Byblos, cité millénaire du Liban

The exhibition brings together an exceptional corpus of nearly four hundred pieces tracing the continuous occupation of Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The itinerary, structured on two levels, places the visitor at the heart of a pioneering Mediterranean port, a link in exchanges between the Lebanese coast, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Aegean world.

The scenography, sober and immersive, allows objects to breathe while restoring the main lines of an urban destiny spanning nine millennia. Highlights include treasures from the royal necropolis: gold and silver vessels, jewelry, mirrors and ceremonial weapons, as well as major epigraphic pieces, including the inscription on the sarcophagus of Ahiram linking Byblos to the advent of the Phoenician alphabet.

Recent discoveries from Franco-Lebanese excavations carried out since 2019, notably the intact Middle Bronze Age necropolis, provide new keys to the narrative and make the exhibition a meeting point where ancient history and contemporary archaeology intersect. Practical and accessible, the exhibition can be toured in about 1h30 to 2h.

The Institut du Monde Arabe welcomes the public Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Monday and May 1st); ticket counters close 45 minutes before the venue closes. Adult admission: €17.

Address: 1 rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris

Nine thousand years of continuous occupation on the shores of the Mediterranean Nine thousand years ago, fishing communities settled on the promontory of Byblos. Occupation has continued uninterrupted to the present day, making this city one of the oldest witnesses of urbanization in the Near East.

From the beginning of the 3rd millennium BCE, Byblos developed into a city-state and became one of the first significant examples of this model in the Mediterranean world. Fenestrated axes with animal decor, Byblos, Temple of the Obelisks, Middle Bronze Age, gold Starting around 3200 BCE, the city established itself as one of the main Mediterranean ports.

Its position at the foot of the great cedar forests of Lebanon explains this success. Cedar wood, sought after for shipbuilding and its scent, as well as its resin used for mummification, fueled sustained exchanges with the pharaohs.

~400 Exceptional pieces gathered in the itinerary The arrangements of the ancient port, revealed by the most recent excavations, show the transformation of a coastal village into a commercial crossroads. "Byblos, a millenary city of Lebanon" at the Institut du Monde Arabe reveals these maritime foundations through objects reflecting both daily activities and major diplomatic exchanges.

Votive offerings and gifts from the pharaohs at the heart of the royal necropolis The treasures discovered in the royal necropolis and the early 2nd millennium BCE temples are one of the exhibition's highlights. Gold and silver vessels, jewelry inlaid with semi-precious stones, mirrors, and ceremonial weapons accompanied kings Abi-Shemou and Yapi-Shemou-Abi to their final resting places.

1,000+ Ex-votos found in the Temple of the Obelisks Many of these pieces show strong Egyptian influence. Some come directly from Egypt, gifts from Pharaohs Amenemhat III and Amenemhat IV.

The votive deposits in the Temple of the Obelisks further enrich the itinerary: faience figurines, fenestrated gold and silver axes with animal decor, ceremonial daggers and jewelry prominently featured. Obsidian box set in gold bearing Pharaoh Amenemhat IV's name (1797-1790 BCE).

Byblos, royal necropolis (tomb II). Beirut, Directorate General of Antiquities This obsidian box set in gold bears the cartouche of Pharaoh Amenemhat IV, the last male ruler of Egypt’s 12th dynasty.

Discovered in tomb II of the royal necropolis of Byblos, it is part of a set of diplomatic gifts offered by the pharaohs to the kings of Byblos. Obsidian, a deep black volcanic rock, was a precious material in ancient the Near East, reserved for prestigious objects.

The gold mount surrounding the box emphasizes the royal character of the object and the privileged relationship between the two powers at the start of the 2nd millennium BCE.

Franco-Lebanese excavations reveal a still little-known city Since 2019, excavations conducted cooperatively between Lebanon's Directorate General of Antiquities and the Department of Near Eastern Antiquities at the Louvre Museum have uncovered a necropolis of the upper class and elites of the Middle Bronze Age, around 1800 BCE. Remaining completely intact—a very rare occurrence in the region—it has already overturned understanding of the social and economic organization of this maritime city.

️ The city’s South Gate and the latest finds from the ancient port are also among the new features presented for the first time to the public. The itinerary continues through the Phoenician, Hellenistic and Roman periods; the mosaic of the abduction of Europa bears witness to this last era.

It concludes with the testimony of the inhabitants of the medieval historic city, this “beating heart” still pulsating at the center of Byblos today. Byblos has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984.

The very etymology of the word “Bible” derives from its Greek name, Byblos being the port from which Egyptian papyrus was distributed to Greece. Divine figurines.

Byblos, Temple of the Obelisks, Bronze Age, bronze and gold leaf. Beirut, Directorate General of Antiquities