The old town of Sidon is one of the most atmospheric in Lebanon — a dense warren of vaulted stone alleys, dark passages, and tiny squares that have changed remarkably little in centuries. Many of the souks are partly covered, the roofs of ribbed stone vaulting providing welcome shade in summer. Spice merchants pile their goods in cones on the counters; copper and silver workshops still produce traditional vessels by hand.
This is a working market, not a tourist trap, and prices reflect that. The food sections are particularly lively in the mornings, with stalls selling olives, pickles, dried fruit, and freshly baked manakish. It is easy to lose your way — and that is precisely the point. Sooner or later every lane comes out near the harbour, the Sea Castle, or one of the old khans.