Reminiscence of a journey to the Land of Cedars – Lebanon (Part 2 of 7)

The city of Baalbek is an ancient Phoenician city located in the Anti-Lebanon foothills of Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. The grand temple at the centre of the city was dedicated to Baal, the Phoenician God of sky and Astarte, his consort. The name Baalbek, literally means Lord Baal of the Beqaa Valley.

Later the city fell into the hands of Alexander the Great and then Pompey the Great and became a colony of the Roman Empire. It is famous today for the complex of Roman temples, which are fine examples of Imperial Roman architecture. The Roman complex contains temples dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus, Venus and Mercury. The temple of Jupiter rests on the ruins of the temple of Baal. These temples survived the rise of Christianity by serving as places of Christian worship. It further survived the reign of the Byzantine and Ottoman rulers and a series of earthquakes. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Ruins of the Temple of Jupiter

Temple of Bacchus

Ruins of the Temple of Jupiter

Temple of Bacchus

Temple of Bacchus

Temple of Bacchus

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins

Baalbek – Ruins