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File:View_from_Sidon's_Sea_Castle,_Sidon,_Lebanon.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Sidon

Also known as Zidon

Sidon ( ), or Saida ( ; ), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, to the south, and the Lebanese capital of Beirut, to the north, are each about away. Sidon has a population of about 80,000 within the city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.

OverviewAI-generated

Sidon, known natively as صيدا, is a city in Lebanon located within the Sidon District and the South Governorate. It has served as the capital of the Sidon District and the South Governorate, as well as the historical Lordship of Sidon. The city is situated in the Phoenicia region and holds a tentative World Heritage Site designation. Its area is 7,000,000, and it lies at an elevation of 9 to 15 meters.

The population of Sidon is recorded as 163,554 in one source and 200,000 in another. The city operates in the Asia/Beirut time zone. Sidon is twinned with Constanța, Sofia, and Sochi. A significant historical event associated with the location is the Siege of Sidon.

Synthesized by Vinony from 49 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, Open Meteo, Openweathermap, OpenStreetMap, GeoNames, Vinony graph, Geo. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Weather now

cached 31h ago

24°clear sky

74% 1.0 m/s OpenWeatherMap

7-day forecast

via Open-Meteo

Place details

Locality: صيدا
Region: محافظة الجنوب
Country: لبنان
Population: 163,554
Timezone: Asia/Beirut

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Air quality

58US AQIModerate

PM2.5: 14.7 µg/m³
PM10: 22.3 µg/m³

As of 2026-08-11 03:00 · Open-Meteo

Key facts

Settlement.name: Sidon
Settlement.native_name: صيدا
Settlement.native_name_lang: ar
Settlement.settlement_type: City
Settlement.image_skyline: File:View from Sidon's Sea Castle, Sidon, Lebanon.jpg
Settlement.imagesize: 275px
Settlement.image_caption: Saida's Sea Castle
Settlement.pushpin_map: Lebanon#West Asia
Settlement.pushpin_label_position: bottom
Settlement.pushpin_mapsize: 275
Settlement.pushpin_relief: yes
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location in Lebanon
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_name: Lebanon
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Governorate
Settlement.subdivision_name1: South Governorate
Settlement.subdivision_type2: District
Settlement.subdivision_name2: Saida District

via Wikipedia infobox

Travel guide

Get in

Take a bus or a car for a 1-hour drive from Beirut. A minibus from Beirut's Cola station costs 2000 L.L. per person. The buses arrive in the centre of the city, nearby the Sea Castle and other sights.

Get around

Getting around in Sidon as in all Lebanon is best by taking a taxi. Cabs provide two services: 1. A taxi ride with a fare charge of 5000 L.L. around 3.25 $ and 2. "Service" is the word you use to permit other passengers to board and then the charge is 2000 L.L. around 1.25 $

Buy

In the old souks, facing the Sea Castle, you can buy traditionally made soap.

For traditional sweets, go for the locals' favorites: (Seaside road), (Eastern Boulevard), (Siti Nafissi street).

Eat

The following restaurants offer traditional Lebanese food: , , .

For quick and cheap snacks: and Abu Rami's Falafel.

Local restaurants and chains: , and .

International chains are also available, such as: McDonald's, and .

Drink

Due to its more conservative nature, alcoholic drinks are not offered in the city's restaurants, cafes or supermarkets. However, delicious chunky fruit cocktails, julabs, Amar El Dine, tamarind juice and other types of traditional fruit juices are offered in the city's "juice shops".

Stay safe

It has sometimes been unsafe to visit the Ein el-Helweh Refugee Camp due to armed conflict, so check current conditions if you want to go there. The rest of the city is normally safe.