Tyr, Lebanon
Aug 8, 2023
In Mycenean, ponike is the name given to a species of sea snail from which a rich purple dye was made. From ponike came the Greek phoenix and thus Phoenicians, so called because they were the makers of this dye. Although debated, this seems the most widely accepted story.
The difficulty of making this dye made it as valuable as gold and hence as coveted. Adopted by Cyrus of Persia in 6th century BCE, this came to be known as the royal or imperial purple, adopted in turn by the later Greek and Roman elite.
Tablets found in Knossos indicate that others like the Minoans also manufactured this dye, albeit on a small scale. The bulk of production was at Tyre, or Tyr as we know it now. It was from here that the Phoenicians sailed to, traded with and settled large parts of the Mediterranean coast.
Tyr is the last link in the chain of my self-inflicted tour of the Fertile Crescent and I was eager to dig around and see what I could. There are a couple of areas in Tyr with archeological ruins – Al Mina and Al Bass – but these are all from the Greek-Roman era. Any evidence of older cultures lies deeply buried under layers of later habitation.
AL MINA
A short stretch of mosaics left of the entrance is called the mosaic street but mosaics must have covered all the areas once. Remnants are still visible in patches all over this site.
To the right of the entrance is a large area that is mostly rubble. It is bordered by stone-flagged colonnaded street. Some of the columns are broken, some on their sides and some still standing. There is another stretch of colonnaded street that goes all the way to the sea. What a grand avenue this must have been once.
Walking down this street, to the right is a large rectangular area with a sunken basin in the center surrounded by tiered sides. There is no indication of what it might have been intended for. Maybe water sports? There are chambers on all sides with entry and exits for most likely water, their temperature carefully calibrated.
To the left of the street are the remains of a huge bath with the tell-tale pillars that were used to heat the water. Trust the Romans to have created a bath with a grand view of the sea in front. The view today must have been similar to what they too saw. Well, perhaps they saw less buildings along the coast and saw instead ships in the old harbor nearby.
AL BASS
Some distance from this is the site of Al Bass, a much bigger site. At one end lies the extensive necropolis littered with sarcophagi. Some are more elaborate than others but
The stone-flagged Roman road has a gigantic arch probably dating back to Hadrian’s time in 2nd century CE. It is a long, wide road lined by columns stretching to an entrance to the city. Parallel to it is another narrower street, perhaps for pedestrians lined with the aqueduct.
Some of the arches still stand offering a frame for the hippodrome that lies on the other side. There are a few sections of the tiered seating that once ran all around this long oval. The arch acts like a wind tunnel, offering relief from the muggy heat that is all Lebanon. Under the tiered seats in a rectangular opening; I peer in and marvel that the arrow straight construction lets me see all the way to the end of this straight stretch.
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 