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Baalbeck: Roman City of The Sun
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Located in the fertile Bekaa Valley, the city of Baalbeck
originated in Phoenician times as a place of worship to Baal,
the Phoenician Sun God. During
the Hellenistic period (333-64 BC), the Greeks named the city
Heliopolis, or “City of the Sun.”
However, Baalbeck entered its golden age in 47 BC, when
Julius Caesar made it a Roman colony.
Perhaps because of the area’s agricultural importance in
feeding the eastern inhabitants of the Roman Empire—or perhaps
because of its strategic location along the major east-west and
north-south trading routes—the Romans selected this site to
construct the largest religious temples in their empire.
Over a span of 200 years (60 BC – 150 AD), a succession
of Roman emperors oversaw the construction of the magnificent
temples to honor the divine Roman trinity: Jupiter,
Venus and Mercury. These
temples also served as a monument to the wealth and power of
Imperial Rome.
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Modern-day visitors to Baalbeck can enter the
site through the majestic Roman propylaea (ceremonial entrances)
and walk through the two large colonnaded courtyards to reach the
complex’s great temples:
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The Temple of Jupiter was the largest Roman temple ever
constructed. Today, just six of the original 54 Corinthian columns remain
standing.Each column is 22 meters (66 feet) high and 2 meters (7½ feet)
in diameter, hinting at the temple’s enormous size in the
time of the Roman empire.
The Temple of Bacchus is the best-preserved Roman temple in the Middle
East. Although smaller than the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus is
still larger than the Parthenon in Athens. The dedication and purpose of this temple, and its
relationship to the rest of the temple complex, remain a
mystery.
The Temple of Venus is a smaller, domed structure set apart to the
southeast of the complex. During the Byzantine period, the temple was converted into a church
honoring Saint Barbara.
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Only part of the staircase from the Temple of Mercury can
still be seen on Sheikh Abdallah hill, a short distance away from
the main temple site.
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Although the temples were
closed and partially destroyed when the region was
christianized, the city of Baalbeck lived on as other
civilizations left their mark at the site.
Byzantine Emperor Theodosius tore down the altars of
the Temple of Jupiter and built a basilica using the
temple’s stones and architectural elements.
The remains of this basilica can still be seen near
the stairway of the Temple of Jupiter.
During the Arab conquests, the temple ruins were
fortified, and the area was given the Arab name “Qalaa,”
meaning fortress. Remains
of a great mosque, dating from the 8th century
Umayyad period, can be seen in front of the acropolis
entrance. |
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Much of Baalbeck was later destroyed by
earthquakes. However, in the 19th century, a German mission began to
excavate and reconstruct the Baalbeck ruins.
Thanks to the efforts of German, French, and Lebanese
archaeologists, visitors can now have a glimpse of what the
site looked like in its original grandeur.
Baalbeck is truly a wonder of the ancient world and should not be missed by any visitor to
Lebanon.
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