According to Herodotus the city of Tyre was founded around 2750BC, the ancient Phoenician city and birthplace of Elissa and Europa (the Phoenician lady in Greek mythology from which the continent of Europe’s name was derived). Soaked with history, mentioned in the old testament as the city where pride lived and caused God to drive Nebuchadnezzar to attack the city that gloated over the fall of Jerusalem. The bible mentions Tyre as a place that Jesus visited the shores of to perform healing on a Gentile. The people of this city were the first to venture and sail the waters of the mediterranean forming colonies in Greece, North Africa (Carthage), Spain (Tartessus and Cadiz), Sicily, Corsica and the island of the Aegean Sea. As with other Lebanese ancient cities Tyre had to suffer the attacks of Alexander the Great, the advance of the Crusades and the rule of the Roman Empire among others.
Today despite the UNESCO declaring the site a ‘world heritage site’, the remains are facing deterioration and erosion from rainwater and the natural elements due to lack of proper maintenance.
Standing there felt like being transported into a different time, a different place and you can almost hear the echos of the ancient voices that still vibrate in its old walls.
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