South Governorate

This is one of the best examples of a traditional middle eastern souk or market in Lebanon. If you've been reading these posts, you probably know I really enjoy the marvelous messiness, the glorious chaos, the energy of these places. Unfortunately, much of Lebanon's business takes Mondays off. So here are some looks at the vaulted souk on a quiet day.
The 1st 2 pictures look at very different streets in the souk. The inner parts of the market are vaulted like the 1st picture with small shops and workshops; outer streets are more open with larger shops.
The 3rd and 4th pictures look at a couple small shops and a covered alley. The 3rd picture is a bakery, and the 4th looks past an accessories shop into a "clothing street". These souks are generally organized such that similar products are grouped together.
The 5th picture is a shell of a Murex snail. This is the source of the very expensive "royal purple" dye that was so coveted back then. There seems to be a debate as to whether the dye and the process of extraction was discovered in Tyre or Sidon. Fact is, I see that as immaterial as both cities became incredibly wealthy from the trade.
The last picture is of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, dating to the 8th century, that was closed. Of interest to someone like me is that I'm told that the church incorporates a 1st century room where the apostles Peter and Paul met in 58 CE when Paul was being transported to Rome. It is said to be a coincidence that Peter was there.Read more