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Sidon or also known as Saida is said to mean "fishing,"
and even today fishermen moor their boats in the small picturesque
port. Sidon was the third great Phoenician city-state, rivaling
Byblos and Tyre as a naval power. In Darius' time, towards
the end of the 6th century B.C., it was the capital of the
fifth Persian satrapy and a showplace of buildings and gardens.
The town was conquered by the Crusaders after a famous
siege lasting 47 days, then retaken by Saladin 70 years
later. The Castle of the Sea, built by Crusaders in 1228,
guards the entry to the harbor.
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