Byblos (Jbeil)

Byblos, or Jbeil is considered as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Within its old town you can still see medieval Arab and Crusader remains, while its archaeological excavations, going back at least 7,000 years, make it one of the most important sites in the country. In the 3rd millennium BC, the city owed its prosperity to trade in cedar wood. And it is from late 1st millennium Byblos that we get the linear Phoenician alphabet that became the basis of our modern alphabet. The fact of this Phoenician invention is reflected in the Greek name "Byblos," which originally meant "papyrus" and by extension, "book".

Archaeologists have unearthed single room huts with crushed limestone floors where early Stone Age inhabitants lived 7,000 years ago. You can also see the foundations of the Baalat-Gebal or "Lady of Byblos" temple, built in 2800 BC when Byblos had close ties with Egypt.

Dominating the site is the Crusader Castle erected by the Knights of the Cross in 1103. The Crusaders re-used Roman stonework and cut new stones to match the old. An impressive Roman Colonnade, the remains of a Theater and a Roman Nymphaeun, or water source, are located near the Crusader castle. The Crusader church of St. John the Baptist, known since the 18th century as St. John Mark, was begun around 1115. After 1170 the church was damaged by earthquakes and local conflicts, which caused its western half to collapse. The present facade dates from the 19th century and the bell tower from the early 20th. A hemispheric dome supported by four pillars covers the baptistery, erected in 1115 against the north wall of the church.