Sidon

Sidon
صيدا
Saida's Sea Castle
Sidon
Location in Lebanon
Sidon
Sidon (West and Central Asia)
Coordinates: 33°33′38″N 35°22′33″E / 33.56056°N 35.37583°E / 33.56056; 35.37583
CountryLebanon
GovernorateSouth Governorate
DistrictSaida District
Settled3rd millennium BC
Area
 • City
3.02 sq mi (7.82 km2)
 • Metro
9.7 sq mi (25 km2)
Population
 • City
~80,000
 • Metro
~266,000
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
1600
Area code07

Sidon (/ˈsdən/ SY-dən), or Saida (/ˈsdə, ˈsɑːɪdə/ SY-də, SAH-id-ə; Arabic: صيدا, romanizedṢaydā), 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 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. Sidon has a population of about 80,000 within the city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.