Temples of Baalbek - Heliopolis

Situated some 85 km northeast of Beirut, Baalbek is named after the phoenician god "Baal". Declared a World Heritage Site, the temples still tower over the city today. The site is also referred as Heliopolis, the City of the Sun.

Melkan Bassil
The lion of Baalbek Heliopolis
the-lion-of-baalbek-heliopolis
Melkan Bassil
Propylaea - Temples of Baalbek Heliopolis Lebanon
This is today's entrance to the site.
Melkan Bassil
The great courtyard - Temples of Baalbek Heliopolis
Baalbek is home to the largest most intact Roman temples in the world.
Melkan Bassil
Inside Bacchus - Temples of Baalbek Heliopolis Lebanon
The Temple of Bacchus only lacks the roof. From 63 BC onwards, an army of slaves worked some 200 years, yet the complex was never fully completed.
Melkan Bassil
Temple of Bacchus - Baalbek Heliopolis Lebanon
Entering the temple of Bacchus is like stepping back in time, instantly...
Melkan Bassil
Under the pillars of Bacchus - Temples of Baalbek Heliopolis
The magnifient temple of Bacchus, with amazing details on the ceiling and a view on the Temple of Jupiter.
Melkan Bassil
Temple of Bacchus and Temple of Jupiter - Baalbek Heliopolis Lebanon
Robert Wood wrote in 1751 about the site : "The ruins must be part of the boldest plan ever attempted in architecture".
Melkan Bassil
Jupiter & Bacchus
Towering over Baalbek, the Roman temple complex is considered the world’s largest and most intact. Temple of Jupiter: The temples 22-m high columns dwarf the 7.5 meter-high pillars of the Acropolis in Athens Temple of Bacchus: Used as a fort in Ma...
Melkan Bassil
The pillars of Jupiter - Temples of Baalbek Heliopolis
Built on top of older phoenician remains, the Temple of Jupiter measured 250x150 meters, it consisted of 54 giant pillars, six of which are still standing.