Chronicle

7,000 Years of Civilization

From the invention of the alphabet to the preservation of ancient cedar groves, Lebanon's history is the story of humanity itself.

The Dawn of Byblos
c. 5000 BCE

The Dawn of Byblos

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Byblos (Jbeil) was a thriving Neolithic settlement and the cradle of the Phoenician alphabet — the ancestor of virtually every modern script.

The Phoenician Empire
c. 3000–539 BCE

The Phoenician Empire

Lebanon was the heartland of Phoenicia, the greatest maritime civilization of the ancient world. Phoenician traders sailed from Tyre and Sidon across the Mediterranean, founding Carthage and spreading the alphabet, purple dye, and glassmaking to the known world.

Roman Grandeur at Baalbek
64 BCE – 636 CE

Roman Grandeur at Baalbek

Under Roman rule, Lebanon flourished. The Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek became the largest Roman temple ever constructed, with stones weighing over 1,000 tons — an engineering marvel that remains unexplained to this day.

Islamic Golden Age & Beyond
636 CE – Present

Islamic Golden Age & Beyond

The arrival of Islam brought an era of intellectual and architectural brilliance. Lebanon became a crossroads of cultures, preserving its ancient cedar forests — mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh — while embracing the arts, sciences, and values of Islamic civilization.