Once the great Phoenician maritime power, Tyre’s archaeological remains reveal millennia of Mediterranean civilization.

Historical Significance

Founded around the third millennium BCE, Tyre rose to become the dominant Phoenician city-state.

Archaeological Sites

Tyre’s archaeological area includes one of the largest and best-preserved Roman hippodromes ever discovered.

Stone columns of the ancient ruins of Tyre, Lebanon, standing along the Mediterranean coast with the sea in the background.
Photo © Tim Broadbent / Unsplash

The Living Heritage

According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre. This great Phoenician city ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical role declined at the end of the Crusades. There are important archaeological remains, mainly from Roman times.

Quick Facts

  • Region                    South Lebanon
  • Period                    Phoenician / Roman / Byzantine
  • Inscribed               1984
  • Criteria                   (iii)(vi)
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