| (Sour) Although the
earliest origins of Tyre are unknown, the testimonies of
ancient historians and some archaeological evidence suggest
that it goes back to the start of the 3rd millennium BC
originally a mainland settlement with an island city a short
distance offshore, it came of age in the 10th century BC
when King Ahiram expanded the mainland and built two ports
and a temple to Melkart, the city’s god. Its flourishing
maritime trade, Mediterranean colonies and its purple dye
and glass industries made Tyre very powerful and wealthy.
But the city’s wealth attracted enemies. In the sixth
century BC the Tyrians successfully defied Nebuchadnezzar
for 13 years. Alexander the Great laid siege to it for 7
months, finally overwhelming the island city by constructing a great causeway from the shore to the island. In their day the Romans built a magnificent city at Tyre. The remains of its Roman streets, arcades and public buildings, including one of the largest hippodromes of the period, are Tyre’s major attractions today. Occupied by the Moslem Arabs in 636 AD, then captured in 1124 by the Crusaders, Tyre was an important fortified town of the kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1291 the Mamlukes took the city, then during the 400 year Ottoman period in 1516, it remained a quite fishing town. In 1984 Tyre’s important
archaeological remains prompted UNESCO to make the town a
world heritage site. Located 79km from Beirut, prosperous
Tyre is notable for its many high-rise buildings.
Nevertheless, the inner city has retained its
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