South Lebanon     About Lebanon Beirut The Shoof Area Baalbak Byblos Anjar Tripoli The Cedars South Lebanon Tour activities   Afqa An absolutely beautiful natural setting granted with a cave and a basin. The mystic powers of this spot still incite people to come and take a "ritual" bath It is here that the Adonis river (Nahr Ibrahim) and the myth of Adonis were born The Adonis cave appears to be surprisingly vast inside, quite the opposite of what one may think while standing in front of the moderate entrance. Nothing of the past remains here but what is left of a Roman temple where celebrations in honour of Adonis were held. Saida (Sidon Or Sagette) It has been one of the greatest Phoenician city-states, which owed its fame to its glass industry and the purple dye which was produced here. After the important earthquake of 551, the Beirut Law School found refuge here. Later, the Crusaders overtook the city and renamed it Saida, chief town of the seigneury of Sagette. Surrounded by banana- and lemon plantations, it remains one of the most pleasant places to visit. Tyr A string of islands reunited in the past, Tyr flourishes under the aegis of King Hiram in the Xth century B.C. thanks to its industries of glass and purple dye. Challenging Nabuchodnosor for 13 years and resisting the siege of Alexander the Great for 7 months turned this city into a celebrity. Echmoon Probably the most admirable Phoenician complex in Lebanon. The great temple constructed at the end of the Vth century B.C. is surrounded by a religious complex dedicated to a Phoenician God who personalized the cycle of seasons, death and resurrection.