Twelfth-century castle built by the Crusaders juts into the sea at Sidon, Lebanon. All photos on this page shot with Nikon FM2, Fuji 100 ASA slide film.
Twelfth-century castle built by the Crusaders juts into the sea at Sidon, Lebanon. All photos on this page shot with Nikon FM2, Fuji 100 ASA slide film.
Regrettably, Lebanon is best known to much of the world for civil strife, but there is much more to this historic land.
Roman columns, Crusader castles and palaces abound in this country that has seen many civilizations, including those of the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and Persians.
About 800 years ago, European Christians known as the Crusaders ventured here. In their attempts to recapture Jerusalem, they built fortified castles and forts at the coastal cities of Byblos and Sidon.
Artifacts left by the conquerors and inhabitants of Lebanon are easily experienced by visitors and locals alike. All of the treasures I photographed were within a few hours' drive of Beirut.
At right, a man reads on the rocks of the Mediterranean Sea at Byblos, which gave the Bible its name. Below, scene from the road to Tyre. Below right, Beiteddine Palace, built in the 19th Century.
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| Roman ruins at Baalbek are well preserved. | Columns at Baalbek are over 2,000 years old. |
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©2000 Billy Calzada