Historical clue formulations

• Asian capital on the Mediterranean coast — 2024-05-23
• Capital on the eastern Mediterranean — 2020-04-14
• Foreign capital whose name sounds like a water passage to San Francisco — 2017-03-05
• Capital on the Mediterranean — 2013-07-18
• *Base of a fragrant tree? — 2009-04-30
• Mediterranean capital — 2008-06-11
• Mediterranean capital — 2003-11-30
• Lebanon's capital — 2003-02-11
• Mediterranean port — 2002-10-11
• 1982 war zone — 2002-04-25
• Mideast hub — 1999-07-01
• Troubled capital — 1998-11-29
• American University locale — 1998-11-15
• Modern capital founded by the Phoenicians — 1996-06-05
• Rough posting for a foreign correspondent — 1994-04-28