ACROPOLE

In the northeast of the tell, dominating the city, the acropolis presented to its visitors two main temples, one dedicated to Baal, the other to Dagon. These massive buildings were visible from the port. Today, from these anonymous ruins, you can see the nearby sea and the view to the Hotel Méridien. Ships'anchors were raised to the sanctuary of Baal, the god of the storm. Offerings were devoted to him, sometimes so that his anger did not trigger storms that were harmful to navigation, sometimes to plead the rain necessary for cultures.

As indicated in the Dagon temple stelas, shared between the Louvre and the Aleppo Museum, animals were sacrificed to this god in honour of the dead. In the house, known as the Magician-Magician, south of the acropolis, many livers of clay animals were found. Prêtres priests, called aruspices, examined the entrailles of the victims and animals to draw predictions.