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Baalbeck,
Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure,
can be counted among the wonders of
the ancient world. The largest and
most noble Roman temples ever built,
they are also among the best
preserved.
Towering high above the Beqaa plain,
their monumental proportions
proclaimed the power and wealth of
Imperial Rome. The gods worshipped
here, the Triad of Jupiter, Venus
and Mercury, were grafted onto the
indigenous deities of Hadad,
Atargatis and a young male god of
fertility. Local influences are also
seen in the planning and layout of
the temples, which vary from the
classic Roman design.
Over the centuries Baalbeck's
monuments suffered from theft, war
and earthquakes, as well as from
numerous medieval additions.
Fortunately, the modern visitor can
see the site in something close to
its original form |
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thanks
to work in the past hundred years by
German, French and Lebanese
archaeologists. Baalbeck is located
on two main historic trade routes,
one between the Mediterranean coast
and the Syrian interior and the
other between northern Syria and
northern Palestine.
Today the city, 85 kilometers from
Beirut, is an important
administrative and economic center
in the northern Beqaa valley |
Major
Cities - Baalbeck
