (expensive, very sought-after, from maceration in the salt of fish waste). As early as 57, the city will be one of Saint Paul's steps on the road to Jerusalem.Conquered by the Arabs in 636, it will be renamed Sour, and the crusaders will occupy it from 1124 to 1291. It will also become a cultural centre that will see the emergence of two famous philosophers: Tyr of Tyre (second century) and Porphyrus (th century).The many remains still visible today (racecourse, thermal baths, theatre…) bear witness to the grandeur of Tyre in Roman times. Now stripped from its prestige of yesteryear, it is no longer just a small fishing port dreaming its past.