Byblos Header
Our first trip in Lebanon was to Byblos, billed as the "oldest city in the world in continuous existence." Located about 45 minutes north of Beirut, the city has witnessed every group to inhabit this region: stone age dwellers, the Phoenicians, Amorites, Hittites, Egyptians, Persians, Macedonians, Greeks, Romans, Ottoman Turks, and, most recently, the French. The name itself is a variant of papyrus and Byblos was a great information center. It is from this name for written documents that the Bible gets its name. It is located on one of the few natural harbors on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. We have replaced the soon-to-be-defunct Google Expeditions version of the tour with a new one that is much more detailed. Take the tour below to learn more about this ancient port at the crossroads of history.


Virtual Tour of Byblos
Northern Tower of Sea WallSnap Content
Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:

QR CodeThere is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be accessed by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.



For iOS devices
: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

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