Theme Week Lebanon – Byblos on the Mediterranean coast

7 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

© flickr.com - Karan Jain/cc-by-sa-2.0

© flickr.com – Karan Jain/cc-by-sa-2.0

Byblos, in Arabic Jubayl, is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon. It is believed to have been occupied first between 8800 and 7000 BC, and according to fragments attributed to the semi-legendary pre-Homeric Phoenician priest Sanchuniathon, it was built by Cronus as the first city in Phoenicia. It is one of the cities suggested as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and the site has been continuously inhabited since 5000 BC. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, Byblos is a modern city that still retains its historical past. Byblos remains as one of Lebanon’s major tourist sites due to its rich history and scenic mountains overlooking the Mediterranean. Most residents of Byblos are Maronite Catholics. There are also some Shia Muslims that remain, whose ancestors were inhabitants of the city before expulsion at the end of the 13th century by the Mamluk Turks based on a fatwa from Ibn Taymiyyah. It is said that the city of Bint Jbeil (“daughter of Jbeil”) in southern Lebanon was founded by those displaced Shi’a. Byblos has three representatives in the Parliament of Lebanon: two Maronites and one Shi’a. Byblos is re-emerging as an upscale touristic hub. With its ancient port, Phoenician, Roman and Crusader ruins, sandy beaches and the picturesque mountains that surround it make it an ideal tourist destination. The city is known for its fish restaurants, open-air bars, and outdoor cafes. Yachts cruise into its harbor today like they did in the sixties and seventies when Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra were regular visitors to the city.   read more…

Ramallah in the central West Bank

1 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  8 minutes

Manarah Square © Abutoum

Manarah Square © Abutoum

Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 km (6 miles) north of Jerusalem at an elevation of 875 meters above sea level, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the State of Palestine. Ramallah was historically a Christian town, but today Muslims form the majority of the population, with Christians still making up a significant minority.   read more…

Theme Week Tel Aviv

29 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  14 minutes

Tel Aviv from Shalom Meir Tower © Shmuliko/cc-by-sa-3.0

Tel Aviv from Shalom Meir Tower © Shmuliko/cc-by-sa-3.0

Tel Aviv or Tel Aviv-Yafo is the most populous city in Israel and its capital, ahead of West Jerusalem, with a population of 414,600. It is located in central-west Israel, within the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area, Israel’s largest metropolitan area, containing 42% of Israel’s population. It is also the largest and most populous in Gush Dan, which is collectively home to 3,464,100 residents. Residents of Tel Aviv are referred to as Tel Avivim (singular: Tel Avivi). Tel Aviv is Israel’s de jure capital, de facto it is West Jerusalem, which, however, is only tolerated by the international community, but isn’t recognized as such.   read more…

Dahab on the Red Sea

24 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

Dahab © B. Simpson/cc-by-3.0

Dahab © B. Simpson/cc-by-3.0

Dahab is a small town situated on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Formerly a Bedouin fishing village, located approximately 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab is considered to be one of the Sinai’s most treasured diving destinations. The arrival of international hotel chains and the establishment of other ancillary facilities has since made the town a popular destination with tourists. Dahab is served by Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport. Masbat (within Dahab) is a popular diving destination, and there are many (50+) dive centers located within Dahab.   read more…

Sea of Galilee

20 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  8 minutes

Tiberias © Pacman

Tiberias © Pacman

The Sea of Galilee is the largest freshwater lake in Israel und Syria (Golan Heights), and it is approximately 53 km (33 mi) in circumference, about 21 km (13 mi) long, and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide. The lake has a total area of 166.7 km2 (64.4 sq mi) at its fullest, and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m (141 feet). At levels between 215 metres (705 ft) and 209 metres (686 ft) below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake overall (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake). The lake is fed partly by underground springs although its main source is the Jordan River which flows through it from north to south.   read more…

Theme Week Lebanon – Tyre

17 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  8 minutes

Remains of ancient columns at Al Mina excavation site © Heretiq/cc-by-sa-2.5

Remains of ancient columns at Al Mina excavation site © Heretiq/cc-by-sa-2.5

Tyre, sometimes romanized as Sour, is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon. There were approximately 117,000 inhabitants in 2003. However, the government of Lebanon has released only rough estimates of population numbers since 1932, so an accurate statistical accounting is not possible. Tyre juts out from the coast of the Mediterranean and is located about 80 km (50 mi) south of Beirut. The name of the city means “rock” after the rocky formation on which the town was originally built. The adjective for Tyre is Tyrian, and the inhabitants are Tyrians. Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city and the legendary birthplace of Europa and Elissa (Dido). Today it is the fourth largest city in Lebanon and houses one of the nation’s major ports. Tourism is a major industry. The city has a number of ancient sites, including its Roman Hippodrome which was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.   read more…

Theme Week Lebanon – Sidon on the Mediterranean Coast

19 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  10 minutes

© Robysan/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Robysan/cc-by-sa-3.0

Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Tyre and 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital Beirut. Its name coincides with the modern Arabic word for fishery. Sidon was a small fishing town of 10,000 inhabitants in 1900, but studies in 2000 showed a population of 65,000 in the city, and around 200,000 in the metropolitan area. The little level land around the city is used for cultivation of some wheat, vegetables, and fruits, especially citrus and bananas. The fishing in the city remains active with a newly opened fishery that sells fresh fish by bidding every morning. The ancient basin is transformed into a fishing port, while a small quay was constructed to receive small commercial vessels.   read more…

Theme Week Israel – Acre, the Crusaders City

17 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  6 minutes

Acre Sea Wall © Almog

Acre Sea Wall © Almog

Acre is a city in the northern coastal plain region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world. The population is at 46,000. Acre is a mixed city. Jewish Israelis live in the New City quarter, while Arab Israelis live in the Old City quarter. Acre is the most “oriental” city in Israel. In 2001, Acre’s Old City has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Acre is the holiest city of the Bahá’í Faith.   read more…

The Golden Iris

15 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Cruise Ships, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  6 minutes

Golden Iris in Rhodes © Jebulon

Golden Iris in Rhodes © Jebulon

MS Golden Iris is a cruise ship owned an operated by Mano Maritime. She was built 1975 by the Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark for Cunard Line as MS Cunard Conquest, but her interior fittings were subsequently installed at the Navali Mechaniche Affini in La Spezia, Italy. Following re-delivery from Navali Mechaniche Affini in 1977 the ship was renamed MS Cunard Princess. In 1995 the ship entered service with StarLauro Cruises (later rebranded MSC Cruises), briefly retaining her previous name before being renamed MS Rhapsody. Later during her career with MSC Cruises the ship came to be marketed as MS MSC Rhapsody, but her official registered name remained Rhapsody throughout her MSC career. In 2009 the ship was sold to her current owners. The Cunard Conquest was designed with a heavily raked bow and a tapering stern. She has a low superstructure that extends slightly outward from the sides of the hull. The open-winged bridge is located two decks above the top deck of the hull. An observation lounge is located above the bridge; a pool area is located aft of the bridge and forward of the heavily raked, round funnel that has a large deflector fin extending aft of the funneltop. The terraced rear superstructure houses additional sundeck areas.   read more…

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