Our tiny country boasts four oldest cities in the world on the eastern mediterranean coast: Tyre, Sidon, Beirut and the Byblos.
On top of the to do list during my regular stays in Lebanon however is always Byblos. An ancient Phoenician city 35 kilometre north of Beirut with seven thousand years of history, all packed in one of the most scenic archeologic sites in the world! The Crusaders’ Castle overlooking the mediterranean sea, and the layers of different civilization surrounding it will dazzle you for certain.
How many times did I walk the site impressed and overwhelmed as if I was there for the first time? Yes, Byblos is worth visiting million times! Each visit has its own memory over the years – the trip with the school, the visit with my own little children, the follow-up visits with them as teenagers and adults, the visits with family and friends, the visit before the war (choose one) and after the war, the visit before and after Corona, and the tale goes on.
The best part as always would be the stroll in the old souk looking for souvenirs, grabbing a man’oushe on the saj to still the first hunger of the day.
But I wouldn’t want to miss the view of the sea while savouring fried fish with an assortment of a delicious mezza in the lovely fish restaurants in the old port, so I usually plan for that highlight before heading back home.
And as always, I would be collecting another memory of Byblos, the city that has accompanied me in good times and in bad times.
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