Exploring Lebanon (and IV): Sidon

The last day of 2018 I went to the South, to the city of Sidon (or “Saida” in Arabic), the third most important city in the country, in the Mediterranean coast. That day I was planning to continue towards South and visit Tyre too, but finally I decided to take it easy since I felt a bit stomach ache and I wanted to return Beirut on time to meet another traveller I met in Byblos and eat the 12 grapes (according to the Spanish tradition in New Year Eve) together. So I enjoyed a relaxed morning in Tyre, without hurries.

As Byblos or Tripoli, Sidon was another important Phoenician settlement 3000 years B.C. Its most important vestige, the Sea Castle, doesn´t belong to this period, but thirteenth century, when the Crusaders built their fortress in this point. Other interesting spots are the Debbamne Palace, the soap museum and the Khan al-Frani, or “inn of the foreigners”, from seventeenth century.

But the part I liked the most was the maze of narrow streets in the old town, around the old souk. One of the exits of this labyrinthine place leads to the remains of Saint Louis Castle, also from the Crusade period. The site is completely in ruins and almost abandoned, but from the top of the hill where the castle is located, you can see some good views of the old town when the sea in the background.

And this is the end of my Lebanese chronicles. I hope that they can be helpful for you in case you would like to visit this country in the future, for example, during the coming holidays in Kuwait. This trip was highly satisfactory for me and I wished I could stay a few more days more (I couldn’t have time for Baalbek or Qadisha valley among other places). I hope there will be more opportunities in the future.

See you in next posts!

Exploring Lebanon (III): Batroun and Tripoli

One of the two days I stayed in Byblos, I decided to take a bus and explore a bit more the North, arriving to the city of Tripoli. Before this, I stopped for a while in Batroun, other historic Phoenician city in the Lebanese coast, very popular in summer, when many tourists landing there. In winter, however, it is a very quiet place, with almost no one in the streets. At times and in some concrete areas, I felts as the only wayfarer in that day.

The main points of interest in Batroun are near the old harbor, such as the Phoenician wall and the Maronite Cathedral of St Stephen. It is also worthy to follow the coast line and stop at the small Orthodox church of Our Lady of the Seas and watching the views from its terrace.

As an anecdote of the day, I have to say that I found a restaurant called “Córdoba”, the name of my hometown in Spain, and I couldn’t avoid stopping there and investigate a bit. When I asked the waiter about why that name, he said that the owner was in my city and he liked so much, so he decided to put its distinguished name to his businesss.

 

After Batroun, I took another bus to Tripoli, 30 kilometers away from Syrian border. This close distance can be worrying, but, contrary to what I was told, Tripoli didn’t seem an unsafe place for me. Till few years ago, the violence of the war reached here and people say that there are still jihadists hiding in this place. However, the inconveniences are minimum for the visitors walking around in this interesting city..

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A good spot to start the visit in Tripoli is the citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, old crusader castle, renewed in several posterior periods by the Mamluks and Ottomans. From here you can enjoy some extraordinary views of the city. Walking down to the old souk, it is possible to discover several “khan”(which could be translated as “inn”), which was allocated to a concrete guild in the past. A good example is the Khan Al Khayyatin (khan of the tailors).

I really enjoyed this part of my trip, probably one of the most intense, especially in Tripoli. Here I discovered other side of this country, closer to my expectations when I think about Middle East, with more hustle in the street, people who spontaneously come to you to ask where you are from, odors of spices, etc. Nothing to do with Beirut, much more like any western city.

Exploring Lebanon (II): Byblos and Jeita Grotto

Besides Beirut, one of the most popular and charming destinations in Lebanon is Byblos, one hour away from the capital, heading to the North, also in the coast. This interesting place is one of the oldest human settlements continually inhabited in the whole World and it offers to the visitant an unrepeatable opportunity to dig into this melting pot of civilizations which forms the history, not only of this, but of many other Mediterranean countries.

It is quite easy to explore the main points in Byblos since everything is in the same area. Through the old souk you can arrive to the harbor promenade with the ruins of the Crusader Castle on the left. Around this old citadel, built in XIII century, there are diverse vestiges from other ages, such as remains of Greek and Persian temples, a Phoenician necropolis and a Roman amphitheater. Inside the same complex, we can find a particular abandoned house, known as “The White House”, belonging to Al Housami family and built in the XIX century.

Another attractive place is the souk. Here you can’t miss the chance if you want to buy some souvenirs from Lebanon. Then In Beirut it is more complicated to find them apart of the airport, where everything usually is more expensive. At the end of the cobbled streets you can find the old harbour, an awesome spot where you can enjoy an epic sunset.

Between Byblos and Beirut it is one of the most spectacular natural marvels that you can visit, the Jeita Grotto. It is possible to arrive getting a bus to Jounie, coming back to Beirut, and then a taxi to the entrance. There are two parts, one to be visited by boat and other by foot. Unfortunately, during winter the water cave is closed, so I could only see the “dry” one. The inside is very impressive, with hypnotic stalagmites and stalactites, and frightening vaults with phantasmagoric shapes. I can say that it is one of the best places in terms of nature that I’ve ever seen. Photos are not allowed inside the cave, something that I finally thanked, since I just focused on enjoying the scene.

Entrada a una de las cuevas

It is well worth staying in Byblos, at least a couple of days, although I could see everything in only one. The second one I decided to continue exploring the north of the country, stopping at Batroun and Tripoli, which I will talk about in the next chronicle.