For a trip to Tyre, it is worth deciding first what to focus on: ancient city history or the landscapes in the surrounding area. The World Heritage Site of Tyre consists of two separate areas: the site on the peninsula of the modern city and the El Bass necropolis on the mainland. This spatial division is a helpful key to finding your way around. Tyre was an important city in antiquity; its sailors navigated the Mediterranean from the Phoenician period onward. Its maritime history provides a backdrop to the archaeological remains spread across the two areas.]
Ancient Structures and the El Bass Area
The site of the city of Tyre includes the remains of Roman baths, two palaestrae (ancient training grounds), an arena, a Roman colonnaded street and a residential quarter. It also includes the remains of a cathedral built by the Venetians in 1127, as well as sections of the walls of an old Crusader castle. The baths, palaestrae and residential quarter illustrate different aspects of the urban layout; the cathedral and castle walls add further historic structures to the ensemble. The date 1127 provides a specific chronological reference point for the cathedral.]
In the El Bass sector, a monumental causeway stands at the site of the city’s main entrance in antiquity. This area also includes a wide monumental street and a Roman triumphal arch from the 2nd century AD, which stands above the street. The archaeological site also includes a funerary temple, decorated sarcophagi and tombs, an arch, a Roman road, and a hippodrome with room for about 20,000 spectators. For orientation, it helps to think of the peninsula and El Bass as separate sections of the World Heritage Site: the structures range from urban features to burial sites and monumental roads.]
Nature in the Surrounding Area of Tyre
In the wider area around Tyre, the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve covers 380 hectares and provides a habitat for numerous plant, animal and insect species. Its sandy beach is described as the largest in Lebanon. This adds a different landscape dimension to the archaeological perspective: the reserve represents the coast, beach and habitats, while the World Heritage Site is defined by its structures, urban layout and necropolis. When choosing a theme, the historic remains and the protected area in the wider surroundings can be considered different focuses for the trip.]
More Themes in the South Lebanon Governorate
The South Lebanon Governorate also offers distinctive cultural and landscape themes. The Audi Foundation’s Soap Museum focuses on traditional soapmaking using old tools and exhibits about bathhouses; the room is vaulted. The Jezzine Waterfall is located 904 metres above sea level and is described as the fifth-highest waterfall in the world and the highest in the Middle East. The 904 metres refers to its elevation above sea level, not the height of the waterfall. Together, these examples broaden the picture of the South Lebanon Governorate to include craft culture and a distinctive landscape feature. They offer a different thematic perspective from Tyre’s ancient structures and burial sites.]
Discover more destinations: Saida
For the broader travel overview: South Lebanon Governorate.
