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History |
Historical Timeline |
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Greek and Roman
travelers frequently crossed the Bekaa Valley and knew it very well.
However, they believed that the valley ran from east to west, instead of
north to south, as it really is situated. As a result, the Greeks and
Romans believed that both Lebanese mountain chains ran perpendicular to
the Mediterranean coastline. This belief continued until the days of the
Arab geographer Al-Idrissi, during the 12th century.
The belief that the Bekaa Valley ran from east to west had significant
political repercussions. After his victory in 31 B.C. over Mark Anthony
and Cleopatra, the Roman general Octavius, who became the Emperor
Augustus and the founder of the Roman Empire, founded the colony of
Beirut. He annexed to this colony all the lands of the Bekaa Valley
"until the sources of the Orontes River." This action would not have
been possible if the Roman administration was not sure that the Bekaa
Valley was situated perpendicular to the coastline, thus forming the
inland space of the new colony |
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Baalbeck was the largest construction project Emperor
Augustus and his successors ever attempted in the region. Baalbeck
became an important cultic and pilgrimage site, in addition to an
essential meeting point for all the caravans crossing the Bekaa Valley
from the interior to the south (Palestine) or to the Mediterranean
coast. Consequently, Baalbeck and the Bekaa Valley were transformed into
a center for the dissemination of Roman civilization and the
demonstration of Roman power to the inhabitants of the region.
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As a
result, the villages and towns of the Bekaa began to build Roman-style
temples dedicated to their own local gods. This explains the great
number of temples spread throughout the valley.
It would be impossible
to describe all the Roman temples of the Bekaa Valley. This brochure
will focus on five of the most significant sites: Fourzol, Niha, Hosn
Niha, Temnine El-Faouqa, and Qsarnaba. Please consult the separate
brochure, Archaeological Promenade – Baalbeck, for extensive information
on the Baalbeck temples.
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