| Baalbek is
located in the Bekaa Valley some 85kms from Beirut, and is one of the best
preserved Roman sites in the Middle East. Known in Greco-Roman times
as Heliopolis (Greek for 'city of the sun'), the modern name may be
derived from the ancient Canaanite god Baal. Baalbek was absorbed
into the Roman Empire in 64 BCE, and most of the temple ruins seen today
date from the apogee of Roman rule in the 1-3C. During this time it
was one of the most important cities in the Roman world, and a center for
worship of the god Jupiter. Following a steady decline during the
Byzantine era (5-7C), the town was captured by the Arabs in 634.
From this time on, it became a relative backwater, and the earlier remains
were not rediscovered until 1751. Today Baalbek is designated as a UNESCO
World Heritage site.
The modern town of Baalbek lies just outside the archaeological park, and in addition to being the administrative capital of the Bekaa Valley also has long been a center for Hizbollah and other more radical groups such as the enigmatic Islamic Jihad. This was where John McCarthy, Terry Waite, Terry Anderson and other Western hostages were held as captives following their kidnapping by Hizbollah in the 1980s. Apart from the occasional Israeli air strike in the surrounding countryside, Baalbek is once again safe to visit.
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This is the Hexagonal Court, looking toward the entrance to the archaeological site. This area originally served as a forecourt to the sacred area shown below. During the Byzantine era, it was covered by a dome and served as a church. |
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Two views of the Great Court. This was the main sacred area of the Roman city, and was built atop a much older Phoenician temple complex. These views show the north and east sides of the court; to the west stands the Temple of Jupiter, one of the great shrines of the Roman era. |
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Temple of Bacchus. Although smaller than the Temple of Jupiter, this temple is better preserved, and features rich carvings along its base. Many of these are of grapes, vines, and other motifs suggestive of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. |
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An example of the stonework along the base of Temple of Bacchus. |
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Entrance to the Temple of Bacchus, looking toward the raised platform where an image of the deity would have been displayed. |
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Temple of Venus. This area lies just outside the entrance to the archaeological park. The temple lies directly adjacent to a small spring, which presumably served as the site for an earlier temple dedicated to a fertility goddess. Note the small mosque built from recycled stone. |
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Street scene in the modern town of Baalbek. As I strolled through, a young woman grabbed my arm and said something to me in French. I asked if she was from Hizbollah, and she replied "oui messieur, je sui de Hizbollah". Gripped initially by fear of being kidnapped, I eventually realized she thought I was lost, and was merely trying to help me find my way. |
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View of Zahlé. This town lies off the main Beirut - Damascus highway which passes through the Bekaa Valley. Surrounded by Shi'a Muslims, it is populated mainly by Greek Catholics, and was nearly destroyed in the summer of 1981 by shelling from Syrian troops. |