Byblos

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Byblos has been settled since the sixth millennium BC and became a full urban centre by the late fourth millennium BC. The Phoenician alphabet was developed and exported from here, and the city's trading ties with Egypt and shipbuilding tradition made it a major ancient power. UNESCO-listed since 1984, the town today has a walkable centre with a lively food-and-drink scene and a concentration of historic churches, set beside the Mediterranean coast north of Beirut.

• Population20,784
• Nearest water from center 2.1 km1.3 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 2.4 km1.5 mi