Sights in Sidon (Saida)
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Souqs
The old covered souqs are the city's highlight, lying between the Sea Castle and the Castle of St Louis. This is where, in labyrinthine alleyways, shopkeepers ply their trades in workshops the same way they have done for centuries. Officially there are some 60 listed historic sites here, many of them in ruins, though renovation work is ongoing.
Scattered throughout the souqs are several coffeehouses and plenty of tiny canteens dishing out cheap, simple and tasty Arabic dishes; there are also a huge number of pastry shops where you can buy hot bread and biscuits. The delicious sanioura (a light crumbly biscuit) is a speciality of Sidon and the souqs are also famous for…
reviewed
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B
Khan al-Franj
Khan al-Franj is the largest, most beautiful and best preserved of the many khans built by 17th century Fakhreddine, and was donated to the French by Fakhreddine to encourage trade relations. The khans all followed the same basic design, with a large rectangular central courtyard, fountain, covered arcades (used for stables and storage) and a galleried second storey providing accommodation for merchants and travellers.
In the 19th century, the Khan al-Franj was Sidon's principal khanand the city's centre of economic activity, also housing the French consul. Today, it has been painstakingly restored courtesy of the Hariri Foundation.
The activities of the foundation, many…
reviewed
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C
Sea Castle
Built by the Crusaders in 1228, the Sea Castle, connected to the mainland by a fortified Arab stone causeway, sits around 80m offshore on a small island that was formerly the site of a temple to Melkart, the Phoenician version of Hercules. One of many coastal castles built by the Crusaders, it was largely destroyed by the Mamluks to prevent the Crusaders from returning to the region, but its renovation was ordered by Fakhreddine in the 17th century.
The building consists of two towers joined together by a wall. The rectangular west tower, to the left of the entrance, is the best preserved, measuring 21m by 17m, and has a large vaulted room scattered with old carved…
reviewed
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D
Great (Omari) Mosque
Facing the northern tip of the harbour is the Great (Omari) Mosque, said to be one of the best examples of 13th-century Islamic religious architecture. Originally a fortified Knights Hospitaller structure and converted to a mosque after the Crusaders were driven out of the Holy Land, it was heavily damaged during the civil war and underwent a lengthy restoration. The main prayer hall once housed the Church of St John of the Hospitallers and its original walls can still be seen.
There are two entrances to the mosque: one down a maze of covered streets in the souqs to the north of the mosque; the other on the eastern side of the building (once the site of a palace built by…
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E
Musée Du Savon
Although Tripoli may take credit for being the centre of the traditional soap-making industry, Sidon has Lebanon's first museum, courtesy of the Audi Foundation, dedicated to the craft. (The Audis is a wealthy family that is committed to the regeneration of the old city. The foundation frequently organises cultural events.)
Located in the Old City in the Khan al-Saboun, a 13th-century stone building adapted for use as a soap factory in the 19th century, it once produced soap to meet the needs of the hammams (bathhouses).The well laid-out galleries and trilingual (Arabic, English, French) explanations take you through the entire soap-making process - referred to in the…
reviewed
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F
Castle of St Louis
The ruins of this once-impressive castle stand on a mound to the south of town. The present structure dates back to the Crusaders, who built on the site of an earlier Fatimid fortress - as reflected in the local name, Qala'at al-Muizz (Fortress of Al-Muizz) after the Fatimid caliph Al-Muizz li-Din Allah, who fortified the site. The English-French name comes from Louis IX, who rebuilt and then occupied the fortress when he retook Sidon from the Ayyubids in 1253.
After the Arabs retook the city it was restored, but it later suffered at the hands of the Mamluks. This, coupled with centuries of pilfering, has left the structure in poor condition.The hill on which the castle…
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G
Bab al-Saray Mosque
The oldest mosque in the city is Bab al-Saray Mosque, which dates back to 1201. Located just east of the old Bab al-Saray (Saray Gate), it boasts the largest dome in Sidon and an enormous supporting column made from black stone, allegedly imported from Italy. The beautiful stonework has just been restored through a waqf (religious endowment).
The mosque sits in the corner of a square, which has a pleasant outdoor corner café built on the site of the original saray (palace). It may not always be open to non-Muslims, so check before entering and, as with the Great (Omari) Mosque, remember to dress appropriately.
reviewed
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H
Murex Hill
Murex Hill is an artificial hill about 100m high and 50m long, partially covered by a cemetery. This is Sidon's ancient garbage dump, largely formed from the crushed remains of hundreds of thousands of murex shells, the by-product of the city's famed dye. It took 10,000 murex molluscs to make just one gram of purple dye which, in Roman times, was worth three times as much as gold when used on silk. Traces of the shells can be seen on the embankment heading south from the Castle of St Louis. Located just south of the Castle of St Louis.
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I
Debbané Palace
Created by the wealthy Debbané family, this interesting 18th-century palace is tucked away in a narrow souq alleyway on your left as you head from the harbour road to the soap museum. It's well worth a look-in.
reviewed