Photogallery of Byblos-Jbeil, Lebanon

Byblos-Jbeil or simply Byblos is the largest city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located forty kilometers from the country’s capital. This is an interesting place that attracts tourists by its unusual atmosphere. When you enter Byblos, it feels like you just made time travel – the city is very old and still has many ancient ruins. Besides this, Byblos is situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, so local beaches are perfectly suitable for swimming and sunbathing. When the weather is sunny and the wind is not strong, tourists can admire a truly spectacular view of the seaside. It is easy to spend hours enjoying the scene. According to local beliefs, El, the Sun God, was the founder of the city. He surrounded the settlement with a wall. First mentions of Byblos date back to 4,000 BC. When ancient Greece and the Roman Empire were not founded yet, Byblos-Jbeil was one of the most powerful cities in the world, an independent place with its own king, culture, and developing commerce. The first alphabet and then writing initially appeared in this part of the world. In 3,000 BC, Byblos started trading with ancient Egypt. However, a tragic event happened at the end of that period. A large fire destroyed a big part of the city. This caused a decline in Byblos, but that sad period didn’t last long. Byblos-Jbeil started rebuilding quickly and soon became the largest Phoenician center of trade for ships. This helped to establish new business … Read further