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            Tyre was a city located on two islands a couple miles from the mainland.  The population was estimated to be about 30,000.  It used to be an independent city called Ushu, it later became an island city. It was built in 2750 B.C.

        The city grew through its trade in timber with Egypt, and relied on the Pharaoh’s protection.  Tyre had great trade from two ports and were famous for their purple dye and glass industries.  The city’s wealth attracted many enemies.

Two leaders who tried to conquer Tyre were Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great who conquered many countries and cities.  Only Alexander the Great was successful in conquering Tyre.  He built a causeway, which is a sort of bridge, to the walls of Tyre, and was able to conquer it.  The Romans took over the city and killed their king, King Herim and most of the people who lived there and tried to defend Tyre.

        For the regular time being people worked for the purple dying industry and glass making trade.  They also spent time going to the hippodrome to watch chariot races.  They shopped in the market place and visited the public baths.  In the civic building they did government work.

        Tyre was ruled by many kings, one of the greatest kings was King Herim, he united the two parts of the island that were separated by a canal.  He also brought the waters of Ras- el-Ain to the land.

        Their religion was very interesting.  Although they were Romans, they joined with the Jews, so they worshipped many gods.                                                                                        

        Although Alexander the Great had defeated them, before that Nebuchadnezzar’s army could not get to them because Tyre was located on two islands, therefore Nebuchadnezzar’s army could not fight.

        They built one of the largest hippodromes of the period in Tyre.  That is where they would go on a regular basis.

        The Greeks believed that some of them originated form Tyre, for Tyre introduced the alphabet to Greece.  Tyre’s people were mostly Romans and Jews than Greeks.  They lived in a very secure city. 

        Now the city of Tyre is now the city of Ur in Turkey.

        Documentations:            

http://www.robibrad.demon.co.uk/tyre.htm

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15109a.htm

http://www.middleeast.com/tyre.htm

http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/pines/5709/tyre.htm

The Encarta Information CD rom

World Explorer THE ANCIENT WORLD by: Brenda Randolph, Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Michal L. LaVasseur

Copyright 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458