Saida (Sidon)

Saida, the third Phoenician city-state, Sidon’s origins are lost from
memory. The name was mentioned in the texts for the first time in the 14th century BC in the “Tell El Amarna Letter”. But it was during the Persian era, between the end of the 6th century BC and the mid 4th century BC, that the city experienced its golden age.

Sidon was an open city with much cultural influence, including the Egyptian and Greek. During the Persian era, Aegean sculptors contributed to the nearby temple of Eshmoun, the city’s god. He was associated with the Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing.

After its revolt against the Persians and its destruction in 351 BC, Sidon never regained its former glory. But the city’s position had improved by 551 AD, when after the disastrous earthquake of that year it was chosen as the site of the Beirut Law School.

The Crusader period, between 1110 and 1291 AD, brought Sidon new prestige as the second of the four baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Today the ruins of the Crusader sea castle and the castle of Saint-Louis, known as the land castle, can still be seen in Sidon.

From the Mamluke and Ottoman periods we have the Great Mosque on the foundation of a Crusader building and the Khan “el-Franj” built by Fakhreddine II. Today the town, 41km from Beirut, has grown into a thriving commercial and business center serving the entire region.