Tyre: A Must-Visit Destination for History and Culture Enthusiasts
Why visit Tyre?
Tyre is one of the prettiest places in Lebanon, from the stunningly clear blue sea water and expansive sandy beaches that Tyre has to offer to the most incredibly well-preserved ancient Roman ruins. Located in southern part of Lebanon, Tyre is a small city with an incredible historical past and should not be missed!
How to get here?
To get to Tyre you will need to go to Cola bus station in Beirut and ask the people who work there where the buses to Tyre are and you will be pointed in the correct direction. Some buses will go directly there or you may have to change in Sidon and take the next bus to Tyre and the same when returning to Beirut. This is really easy to do and will cost you $2 for the whole journey each way.
Top things to do:
Al-Bass Archaeological Site:
Tyre Necropolis
The necropolis is located in the Al-Bass Archaeological site and is a UNESCO Heritage site and when you visit here you will see exactly why. This archaeological site is huge and takes a while to walk around it all. The necropolis was located at the entrance of the town and lies either side of a wide Roman and Byzantine avenue which has a ginormous arch towering over it that was built in the 2nd century. You can see the remain of an aqueduct here which carried water to the city and the hippodrome in the 2nd century.
Tyre Hippodrome
The hippodrome is also located in the Al-Bass Archaeological site and also dates back to the 2nd century. This is 480 metres long and 90 metres wide and is in the shape of a horseshoe. It would have seated 20,000 spectators who would have gathered to watch chariot racing. This place is considered to be the largest and best-preserved Roman hippodromes in the Roman world. It was mainly used for chariot racing but there were other types of sport played here and some of the events from the Tyrian Games were celebrated here.
Al-Mina Archaeological Site:
These ruins date back to the 3rd century BC and stretch over a large area down to the harbour of Tyre. Here on this site, you can see streets paved with Roman and Byzantine mosaics with large columns on either side. You can also see the ruins of a large public Roman Bathhouse that would have housed 2,000 spectators. The most incredible thing about this place is the ancient ruins with the backdrop of the beautiful coast behind them. Apparently, the rest of the site is submerged below the sea so this would be a great driving trip.
Tyre’s Coastline:
Tyre is famous for its stunningly clear blue water and clean beach. It has been labelled as one of the best beaches in the Middle East, so if you are looking for somewhere to relax and soak up the beautiful Middle Eastern sun then Tyre is the best spot for this. There are also nice beach bars and restaurants along the beach and promenade so take it easy and enjoy the fabulous Lebanese cuisine on offer.
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