Byblos underwent significant expansion over the centuries since its initial settlement. The Middle Bronze Age city is now heavily fortified, encompasses many temples and administration buildings that were rebuilt during this period, and includes a larger vital harbor indicative of its flourishing trade with Middle Kingdom Egypt and the Aegean (hover over the image at the left to enlarge). The sacred well continues to be the central focus of the town around which many major buildings were erected. Several royal tombs were found, many of which appear to have been under or near where a palace might have stood. A main feature of the new city is the thick defensive wall and ditch surrounding it and extending from the northern cliffs to the southern harbor; it contained at least three gates. This phase of the city lasted for about 300 years.
An aerial view of Middle Bronze Age Byblos (hover over the image at the left to enlarge) showing the many new temples, administration and government buildings, the expanded settlement, and city wall (for further details on individual structures, keep reading, and see our animated flyover of the entire settlement).
One of the most important buildings in the town was the Temple of the Obelisks (in the center foreground of the image at the left; hover over to enlarge). Its name comes from the over 40 standing stones (obelisks and beytls) found within the temenos wall of the temple complex. The complex included a rectangular temple set up on a stone podium; a pro-cella set in front of the main sanctuary structure, and several out-buildings, probably for storage or offices.
Several of the other important buildings of Middle Bronze Age Byblos can be seen in the image at the left (hover over to enlarge). The Tower Temple (also called the Temple à Escalier) is identified by the long set of stairs (the bottom step comprised of used anchor stones) leading up to the pro-cella in front of the smallish main sanctuary. The so-called Grand Residence is probably an administration building, which may also have had some domestic quarters attached and is characterized by the long central corridor. The Gebal Baalat temple is located just above the sacred spring near the center of town. The temenos complex is set up a flight of steps from the main roadways and had the main temple building, outbuildings, and also several obelisks characteristic of this period. The palace is conjectured to have been located at the very highest part of town, near and partly over the royal tombs, and near a postern gate in the city wall.
