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Sidon (Saida)

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HobWahid
HobWahid
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4 out of 5
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Sidon (Saida)

  • February 3, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by HobWahid from Damascus, Syria
Sidon (Saida)

Sidon (Saida) was once one of the great Phoenician cities, a port from which the Phoenicians set out exploring the vast Mediterranean Sea. Today, however, the only remnant of that era is a temple outside of town that was expanded by the Romans and eventually turned into a church. Sidon did become an important name in history again, though, when the Crusaders rolled into town in 1110 and built their famous "Sea Castle" out on an island in the harbor. The Sea Castle, coupled with the Phoenician temple, makes up the most important sight in Sidon itself, but when you throw in Sidon’s small section of winding souks and the chance for some fresh seafood, a trip to Sidon is well worth your time.

The Sea Castle is obviously the most major of the sights in Sidon, and for good reason. Its dramatic location out on an island in the harbor with a narrow manmade bridge connecting it to land makes it completely different from any other Crusader-era castle in the region. The castle itself is fairly ruined, but it is still fun to climb around, and when you take into the fact that it was built on the sight of an old Phoenician temple, it makes for an impressive sight. Standing atop the fortifications, breathing in the sea air, and staring back across the harbor to Sidon, you are easily transported back to Crusader days. From the Sea Castle, you can look down at a large old Ottoman Khan built on a small manmade peninsula in the harbor. This khan is the sight of the best restaurant in Sidon, the Rest House. Don’t be fooled by the name, the Rest House is extremely classy and serves up some of the best seafood in Lebanon. As you walk in, you will see large display of freshly caught fish on ice that you can have fried or grilled (it will be served whole of course), and when accompanied with some Lebanese meze (hummous, tabouleh, baba ghanoush, etc) and a bottle of Almaza Beer, it is as good a lunch as you’ll get anywhere.

Just outside of Sidon lies the Temple of Eshmoun, a Phoenician temple that is remarkable merely for the fact that it is more than just a bunch of crumbled columns. Admittedly, the Persians, Romans, and Byzantines all added their own touches throughout the years, but much of the original Phoenician structure survives. As you enter, there are ruins of an old Byzantine church on your right that have some mosaics, but the main attraction really is the temple complex built into the side of a cliff, inside of which is a beautiful throne with griffins carved on the sides. Climbing atop the temple, I came upon the cutest group of local kids who were playing "school." "And what are the numbers in French?" asked the "teacher" to which they all replied, "un, deux, trios…" Watching them, I completely forgot about the temple.

From journal Lebanon: Playground of the Middle East

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