BAALBEK

To the west of the current city, the Roman acropolis surprises travellers with its gigantic proportions. In winter on a sunny day, the site is exceptional with its colours and snow-covered neighbouring peaks. In summer, in full sunlight, the visit can be tiring. It is therefore preferable to arrive early in the morning. You can request a guide to comment on your visit. It takes about two hours to visit the ruins.

Propylae. The ruins can be reached by a monumental staircase leading to the propylées (entrance to the sanctuary). It was built by the Germans between 1900 and 1904. The original staircase was used to build the ramparts of the Arab fortress. At the top of the stairs, there was a portico supported by twelve columns 8 m high and delimited by two towers erected at each end. A cedar wood frame once covered the portico. The back wall had three doors through it. The large central gate was reserved for the clergy while the other two allowed access for the people.

The hexagonal courtyard. Behind the propylées, the courtyard in the shape of an oriental star was reserved for the recollection of the faithful. A portico surrounded this space on which exedras opened (rectangular rooms decorated with niches and preceded by columns). The hexagonal courtyard was transformed by Theodosius into a church, then the Arabs in the 7th century modified the structure of the surrounding wall for military purposes. A bas-relief of Jupiter-Héliopolitain, found near Baalbek, has been deposited by German archaeologists near the entrance to the Great Court. The god is represented in the form of a man carrying a basket (calathos) on his head. Surrounded by two bulls, he wields a whip in his right hand while his left hand grabs the lightning bolt.

The big courtyard. Main courtyard of the acropolis, it was here that the main rites of purification were performed. Surrounded by twelve exedras opening onto a portico, it had two altars in its centre. Probably the most important was used for the solemn ceremonies; or perhaps it was a platform for the faithful to contemplate the statue of Jupiter Heliopolitan erected at the bottom of the temple. It is also not known what use the second, smaller altar was intended for. Some see a base that supported the statue of Jupiter; others see a terrace reserved for the clergy and more specifically for the priests. On either side of the two altars, a basin decorated with bas-reliefs shows various scenes from Roman mythology (Medusa, Cupid riding dragons, funeral geniuses...). A system of pipes brought the water to the basins where ritual ablutions and the purification of the animal to be sacrificed were carried out. Theodosius disrupted the architecture of the great courtyard by building a Christian basilica on the site of the two altars. The French archaeological mission decided to dismantle the building, thus restoring the acropolis to its original appearance.

Temple of Jupiter. Unique in its kind, the temple of Jupiter surpassed all the temples of the ancient Greek-Roman world in size and beauty. Dominating the large courtyard thanks to its enormous basement formed by titanic blocks, the temple was 89 m long and 50 m wide. It would appear that the transport of these blocks - from the quarries to the site - was made possible by the construction of an inclined road where the stones were slid with the help of rollers placed underneath. The entrance is accessed by a huge three-panel staircase. Fifty-four Corinthian columns surrounded the cella: ten columns, 21 m high, formed the frontal peristyle while nineteen, six of which are still standing, formed the lateral part. These six columns are a strong symbol of Lebanon's history. Behind this peristyle, a second row of columns reinforced the building facing the Levant. An entablature 5.30 m high rested on the capitals. The details of the frieze can still be seen above the remaining six columns where young lions and calves, lost in a fine lace of bas-reliefs, share the decor. A miraculously preserved fragment of a cornice (lion's head as a gargoyle) is still visible in the courtyard along the Bacchus Temple. At the bottom of the temple was the statue of Jupiter Heliopolitan.

The medieval citadel. Between the temples of Jupiter and Bacchus, there are the Arabic fortifications. Some pillars mark the location of an old mosque. Inscriptions from 1238 have been found there.

The temple of Bacchus. One of the best preserved architectural works in the ancient world, the Bacchus Temple, although it appears small in comparison to its neighbour, is nevertheless larger than the Parthenon of Athens. 68 m long and 36 m wide, this peripatetic temple, which was accessed by a wide staircase, was preceded by a courtyard with porticoes. A peristyle, consisting of forty-two 8 m high columns and a pronaos (a kind of vestibule) decorated with eight fluted columns, surrounded the cella (the main element of the temple). The peristyle supports an entablature decorated with very beautiful bas-reliefs, connected to the cella by large slabs forming a beautifully decorated barrel ceiling. Geometric drawings frame the bust of various mythological deities. Among them, on the northern peristyle, we can recognize Cleopatra - stung by an aspic -, Mars, a winged victory.... The south-eastern part is less well preserved, with many columns collapsing below. The wonderfully carved cella portal will surprise visitors with its imposing dimensions. On the lintel, we can still see an eagle enclosing a caduceus and holding in its beak the ends of two garlands held by two winged geniuses. Inside the cella, the side walls are decorated with Corinthian columns. At the back, a staircase leads to the adyton, a sanctuary reserved for priests where the statue of the god was enthroned. Not all archaeologists agree on the nature of the divinity honored in this temple. For some, it would be Bacchus, others see it as the consecration of Venus or Jupiter. Some of the graffiti that covers the southwest wall of the sanctuary dates back to the 19th century. This temple was transformed into a barracks during the Arab period. To the left of the entrance to the Bacchus Temple, a tower built by the Mamluks in the 14th century reinforced the fortress. A small museum is located there. A staircase leads down to a small room where sarcophagi are kept, including the one of Douris which still contains a skeleton.

The exit from the acropolis is via an underground tunnel dating back to Roman times. These large galleries dug under the great courtyard accessed sort of stables housing animals for sacrifice and, on the outer sides, large recesses led to dwellings reserved for temple servants.

Trilithon. Leaving the acropolis, walk around the surrounding wall to contemplate a set of 3 stone blocks measuring approximately 19.5 m long by 4.5 m high and 4 m wide. Each weighs between 750 and 1,000 t.

The museum. Before reaching the exit of the site, it is possible to visit a small museum that exhibits some objects. The interest is mainly in the panels that retrace the history of the site and the archaeological excavations. Do not hesitate to take the time to stroll through this longitudinal museum. It is interesting and well done.

Temple of Venus. Located opposite the acropolis parking lot, from which it is separated by the road, the temple of Venus stands on a pentagonal podium. Its original design, in the shape of a horseshoe, and the interior sculptures (shells, doves) that decorate the cella pay homage to Venus, goddess of Love, Beauty and Fertility. Under the reign of Emperor Constantine, the temple was transformed into a church dedicated to Saint Barbara. On the other side of the street along the temple of Venus emerge the ruins of the great Umayyad mosque, apparently built on the remains of a church dedicated to Saint John.