Tyre: History, Former Names & Timeline
Phoenician sea-city famous for its purple dye, and mother city of Carthage.
TyreExplore Tyre in the interactive map
Former names of Tyre
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2700 BC | Tyre | Phoenician city |
Timeline of Tyre
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 814 BC | Tyrians found Carthage (traditional date) |
| 586 BC | Nebuchadnezzar II begins a thirteen-year siege |
| 332 BC | Alexander builds a causeway and takes Tyre after a seven-month siege |
| 1124 | The Crusaders take Tyre |
| 1291 | The Mamluks take Tyre |
Who ruled Tyre
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Achaemenid Empire |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–201 BC | Kingdom of Antigonus |
| 200 BC–2 BC | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
| 1 BC–299 | Roman Empire |
| 300–399 | Rome (Diocletianus) |
| 400–699 | Eastern Roman Empire |
| 700–799 | Umayyad Caliphate |
| 800–999 | Abbasid Caliphate |
| 1000–1299 | Fatimid Caliphate |
| 1300–1599 | Mamluk Sultanate |
| 1600–1919 | Ottoman Empire |
| 1920–1944 | Syria (France) |
| 1945–today | Lebanon |
Battles and sites near Tyre
- Battle of Yarmouk · AD 636
- Battle of Hattin · 1187
- Battle of Ain Jalut · 1260
Famous people of Tyre
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 356 BC – 323 BC | Alexander the Great | King of Macedon |
Nearby cities
Further reading
Questions about Tyre
Which states have ruled Tyre?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Tyre lies within 14 different states: Achaemenid Empire, Empire of Alexander, Kingdom of Antigonus, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Roman Empire, Rome (Diocletianus), Eastern Roman Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Tyre?
814 BC: Tyrians found Carthage (traditional date). 586 BC: Nebuchadnezzar II begins a thirteen-year siege. 332 BC: Alexander builds a causeway and takes Tyre after a seven-month siege. 1124: The Crusaders take Tyre. 1291: The Mamluks take Tyre.
Which famous people are connected with Tyre?
Alexander the Great (king of macedon, 356 BC – 323 BC).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.