86 Kms. from Beirut

Baalbeck lies at the foot of the western side of anti-Lebanon, on the edge of the Bekaa plain. Due to its altitude (3,800 feet - 1,140 meters), an agreeable temperature is enjoyed in Summer.

The importance of Baalbeck to the Roman Empire is explained by the bonds which united Rome to this country. Successively, Christian (324-337) and Moslem (634), this city suffered till 1516 through different battles. The legend has placed in Baalbeck one of the seven palaces which King Solomon had ordered to be built for his foreign wives.

The grand court terminated during the second century under Antonius the Pious, is bordered by rectangular semi circular chapels containing two ranges of niches separated by vaults in shells.

A majestic staircase with worn out steps leads to the temple of Jupiter. From the esplanade, the site dips into the temple of Bacchus wonderfully preserved. The Gods once worshipped at Baalbeck constituted the " Heliopolitan Triad", Jupiter, Venus and Mercury. It seems that the Great Temple was dedicated to Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus to Venus while the sanctuary found at the southeast of the Acropolis was dedicated to Mercury. Like ancient Rome and like the Parthenon, Baalbeck remains one of the greatest sites of antiquity. The high columns and great walls are reminders of forgotten civilizations. The ruins of those temples reveal the role played by Baalbeck as a religious metropolis.

Baalbeck is more than a fascinating group of ruins of awe-inspiring majesty. It is a place where east and west met and merged, a crossroads where different influences and beliefs have come together, as in Lebanon today.


What you should Visit:

• The Citadel: The main entrance was walled by the Arabs. A hexagonal hall is crossed, leading to a bigger hall of 115 meters long and 112 meters wide, known as the Sacrifice Altar. In the center, there was once the Christian Basilica of Roman Emperors Constantine and Theodore's.
  
  
• The Temple of Jupiter: Built on an immense foundation, this temple covered a rectangle of 80 by 50 meters and was surrounded by a porch of 54 columns. There remains nowadays only six , measuring 20 meters high and 2.2 meters in diameter.
  
  
• The Temple of Bacchus: This temple is smaller than the temple of Jupiter, but it is well preserved and gives an excellent idea of what was once the sanctuaries of Baalbeck. The ceiling is richly carved and decorated with portraits of Roman Gods and Goddesses. The main entrance door is considered one of the biggest in the world since it measures 13 meters high and 7.50 meters wide. The temple is surrounded by a Peristly of 42 columns.
  
  
• The Temple of Venus: Within 200 meters from the Acropolis, lies the smallest temple which was a marvel of finesse. During the Christian Era, the temple was dedicated to Saint Barbara.
  
  
• The Great Mosque: It is situated NE of the Venus Temple and constitutes a
  ruined monumental ensemble from the Ancient Temple.

The tourist will not miss to visit the quarry, where lies a huge carved stone weighing 1000 tons and considered to be the heaviest in the world in its category.