The awe-inspiring Roman ruins in Baalbek, Lebanon

*WS 105: the awe-inspiring Roman ruins in Baalbek, Lebanon*

Baalbek is a city in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about 85 km northeast of Beirut, with continuous habitation since the 9th century BC. The ruins at the temple complex include two of the largest and grandest Roman temple ruins: the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter. When it came under Muslim rule from the mid-7th century, it was used more as a fortress. During the Ottoman period it was abandoned and the temple complex was torn apart by earthquakes, storms and pilferage. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

The Temple of Jupiter, dedicated to the chief Roman god, was completed around 60 AD, 88 m long and 44 m wide. There were 54 columns, each almost 20 m in height, on a platform 7 m high above the courtyard. The temple was the largest Roman temple ever built. But the most amazing thing is the huge limestone blocks used to build up the platform. Most are over 300 tonnes each. The 3 largest are about 19 m long, 4.3 m by 3.6 m in section, each weighing over 800 tonnes. They are more than 10 times the weight of the individual blocks which make up the Great Pyramid at Giza. How are they transported from the quarry nearly a km away? The huge standing columns were dwarfs compared to these flat members. Of the 54 original columns, only 6 remain. Eight of them were removed to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and used in the construction of the Hagia Sophia in the 6th century.

The other main temple is the Temple of Bacchus, dedicated to the Roman God of Wine. It is 66 m by 35 m and 31 m high, completed in the late 2nd century AD, the largest standing and best-preserved Roman temple in the world. The richly carved ornamentation on the columns and entablatures are particularly awe-inspiring. 

We were here in 2010 on a group tour. The 1st 2 photos show the general layout, mostly around the Center Court. The raised structure on the upper part of the 2nd photo is the main altar for burnt offering. The 3rd photo shows the entrance portico, with only 4 of the 12 original columns standing. The 4th and 5th photos show the remaining 6 columns of the Temple of Jupiter, while the 6th shows the richly ornamented entablatures in the small museum at the site. The 7th photo shows the well preserved Temple of Bacchus. Take note of the size of the men to realise the size of the temple. The last photo shows the typical carving on the columns.