25/04/2020
Jbeil / Byblos
The oldest continuously inhabited city in the world (7000 BC), an ancient Canaanite-Phoenician city, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Before Jbeil Byblos was excavated, the ruins of successive cities had formed a mound about 12 meters high covered with houses and gardens.
The ancient site was rediscovered in 1860 by the French writer Ernest Renan, who made a survey of the area. In 1921-1924, Pierre Montet, a French Egyptologist, began excavations that confirmed trade relations between Byblos and ancient Egypt.
Afterward, Maurice Dunand began his excavation work in Byblos in 1926 and continued until 1975.
Visiting The Sites Today:
A thriving modern town with an ancient heart, Jbeil Byblos is a mix of sophistication and tradition.
The old harbor is sheltered from the sea by a rocky headland. Nearby are the excavated remains of the ancient
city, the Crusader castle and church, and the old market area.
The area of excavations is surrounded by a wall with theentrance at the Crusader castle. To get a good view of this large, somewhat complex site, either climb to the top of castle or walk around the periphery from outside the wall to identify the major monuments.
With its many restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops, and hotels, Byblos is well prepared to welcome tourists.
Archeological Sites:
1– The Roman Road
These vestiges are the remains of the Roman road that once led to the Roman-era city of Byblos. Today, about 300m of the road can be seen, including some of the old paving stones and columns that once lined the road.
2– Bronze Age City Gate
The remains of a city g*te dating from the Early Bronze Age (third millennium B.C.) are located on the left side of the castle. This g*te appears as a wide opening between two ancient stone ramparts. Traces of fire are visible, possibly from the Amorite invasionsaround 2300-1900 B.C.
3- Old Fortification Wall
This primitive wall was built before 2500 B.C. It is the oldest fortification on the sites.
4- Great Temple
The structures visible today are the foundations of the socalled “L-shaped Temple,” erected around 2700 B.C. A section of charred stone at the entrance of the temple’s sacred court is evidence that the temple was destroyed by fire, probably at the time of he Amorite invasions around 2300-1900 B.C. Terracotta basins set in a bench of masonry behind the entrance probably held water for ritual cleansing ceremonies.
5- Temple of the Obelisks
Originally built on top of the “L-shaped temple” , the remains of the Temple of the Obelisks were moved by archaeologists to their present location. The temple dates from the Late Bronze Age (1600-1200 B.C.). The many small obelisks found in this temple were used as religious offerings. Altogether, over 1,306 offerings have been uncovered in this temple, including human figurines made of bronze covered with gold leaf.
6- Ain el-Malik
This large cavity, with large sustaining walls constructed of irregular stones, once held a water well called “Ain el-Malik.” According to the archaeologist who excavated the site, this “spring” was the main source of water for Byblos in ancient times.
7- Houses
- The archaeological vestiges in this area are the remains of an enclosure and the foundations of houses dating from the Early Bronze Age (about 3200-3000 B.C.).
- Foundations of two houses, one built on top of the other. The lower one is from the Chalcolithic period (4500-3500 B.C.). The upper one is from the Early Bronze Age (3200-3000 B.C.).
- Remains of a large Early Bronze Age residence (third millennium B.C.). In the structure’s rooms you can see three rows of five stone pillar bases, which once held the wooden pillars used to support the structure.
- Early Bronze Age building foundations (third millennium B.C.).
- Early Bronze Age house foundations, dating from the period of the Amorite conquest (2150-2000 B.C.).
8- Neolithic and Chalcolithic Settlements
Dating back to the Stone Age (fifth and fourth millennia B.C.) are the remains of several mono-cellular huts with crushed limestone floors. They are situated in the area between the Early Bronze Age residence and the seashore. Archaeologists have found cultic installations or temples in two of the structures:
- the first one , with an apsidal or semi-circular shape, is located at the northern edge of this area
- and the second one is located southeast of the first one.
9- Amorite Quarry
This large excavation in the rocks, located behind the Baalat Gebal temple, dates from the period of the Amorite invasions (2300-1900 B.C.). The stones extracted from this quarry were used to construct buildings in the Byblos area.
