Şaydā

Şaydā, also Sidon or Saida, city and seaport in south-western Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea, near Beirut. It is a centre for the export of olive oil, oranges, and lemons, and also for the cultivation of silk, tobacco, and figs. In ancient times it was a city of Phoenicia, famous for wine and purple dyes. In the surrounding area are numerous rock-carved burial places of the ancient Phoenicians, in which have been found the sarcophagi of Eshmunazar, king of Assyria, and others. The city was badly damaged in warfare in the early 1980s. Population 149,000 (2003 estimate).