Reminiscence of a journey to the Land of Cedars – Lebanon (Part 4 of 7)

Sidon is another ancient Phoenician city which was founded in the 3rd millennium BC and it is the third largest city of Lebanon. Like other Phoenician city-states, Sidon also saw a succession of rulers like Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Ottoman Turks. Accordingly, the monuments and architecture of Sidon is as varied and rich as its history.

Khan El Franj is a massive monument built by Emir Fakher El Din II in 1610. It was built with the view to accommodate French merchants and goods in order to develop trade relations with Europe. Another main attraction of Sidon is the sea fortress built on a rocky island close to the coast. The fortress was constructed by the Crusaders in 1228 on the remains of a Phoenician shrine dedicated to God Melkart. Additionally, it contains a mosque built by Ashraf Khalil Bin Kalawoun and later renovated by Fakher El Din.

Khan El Franj

Khan El Franj

Khan El Franj

Khan El Franj

Khan El Franj

Khan El Franj

Crusader’s Fortress

The lone fisherman

Crusader’s Fortress

Crusader’s Fortress

Crusader’s Fortress

Crusader’s Fortress