Tyre, World Heritage Site in Lebanon

Tyre is the site of a Phoenician city built before 2750 B.C.. It once dominated the Mediterranean Sea and prospered enough to establish many colonial cities such as Carthage, but declined at the end of the Crusader period. Today, Tyre is a small fishing village called “Sur” where Roman ruins still remain.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Tyre is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about Tyre!

What is Tyre?

Located 83 km south of the capital Beirut, Tyre was once such a prosperous city that it established colonial cities such as Carthage throughout the Mediterranean. It was founded a whopping 2,750 years ago B.C., making it one of the cities with the longest history in the world.After being ruled by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C., it was ruled by Greeks and Romans.However, the city of Tyre at that time sank into the sea, and the ruins that remain today as “Tyre” were built during the Roman period.

The main industry of Tyre was shell purple (royal purple), which was favored by kings and nobles. They were also highly skilled builders, and it was said that architects from Tyre were involved in the design of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.

The ruins that remain in the town of Sur today are mostly Roman, and are dotted with bathhouses, colonnaded roads, and residential areas. The hippodrome (chariot stadium), which could accommodate 20,000 people, is particularly impressive. The Cathedral, built in the 12th century, and the city walls from the Crusade period still remain.

For what reason is Tyre on the World Heritage List?

Tyre was evaluated for the following points

Registration Criteria (iii)
Tyre was a center of commerce across the sea and land, attracting many goods from various regions and prospering greatly. The site has many structures that show the wealth of the merchants of Tyre.

Registration Criteria (vi)
That the Phoenicians, who were both navigators and merchants, were also influential in the development of languages, as they spread the alphabet to the Orient and Europe.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Comments

Tirs was once home to the Phoenicians, who had a tremendous influence in the Mediterranean world. And what they introduced was a variety of cultures, including alphabets and architectural methods, which they spread throughout the Mediterranean and the Orient.

However, they were destroyed by various dynasties and groups, including Alexander the Great, and what is now Tyre became a land dotted with small fishing villages. Thanks to this, the Roman ruins have remained clean…which is also a blessing in disguise.

*The content here is a discussion derived from the research of a World Heritage Site enthusiast. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the medium.