10- Bronze Age House
This Early Bronze Age house is located near the quarry. Most of its walls are preserved, with more than three courses of stones remaining today. Its seaside façade has especially well-built, thick walls.
11- Temple of Baalat Gebal
Today, the visitor can only see the foundations of the Temple of Baalat Gebal (2700 B.C.). This temple was dedicated to the “Lady of Byblos,” the patron goddess of the city for over two millennia during the Canaanite/Phoenician era. Constructed when Byblos had close ties with Egypt, this large and important temple was rebuilt a number of times. It remained in use until the Roman period, when it was replaced by a Roman-style structure, which was dismantled during the excavations of the site in the early 20th century.
12- Reconstructed Roman Theater
The Roman theater, which has only five tiers remaining, was built around 218 A.D. It was moved from its original site between the city g*t and the Great Temple to its present location near the seaside. The black pebbles in the center of the theater mark the location of a mosaic that has been preserved in the National Museum of Beirut.
13- Royal Tombs
The necropolis dates to the second millennium B.C. and contains nine underground tombs of the Byblos kings. The most important tomb is that of King Ahiram (10th century B.C.), whose sarcophagus bears one the earliest known inscriptions of the Phoenician alphabet. This sarcophagus is now located in the National Museum of Beirut. The tomb of King Ahiram was located on the west slope facing the sea, but it was completely destroyed by a collapse in 1922, which revealed Ahiram’s sarcophagus.
14- Bronze Age Residential Quarter
At this site are the remains of a residential quarter dating to the Bronze Age. The foundations of several houses can be seen, giving the visitor a sense of the general layout of a residential area during this period.
15- Roman Colonnade
These six standing columns once lined a north-south street, built by the Romans in 300 A.D., which led to the Temple of Baalat-Gebal.
16- Bronze Age City Fortifications
These Bronze Age ramparts, walls, and fortifications are located inside the modern wall on the right side of the Castle entrance. The structures show successive stages of construction and restoration. The indented wall belongs to the fortifications built in the Early Bronze Age (third millennium B.C.), while the terraced slopes or glacis made of large blocks date from the end of the Middle Bronze Age (1725-1580 B.C.).
17- Roman Nympheum
Located to the left of the Castle entrance are the foundations of a Roman-era nympheum. The nympheum was once decorated with fountains and a niche filled with statues. The roads coming into the city from the north converged in the area in front of the nympheum.
18- The Crusader Castle
The site of the Crusader Castle was originally occupied by an earlier fortification dating from the Fatimid period (969-1169 A.D.). In the beginning of the 12th century A.D., the Crusaders built a strong fortress, reusing Roman stonework from the site and cutting new stones to match the old ones.
The castle consisted of a courtyard, an enclosure with four towers at each corner of the building, and a fifth tower in the middle of the north wall to defend the entrance. The whole castle was originally surrounded by a moat. In Mamluke and Ottoman times, the castle was reused and some parts of it were restored. Climbing to the top of the castle offers an excellent vantage point for taking in a panoramic view of the ruins and the Mediterranean Sea.
19- Persian Castle
This complex dates from the Persian period (555-333 B.C.). It is believed to be a castle because of its large masonry walls and the military and defensive aspects of its architecture. The remains are located outside the Early Bronze Age city walls, and today visitors can see foundations of the castle walls and square-shaped towers. The fact that a fortress was constructed here during this period shows that Byblos was a strategic part of the Persian defense system in the eastern Mediterranean.
20- Archeological Museum
The museum offers an overview of the excavations undertaken in Byblos. The history of Byblos, from Prehistory to the Arab and Medieval periods, is illustrated and associated with objects related to these periods as well as thematic panels shedding light on the daily life of the inhabitants.
21- A typical Lebanese house is founded in the vicinity of the Castle and the only one who was kept in place after the expulsion by the French explorers of the owners of those houses in the late twentieth century.
These houses were demolished in order to explore this whole archeological area. Many archeological treasures were sent to museums in France .
Only one house was spared from demolition, this has been the property of Mr. Osman Husami, a merchant known in his time. This house was built most likely in the second quarter of the nineteenth century.
This Lebanese house had inspired many painters and photographers. Its typical Lebanese architecture and its great location made it a tourist attraction.
