A harbour town lived in for seven thousand years
Byblos, Jbeil in Arabic, has been inhabited for many thousands of years and was a major Phoenician port, trading cedar wood with Egypt; the Greek word for papyrus, and so 'Bible', derives from its name. The archaeological site holds layers of temples, royal tombs and a Roman theatre beneath a twelfth-century Crusader castle. The restored old souk is lined with craft shops, and fish restaurants overlook the small stone harbour, which is at its best at sunset.