The Cedars of Lebanon The Phoenicians were also blessed with the bounty of the forests in the mountains of Lebanon. They never hesitated to trade for their abundant pines, firs, and cypresses, as well as their fabulous cedars of Lebanon, some of the world's most famous trees. Capable of reaching heights of over 120 ft (with trunks almost 40 ft in diameter), with a fragrant and durable wood, the cedars of Lebanon have been sought after since the third millennium BC. It is these trees that according to the Old Testament were offered by Hiram, king of Tyre, to Solomon for use in the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, in the last 1500 years, these precious cedars have been used mostly as fuel (during the Middle Ages), simply destroyed (by the 19th century Ottomans), or used by the British to build the railroad between Tripoli and Haifa. Today, there are only a few groves left, located high in the hills above Tripoli, Lebanon.