Sidon

An ancient Phoenician city located approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of modern Beirut, Lebanon.

The archeological evidence suggests that the city was inhabited as early as 4000 BCE but came into historical significance circa 1200 BCE and reached its peak during the rule of the Persian Empire (550-330 BCE); the city was located on a promontory overlooking the sea; a small offshore island provided a shelter from the sea and created a natural harbor which made the city desirable to all powers wishing to control the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East.

The Persians made good use of the city’s resources: primarily its glass, purple dye and the skill of its sailors; circa 351 BCE, the city resisted the domination of the Persian Empire and, as a result, the city was destroyed and most of its inhabitants were killed.

In 333 BCE, when Alexander the Great marched into Sidon, the city was too weak to defend itself and fell easily to the Greeks; the city prospered in relative peace under Greek and then Roman rule but was again cast into a period of turmoil when the Moslems conquered the city in 636 CE.