Lebanon has many gorgeous cities along its Mediterranean coast, bearing great importance to the country’s culture and rich history. Along its southern coast, lies the city of Sidon, also known as Saida, which is considered to be the 3rd largest city in the country. However, Sidon is also one of Lebanon’s oldest cities, dating back to the Phoenician era and inhabited ever since its establishment in ancient times!
Along with, Sidon’s old souk is a traditional Arabic souk dating back to the Phoenician era where you can find different categories of products ranging from clothes, souvenirs, local products and food. It is considered a tourist attraction site because of its traditional and cultural setting.
The Old Souk of Saida is a beautiful maze of alleys where shops display handmade products and traditional artifacts!
As for Sidon’s Port, it is located south of the city in the area known historically as “Iskander Bay” and within the seafront of the old city of Sidon. It is the second port in Sidon after the historical port opposite the marine fortress and the smaller one. It is a port for fishermen and a tourist port at the same time. In the summer, tourists mainly go to the island of Sidon, “Al-Zera.”
The new Sidon port project was born for the first time in 1977/1987 by former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, who planned to establish a “middle-sized port with an ordinary, non-specialized function” in the south of the city, after it was found that its construction at the northern entrance to the city had cultural, environmental and tourist consequences.
Following the destruction that afflicted the city of Sidon as a result of the Israeli invasions, the “Oger Lebanon” company began building roads in the city and establishing the Maritime Bolivar in 1995, which transformed the city of Sidon into a corridor linking the south with Beirut and separating the old city, for the first time, from the sea, which had always his neighborhood The marine bolivar in turn paved the way for the re-planning of the new port in 1995, as it is a vital artery for the port.