On behalf of myself, Fr Badaoui and my Brother Priests, we would ...

The Arab era in general was not a happy time for the Lebanese especially those living along the coast. It led to
the decline of the following sectors of public life, building, commerce, industry, culture and art. The
P h o e n i c i a n c i t i e s a l o n g t h e c o a s t l i n e h a d , f o r c e n t u r i e s p a s t a n d u p t o t h e t i m e o f t h e A r a b c o n q u e s t 6 3 4 A D ,
been recognized as centers of business and commerce. From the point of view of development, culture and
c i v i l i z a t i o n , t o s p e a k o f t h e P h o e n i c i a n c i t i e s a s T r i p o l i , J b e i l ( B y b l o s ) , B e i r u t , S i d o n a n d T y r e b e f o r e t h e 7 t h
century was to speak of Paris, Rome, London, New York and Tokyo today. One could say that for many
c e n t u r i e s t h e L e b a n e s e c o a s t l i n e w a s o n e o f t h e p i v o t a l p o i n t s o f h u m a n a c t i v i t y a n d d e v e l o p m e n t f o r t h e w h o l e
ancient world.
B u t w i t h t h e a r r i v a l o f t h e A r a b s a n d t h e
beginning of the Arab era, the lines of
communication between the
P h o e n i c i a n c i t i e s a n d t h e w o r l d a t l a r g e ,
both East and West were cut. The
seaways were closed, and a
c o m p l e t e i s o l a t i o n f r o m t h e W e s t e r n
and Byzantine world on one side and
t h e I s l a m i c A r a b w o r l d o n t h e o t h e r ,
w a s b r o u g h t a b o u t . T h e s e c i t i e s o n t h e
Phoenician coastline l o s t t h e i r s t a t u s
a s ‘ c i t y - s t a t e s ’ a n d w e r e r e d u c e d t o t h e
c a t e g o r y o f t o w n s a n d v i l l a g e s . T h e
P e r s i a n i m m i g r a n t s , w h o h a d b e e n
r e l o c a t e d a l o n g t h e c o s t a l a r e a b y t h e
caliph Muawiyah I (661-680), were not
exactly the elite and clever members of
t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s o f o r i g i n t o a d o p t t h e
P h o e n i c i a n c i v i l i z a t i o n o f t h e c o a s t a n d
to carry on with it.
Conquests of Prophet Muhammad and
the Rashidun Caliphate, 630-641
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e a r c h a e o l o g i s t M a u r i c e D u n a n d , t h e g r e a t e s t e x p e r t o f t h e r u i n s o f B y b l o s , t h e e r a w h i c h b e g a n
in 636 with the Arab conquest left no trace of its presence on the site of Byblos; the sea was closed to commerce
and the coast of Lebanon became one of the frontlines in the battle between Christianity and Islam.