Beirut, the capital and most populous city in Lebanon, is also its largest. Greater Beirut is home to 2.2 million people, making it the third-largest Levant region city. The city is located on a peninsula near the middle of Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast. Beirut was inhabited for over 5,000 years. It was one Phoenicia’s most famous city states and is considered one of the oldest cities worldwide.

Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon, is also the second-largest in the country. It is located 85km (53 mi) north of Beirut and is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Tripoli, which overlooks the eastern Mediterranean Sea, is Lebanon’s northernmost seaport. It has four small islands that are located offshore. They are the only ones in Lebanon.

Because the Palm Islands are a haven for endangered loggerhead turtles (Chelona Mydas), rare monks, seals, and migratory birds, they were declared a protected zone. Tripoli borders El Mina (the port of the Tripoli District), which it is geographically joined with to create the greater Tripoli conurbation.

Lebanon’s third largest city is Sidon. It is found in the South Governorate on the Mediterranean coast. Tyre, to the south, and Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to the north, are each approximately 40 km (25 miles). Sidon is home to about 80,000 people within its city limits. However, the metropolitan area contains more than a quarter million residents.

Byblos is located in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It was first occupied from 8800 to 7000 BC. It has been continuously inhabited since at least 5000 BC. This makes it one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on the planet. Byblos has been part of many civilizations over its history. These include the Phoenician and Assyrians, Persians, Hellenistic, Romans, Fatimids, Genoesesesese, Mamluk, Ottoman, and Phoenician. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tyre, located in Lebanon, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities. It was home to a tiny population in medieval times. It was one of the first Phoenician metropolises, the mythical birthplace of Europa, her brothers Cadmus (Elissa), and Carthage’s founder Dido.

Many ancient sites can be found in the city, including the Tyre Hippodrome. It was also added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list in 1984. Ernest Renan, the historian, noted that Tyre could be described as a city of ruin built from ruins.