جبيل Archives ⋆ The Passenger

December 22, 2019April 15, 2022

Byblos

The city of جبيل, Lebanon, is one of the oldest, still inhabited cities in the world. It dates back to 5th century BCE and was over many centuries an important harbour for trading with Egypt and Cyprus. While the Egyptians preferred the strong Cedarwood of Lebanon, the Lebanese needed stones that were less weak than the local material. Byblos also became an important hub for trading papyrus. Under the name Gibelet and under Christian reign it became an important harbour for the Christian crusaders travelling to the Holy Land.

December 22, 2019January 21, 2020

Malena

You won’t stay hungry at جبيل, Lebanon – there are a lot of good restaurants located around the old harbour and in the old souk area. If you prefer a more quiet option than the Malena might be the right choice for you. It is a hidden gem located close to the harbour of Byblos (Jbeil) and you need to know where to find it. The restaurant has a roofed terrace with amazing views on the harbour and the sea, and it is placed within a nice garden with fruits growing around the restaurant.

December 22, 2019January 21, 2020

Crusader castle

The crusader’s castle or castle Gibelet at جبيل, Lebanon, is a fortification dating back to the year 1103. When the Christian crusaders came to conquer the Holy Land and Jerusalem they needed ports – and Byblos was one of them. The castle was built from material taken from ancient temples of the city. Still today you can see how they fortified the walls of the castle by using parts of columns of the temples – which consisted of stronger material typically imported from Egypt.