[^] Byblos = Jbeil

37 km north of Beirut, Byblos is one of the top contenders for the "oldest continuously inhabited city" award. Although its beginnings are lost in time, modern scholars say the site of Byblos goes back at least 7000 years. It is where the Alphabet was created for the first time. Byblos also known as Jbeil is a prosperous town today and is well prepared to welcome tourists with its hotels, beach resorts, restaurants and souvenir shops. Curvy streets crammed with old, beautiful houses lead down to the sea port where couples can be found sitting on rocks watching the sunset.