Tyre is a UNESCO World Heritage city because of its Greek and Roman sites. It is the legendary city, along with Saida, of the purple dye and its murex shells. It is also the home of Elissar, the Phoenician princess who founded Carthage, as well as the home of Europa who was abducted by Zeus disguised as a white bull.
Tyre has the same general history as Saida, however it gained importance in the 17th century. The rise to power of a local feudal Nassar family gave Tyre a central role in the revolt of this family against the Ottomans.
Tyre has many Greek and Roman sites, as well as plenty of burial places from the 2nd and 1st millenniums.
Its sandy beaches are vast and serene, and it runs an active fishing harbour. “Al Baqaa Fishermen Cooperative Housing Complex”, a recent fishermen village in the outskirts of Tyre designed by Lebanese architect Hashim Sarkis won the Agha Khan Award for architecture.
