A cozy small town located 40 km north of Beirut and born at 8000 g .to n .e .- this Byblos, or in Arabic Jabail (Jbail), - one of the most interesting archaeological sites of the Middle East, seen by tourists from all over the world .Here you can literally touch history - the city is simply stuffed with the ruins of ancient buildings: from the first settlements of fishing communities from 8000 to n .e, the first buildings of the city, the cemetery of the Phoenicians, the 4000-year-old Egyptian temple, the Persian fortifications to the Roman road, the Byzantine churches, the citadel of the Middle Ages of the Ottoman Empire..Once the center of papyrus trade between Egypt and Greece (the Bible with the Greek .and hence "papyrus"), now it is a city-museum, equal to which there are not so many even on a world scale .

How to call

+ 961-9-phone number when calling from a mobile phone and 8-10-961-9-subscriber number when calling from a landline. And do not forget that time in Lebanon lags behind Moscow by 1 hour.

How to get

To get to Byblos, you need to fly from Moscow to Beirut on one of the daily flights, which will take you about 4 hours and will cost from 15 thousand rubles. Then on inexpensive buses (for $ 2) or by taxi (here already have to shell out to $ 20) to break into the citadel of antiquity - Byblos. The journey takes about 30 minutes

Kitchen

The cuisine in Byblos is diverse not less than its archaeological heritage and historical past: Mediterranean, Turkish, French, Japanese, African restaurants flood the city. Choose according to preferences and prices. Dine in the setting of the Middle Ages in the open air with a picturesque view you can in the city center in the restaurant Locanda a la Granda. The average check is $ 50.

The most democratic prices in the restaurant of Mediterranean cuisine Al-Rif Grill on the main street of the city, you can dine here for $ 10.

Another culinary "attraction" of Lebanon is the wine of an amazing taste and aroma. Unfortunately, we find it difficult to find them, so enjoy them during the trip and do not forget to bring a couple of bottles as a gift to your friends.

Souvenirs

In the medieval part of the city there is a beautifully restored bitch (market) district, where there are numerous souvenir shops. Here you can find the usual "antiques", copperware, T-shirts, etc., but the most interesting cards are kitsch-kitsch 1950's and Memoire Du Temps (the center of "Memory of the Times") and products from Lebanese cedar. Here you can buy decent and relatively inexpensive footwear, leather goods, clothes, luxury jewelry. Many souvenir shops near tourist facilities.

Entertainment, sightseeing and sightseeing

Who only did not win this city-history: the Egyptians, Persians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Macedonians, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and others .Of course, the conquerors left behind an abundance of elements that characterize the medieval city (walls, cathedral, castle and dungeon), the sight of the Ottoman city (bazaars, khans, mosques, houses) - $ .Most of them can be seen in the Archaeological Park .Here are the traces of many cultures that have ever filled the city: as evidence of close ties with Pharaonic Egypt, numerous Egyptian figurines appear before travelers, familiar to domestic tourists; a lot of the bases of apartment houses, the necropolis and city walls remind of the Phoenician period of history; Greeks and Romans left after themselves an amphitheater, a nymph and columns, crusaders and Arabs - the central tower of the donjon, fortress walls and t .n .

The most notable monument on the site of archaeological excavations is the Castle of the Crusaders .At the beginning of the 12th century, the Franks built here a powerful fortress, for the construction of which they largely used the old Roman masonry .In Mamluk and Ottoman periods, the castle was also used for its purpose, and some parts of it were restored .The castle consists of a patio with four towers on every corner of the building, and a fifth tower in the middle of the north wall that protected the entrance .It measures 49.5 m by 44 m and was once surrounded by a deep moat .

This structure has several interesting features. For example, the whole of its basement is a huge water reservoir, which has remained largely intact. Be sure to climb to the roof of the castle, from where you can capture a magnificent panorama of ruins, Phoenician ramparts and the Mediterranean Sea, not only in memory, but also on photographic paper.

Tourists like to visit the Roman theater built in 218. Today, its magnificent reconstruction, which is only one third of the original size of the theater, is located near the edge of the cliff, from which an amazing view opens.

Near the theater in the rock in the form of vertical mines, nine royal graves were cut down .They are related to the II millennium to n .e .Such grave-pits are no longer found anywhere else..The most important grave is King Hiram (1200 g .to n .e .), who was a contemporary of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II .On his sarcophagus there is one of the earliest known inscriptions of the Phoenician alphabet .Saramage of Hiram is now the main exhibit of the National Museum .At the mine, where his grave is located, there is an inscription on the early Phoenician alphabet, which reads: "We warn .Your death is at the bottom ".

In the center of the medieval city is the Church of St. John the Baptist, known today as the Church of St. John and Mark. It was built in several stages during the 12th and 13th centuries. Its construction began in 1115. One of its most unusual architectural features is the open baptistery, which is located opposite the northern wall.

Lovers of romance

The most romantic place of Byblos is a cozy bay, at the entrance to which the crusaders built watchtowers. In summer, from the bay, you can take a boat trip to admire Byblos from the sea or dive. Nearby you can find several clean beaches and swim in the Mediterranean Sea.

Try to come here in the afternoon to catch a glimpse of the magnificent sunset. There are many restaurants that offer dishes of national cuisine, as well as fish prepared by various "cunning" methods.

Festival

If you went to Byblos in August or September, we advise you not to miss the International Byblos Festival, which, as a rule, becomes a notable event not only because it is held under the auspices of UNESCO and under the patronage of the President of Lebanon. It is a bouquet of various and sometimes unusual events - from exhibitions of painting to clowns, fashion shows and exits to the sea with fishermen. Its main "specialization" is folk art of different countries and classical music.

All prices are indicated as of May 2013