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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Tyre

Modern Carthage sea view with ancient Carthage ruins in foreground.	Source: Valery Bareta /Adobe Stock

How Carthage Became One of History’s Greatest Empires (Video)

Carthage's rise, often eclipsed by its tragic fall during the Punic Wars against Rome, unfolds as a tale of strategic brilliance and adaptability. Founded in modern-day Tunisia , the city...

The Influence of Mythology on the Mind of Alexander the Great

History regularly describes Alexander the Great as a general who either imitated or communed with mythical gods and heroes throughout his campaigns and conquests. In fact, the mythological was often...
Siege of Tyre by Sébastien Mamerot (1493) (Public Domain)

Ancient Engineering: The Art Of Siege Warfare

The word ‘siege‘ conjures up imagery of high wooden towers attacking thick stone castle walls, but in the ancient world sieges also required extreme engineering prowess. Innovations in attack...
The Great Court of ancient Heliopolis's temple complex

Finding Canaan: Ancient Roots of the Lost Phoenician Civilization

Of all the seafaring civilizations who, to our knowledge, first explored the vast oceans, none are more mysterious than the ancient Phoenicians. How far did their voyages take them? What lands did...
African queen

Dido of Carthage, Mediterranean Princess Turned African Queen

Dido, known also as Elissa in some sources, is a legendary queen who is credited with the founding of Carthage. The legend of Queen Dido is found in Greek and Roman sources, the best-known of which...
Four heads have been pieced together from shards of pottery at ancient Porphyreon in Lebanon. Top image is of the best preserved. Another is partially complete, and the other two are very incomplete.

2,400-Year-Old Goddess Statues Found Dumped in Ancient City on Lebanon’s Coast

Polish archaeologists studying the ancient city of Porphyreon in Lebanon have pieced together the broken parts of ceramic heads to remake what they think are statues of goddesses. One of the 2,400-...
Inscribed Curse on the Sarcophagus of King Ahiram Displays Earliest Use of Phoenician Alphabet

Inscribed Curse on the Sarcophagus of King Ahiram Displays Earliest Use of Phoenician Alphabet

The Sarcophagus of King Ahiram (spelled also as Ahirom) is an incredible monument that was unearthed in Lebanon. As its name suggests, the sarcophagus belonged to a king by the name of Ahiram, who...
Phoenicians: Creating what is now known as the Alphabet

Phoenicians: Creating what is now known as the Alphabet

A-B-C-D-E-F-G ... This famous sequence of letters known to much of the world dates back to the 16th century BC. A fairly small group of traders and merchants known as the Phoenicians created the...
Cippus at the Louvre Museum

The Rosetta Stone of Malta: Cippi of Malta Offers Key to Decoding the Phoenician Language

Malqart was considered lord over life and death; he was the chief deity of Tyre. His temple was the site of two major festivals and believed to have been the inspiration for the renowned Temple of...
The Abduction of Europa, 1716, Jean Francois de Troy.

The Phoenician city of Tyre - A rich history of industry, mythology and conflict

According to tradition, the city of Tyre was founded in 2750 B.C., and is considered one of the world’s oldest metropolises. For much of its history, Tyre has played an important role in the region...