Small - Group Tour to Sidon, Tyre & Maghdouche - Day Trip from Beirut

Itinerary
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Stop At: Tyre, Sur Lebanon

According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre. This great Phoenician city ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical role declined at the end of the Crusades. There are important archaeological remains, mainly from Roman times.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Tyre Hippodrome, Tyre Lebanon

Tyre's hippodrome dates to the second century. It is 90 meters wide, 480 meters long, had a capacity of about 40,000 people, and was built for chariot races. In the centre was a large granite obelisk. On both sides were meeting places for the supporters of the teams, which were called the Blues (in the western part of the hippodrome) and the Greens. These were luxurious buildings, with mosaics and equipped with baths.

Although primarily meant for chariot races, the hippodrome was also used for other types of sport, and it is likely that at least some of the events of the Tyrian Games were celebrated at this place. It may have been the place where, during the Diocletianic persecution, five Egyptian Christians were tortured to death. The hippodrome is singled out as worthy of praise in the Expositio Totius Mundi.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Sidon Souks, Old City, Sidon Lebanon

Saida’s old souks are exactly what you might imagine an Arabian bazaar to look like, complete with old-fashioned blacksmiths, cobblers, butchers, and bakers shops. The marketplace is made of stone archways and wedged into each niche is a different shop selling everything from fruits to souvenirs to meats. Every turn reveals a new corner of the souk, where colors, smells and sounds blend to make an enchanting marketplace.

Many old religious sights, from churches to mosques, are scattered throughout the marketplace and discovering them in the labyrinth of twisting alleyways is half the fun. The Omari and Bab el Saray Mosques, with their beautiful architecture, are well-worth a stop too


Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Crusaders Sea Castle, Sidon Sea Boulevard, Sidon Lebanon

Sidon's Sea Castle was built by the crusaders in the thirteenth century as a fortress of the holy land. It is one of the most prominent historical sites in the port city of Sidon.

The city of Sidon is located on the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon.

This ancient Phoenician city has been of great religious, political and commercial value; it is said to be inhabited since 4000 B.C. During the 13th century, the Crusaders built Sidon's Sea Castle as a fortress on a small island connected to the mainland by a narrow 80m long roadway. The island was formerly the site of a temple to Melqart, the Phoenician version of Heracles. The beauty of the Castle can be seen in old illustrations of it; however, after bearing several wars, it has been damaged and renovated several times. It was partially destroyed by the Mamluks when they took over the city from the Crusaders, but they subsequently rebuilt it and added the long causeway. The castle later fell into disuse but was again restored in the 17th century by Emir Fakhreddine II, only to suffer great damage.

There is a possibility that the island on which the castle is built was, in fact, the location of the Phoenician King's palace and several other Phoenician monuments which were destroyed by Esarhaddon and then by natural earthquakes.[2] This island has also served as a shelter from inside attacks on the city.[3] Great Sidon, Little Sidon, powerful fortresses, pastures, cisterns and fortifications are all mentioned in the Assyrian king Sennacherib's recordings of his attacks on Sidon and nearby cities.



Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Maghdouche Catholic Church, Maghdoucheh, Lebanon

Located in South Lebanon, Maghdouche is a town with a beautiful story to tell. Recognized as an important destination for pilgrims, it is also a place where agricultural traditions remain strong and where visitors can enjoy a snapshot of true village life.

The town’s most famous landmark is the tower of Our Lady of Awaiting, known as Our Lady of Mantara. Occupying a prominent position at the entrance of the village, it is believed to be the place where Mary waited for her son Jesus Christ when he was preaching in Sidon, Cana, Tyre and Sarafand. The cave within which Mary hid was abandoned, only to be rediscovered in 1721 when a shepherd was trying to save a goat that had fallen into a hole.

The people of Maghdouche constructed a cathedral and a modern tower above the cave in 1963. Today, it is an internationally recognized pilgrimage site.



Duration: 15 minutes