 Baalbeck
85 kilometers from Beirut
Is nested in a
plain between the parallel ranges of Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon mountains, some 85 kilometers north-east
of Beirut. It is one of the world’s greatest
historical sites, the most gigantic complex of
Roman temples ever built; its columns are the
tallest ever created, its stones the largest ever
used. The Acropolis of Baalbeck is the largest
and best preserved corpus of Roman architecture
left to us. Its temples, dedicated to Jupiter,
Venus and Bacchus (larger than Parthenon in Athens).were
built in the second and third centuries AD.
Baal-Bek, or
town of Baal (who was a Phoenician god) gave the name
to the town that is still in use.
For a number of years Baalbeck’s flooflit mercurial
columns presided over the annual renowned international
festival which featured theater groups, orchestras,
ballet troupes and performers from all parts of the
world.
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