Editing Tyre, Lebanon (section)

== Territory ==
<mapframe latitude="33.28" longitude="35.239" zoom="11" width="220" height="200" align="right" />

Tyre juts out from the coast of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], and is located about {{convert|80|km|0|abbr=on}} south of [[Beirut]]. It originally consisted of two distinct urban centres: Tyre itself, which was on an island just 500 to 700 metres (yards) offshore, and the associated settlement of [[Ushu]] on the adjacent mainland, later called ''Palaetyrus'', meaning "Old Tyre" in [[Ancient Greek]].<ref>Presutta, David. ''The Biblical Cosmos Versus Modern Cosmology''. 2007, page 225, referencing: Katzenstein, H.J., ''The History of Tyre'', 1973, p.9</ref> The fortified city was on top of a rock from which its name was inherited as "''S‘r''" is the Phoenician word for "rock". It had two ports, the "Sidonian port" to the north, still partly existing today, and the "Egyptian port" to the south which has perhaps been discovered very recently.<ref>Goiran, J-P, et al., 2023, "Evolution of Sea Level at Tyre During Antiquity", BAAL 21, with a new hypothesis about the local relative sea level rise and a major discovery of the Phoenician breakwater of the southern, so-called "Egyptian", harbour  [https://www.academia.edu/104492325]</ref>

[[File:OffTyreRockyIslands RomanDeckert04102019.jpg|thumb|Rocky islets off Tyre]]
Throughout history from [[Prehistory|prehistoric times]] onwards, all settlements in the Tyre area profited from the abundance of [[fresh water]] supplies, especially from the nearby [[Spring (hydrology)|springs]] of Rashidieh and [[Ras al-Ain, Lebanon|Ras Al Ain]] in the South. In addition, there are the springs of Al Bagbog and Ain Ebreen in the North as well as the [[Litani River]], also known as Alqasymieh.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Badawi|first=Ali Khalil|title=TYRE|publisher=Al-Athar Magazine|year=2018|edition=4th|location=Beirut|pages=5, 7}}</ref> The present city of Tyre covers a large part of the original island and has expanded onto and covers most of the [[causeway]] built by [[Alexander the Great]] in 332 [[Common Era|BCE]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author1=Heather Whipps |date=2007-05-14 |title=Mystery Solved: How Alexander the Great Defeated Tyre |url=https://www.livescience.com/1523-mystery-solved-alexander-great-defeated-tyre.html |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref> This [[isthmus]] increased greatly in width over the centuries because of extensive silt depositions on either side. The part of the original island not covered by the modern city of Tyre is mostly of an archaeological site showcasing remains of the city from ancient times.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

Four municipalities contribute to Tyre city's 16.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (6½ sq. mi.) built-up area, though none are included in their entirety: Sour municipality contains the heart of the city, excluding the Natural and Coastal Reserve; Burj El Shimali to the East without unpopulated agricultural lands; Abbasiyet Sour to the North without agricultural lands and a dislocated village; and [[Ain Baal]] to the South-East, also without agricultural lands and dislocated villages. Tyre's urban area lies on a fertile coastal plain, which explains the fact that as of 2017 about 44% of its territory was used for intra-urban agriculture, while built-up land constituted over 40%.<ref name="Maguire-2016" />

In terms of [[geomorphology]] and [[seismicity]], Tyre is close to the Roum Fault and the [[Yammoune]]h [[Fault (geology)|Fault]]. Though it has suffered a number of devastating earthquakes over the [[Millennium|millennia]], the threat level is considered to be low in most places and moderate in a few others. However, a [[tsunami]] following an earthquake and subsequent [[landslide]]s and floods pose major natural risks to the Tyrian population.<ref name="Maguire-2016" />

Vast reserves of natural gas are estimated to lie beneath Lebanese waters, much of it off Tyre's coast, but [[Exploitation of natural resources|exploitation]] has been delayed by [[Territorial dispute|border disputes]] with Israel.<ref name="UN OCHA-2013">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2013/02/15/ten-ways-develop-southern-lebanon|title=Ten ways to develop southern Lebanon|date=15 February 2013|website=The New Humanitarian|access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref>