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Ancient Harbor of Sidon
Portus Sidonis
HarborSyria · Saida, LebanonBuilt 2500 BCE
About
Sidon built one of Phoenicia's oldest working harbors, sheltered by the offshore islet of Zire and a sandstone ridge along its northern shore. Sailors had used the anchorage for well over two thousand years by the time Rome absorbed the city into the province of Syria. Roman engineers extended a 230-meter mole and reshaped the basin with heavier stonework during their occupation. The harbor kept Sidon's glass, timber, and purple-dye trade flowing across the Mediterranean.
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