▁and ▁Tur ks ▁used ▁their ▁tim ber . ▁The ▁Egypt ians ▁val ued ▁their ▁tim ber ▁for ▁ship building , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁their ▁tim ber ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁construct ▁rail ways . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁An cient ▁history ▁The ▁mountains ▁of ▁Leb anon ▁were ▁once ▁sh aded ▁by ▁thick ▁ced ar ▁for ests ▁and ▁the ▁tree ▁is ▁the ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁After ▁centuries ▁of ▁persistent ▁def or est ation , ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁these ▁for ests ▁has ▁been ▁marked ly ▁reduced . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁once ▁said ▁that ▁a ▁battle ▁occurred ▁between ▁the ▁dem ig ods ▁and ▁the ▁humans ▁over ▁the ▁beautiful ▁and ▁divine ▁forest ▁of ▁C ed ar ▁trees ▁near ▁southern ▁Mes op ot am ia . ▁ ▁This ▁forest , ▁once ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁S umer ian ▁god ▁En l il , ▁was ▁completely ▁b ared ▁of ▁its ▁trees ▁when ▁humans ▁entered ▁its ▁grounds ▁ 4 7 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁after ▁winning ▁the ▁battle ▁against ▁the ▁guard ians ▁of ▁the ▁forest , ▁the ▁dem ig ods . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁also ▁tells ▁that ▁Gil g ames h ▁used ▁ced ar ▁wood ▁to ▁build ▁his ▁city . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁centuries , ▁ced ar ▁wood ▁was ▁explo ited ▁by ▁the ▁Pho en icians , ▁Egypt ians , ▁Ass y ri ans , ▁Bab yl oni ans , ▁Pers ians , ▁Rom ans , ▁Israel ites ▁and ▁Tur ks . ▁ ▁The ▁Pho en icians ▁used ▁the ▁C ed ars ▁for ▁their ▁merchant ▁fle ets