(Saida) is said to mean "fishing," and even today fishermen moor their boats in the small picturesque port. Sidon was the third great Phoenician city-state, rivalling Byblos and Tyre as a naval power. In Darius' time, towards the end of the 6th century B.C., it was the capital of the fifth Persian satrap and a show place of buildings and gardens.
The Castle of the Sea, built by Crusaders in 1228, guards the entry to the harbor. The Great Mosque, the ruins of the castle of St. Louis, the Phoenician temple to the god Eshmoun, and the burial grounds with their catacombs and underground chambers, are all relics of Sidon's impressive past.
Today the town, 41 kilometers from Beirut and known as the capital of the South, has grown into a thriving commercial and business center serving the entire region.
The town was conquered by the Crusaders after a famous siege lasting 47 days, then retaken by Salahiddin 70 years later.
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