Week-end in Byblos

Byblos stands witness to the earliest Phoenician writing found in Lebanon, and is the city that gave us the alphabet. Byblos is also considered the major port of the Mediterranean of the 3rd millennium BC. Around 1200 BC the Greeks named the city Phoenicia in reference to its coastal regions, and later named it Byblos (papyrus in Greek) in reference to its pivotal role in the papyrus trade.
Known as one of the most ancient cities in the world, Byblos gives you the impression that civilization had begun on its shores. Yet many civilizations succeeded the Phoenicians, each adding its own influence to this magical place. Today, the old town and its medieval walls, together with the new town that has expanded towards at the foot of the mountains, comprise the city of Byblos or Jbeil. Its charming little port and traditional pedestrian streets with a market beckon invitingly to every visitor.