Father and daughter cooking heroin in Baalbek, Lebanon

Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, Lebanon

The Temple of Jupiter, Baalbek, Lebanon

It was once the largest Roman temple ever built, dedicated to the Roman god Jupiter.

Under Roman and later Byzantine rule, Baalbek was known as Heliopolis, the name that appears on most ancient coins associated with the city. From the 1st to the 3rd centuries CE, Heliopolis issued bronze provincial coinage under numerous emperors, typically bearing Greek legends using forms of “Heliopolis.” These issues are especially renowned for depicting the city’s monumental temple complex, including the sanctuaries of Jupiter and Bacchus, providing valuable evidence for reconstructing the appearance of the site. In later periods, some early Arab Byzantine and Islamic coins continued the local tradition by adding the Arabic mint name “Baʿlabakk / Baalbek,” reflecting the city’s enduring identity across successive cultures.

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Phoenicians: Masters of Ancient Seas

The Phoenicians were the ancient world’s greatest sailors, famed for their wide-reaching trade voyages. They sailed beyond the Mediterranean, braving the Atlantic to trade silver, gold, and tin. Their advanced shipbuilding and navigation skills earned praise from ancient writers like Homer and Herodotus, cementing their legacy as unrivaled mariners.

Key Facts

Phoenicians were expert sailors and traders from the eastern Mediterranean.

They voyaged beyond traditional boundaries, including past the Pillars of Hercules into the Atlantic Ocean.

Their ships and seamanship were highly advanced and depicted in neighboring cultures' art.

They traded valuable goods such as silver from Spain, gold from Africa, and tin from the Scilly Isles.

Ancient historians praised them as the best mariners of their time.

Historical Context

During the first millennium BCE, the Phoenicians were a seafaring people centered in what is now Lebanon. Their maritime trade routes connected many parts of the ancient world, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic coasts.

Historical Significance

The Phoenicians expanded ancient navigation limits and spread goods, ideas, and culture across vast distances. Their maritime innovations influenced later civilizations and laid foundations for Mediterranean trade and exploration.

The Phoenicians earn the title "masters of the seas" not just for their bravery but for their crucial role in linking ancient civilizations through trade and navigation[1].

Baalbek, Lebanon - WORLD HERITAGE

Baalbek, which has traces of settlement since 9000 years, was one of the cornerstones of ancient civilizations. The famous Baalbek temple complex in Heliopolis, Lebanon, is one of the largest Roman religious sites in the world and part of the World Heritage Site.

In ancient times it was a Phoenician sanctuary, a Greek city and from the time of the Seleucids it was called Heliopolis, and it was a Roman colony since Augustus. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Near East. It is notable for an area of ​​Roman temples from the 1st to the 3rd century.

The sanctuary was part of the Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Beritus, now Beirut. The Temple of Jupiter was completed in the year 60 during the reign of Nero (54-68). The construction of the great courtyard was carried out during the reign of Trajan (98-117). Under Antoninus Pius (138-161) the Temple of Bacchus was built. The work on the Temple of Venus was completed during the Severan dynasty, particularly during the reign of Caracalla (211-217). Under Philip the Arab (244-249), Roman Emperor of neighbouring Damascus, the hexagonal courtyard of the sanctuary was built.

UNESCO has already warned of the danger site faces due to current conflicts.

"UNESCO to meet on November 18 to call for strengthened protection of Lebanese heritage" announced L'Orient Le Jour.