Touring Lebanon

Port City of Byblos – Tourists flocking back

Byblos, one of the oldest cities in the world, was featured in a lengthy article by the NY Times on January 3rd, 2010. In the article the Times covers the many unique features of this beautiful port city that lies 22 miles north of the capital Beirut. Byblos features an old traditional souk and plenty of restaurants and cafes, many of which overlook the stunning port of Byblos (above).

For those seeking cultural sites, Byblos offers a historic Citadel that features ruins that date back thousands of years. For those seeking beaches and a vibrant night life there is the Edde Sands beach resort and numerous outdoor clubs and bars.

From the NY Times

The city’s revived night life is adding a new dimension to the already powerful lure of its 7,000-year-old history and ruins. For years, Byblos’s main draws were its Crusader citadel, Phoenician ramparts and Bronze Age ruins of L-shaped temples scattered along a seaside bluff like oversized Lego blocks. Byblos lays claim to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world, dating its origins to 5000 B.C., as well as the birthplace of the modern alphabet (“byblos” is the Greek word for papyrus).

The entire article can be read here