THE ESHMOUN TEMPLE

Standing on a hill overlooking the el-Awali River, the temple of Eshmoun stands on a grand podium, built at the end of the century BC, at the foot of a source of healing virtues. Favori'favorite God, Eshmoun was, according to legend, a young hunter whose Astarté (goddess of fertility) fell in love. In order to escape his advances, Eshmoun mutila mutila. Astarté, however, succeeded in saving him and made it a God that the Greeks subsequently assimilèrent to Asclépios, God of Medicine.

The temple, built in the th century BC, was - according to the tomb inscriptions found in the foundations - restored a little later by King Bodashtart. A network of piping, located in the east of the building, allows to feed the basin with the water of the sacred source. Around the third century BC, a second temple was added to the first. Eleven statuettes of children were found inside the temple. Dedicated to the healing god, they were deposited by the parents of sick children who were hoping for their healing. They are now at the Beirut Museum.

At the entrance to the site, on your left, you can see the foundations of a Byzantine basilica which still distinguishes some ruins.

Once on the Roman road bordered by porticos (there are only the bases), lies on your left a vast courtyard whose soil is covered by the remains of a pavement of mosaics representing the Four Seasons. A little farther north is the remains of a residential sector.

During the Roman and Paleo-Christian period (64 BC. The site of Eshmoun and its miraculous waters continued to attract pilgrims. The sanctuary was built at this time with the processionnelle trail, bassins and a nymphée that remains on your right of the mosaics. Sculptures representing nymphs decorate their niches.

Next to the nymphée, it is possible to climb the Roman staircase covered with mosaics leading to the podium. From above, you can get a better overall idea of the site.

The remains of the of pyramidal form, of which there remains a short fly of marches and a wall, are the oldest of the site of Echmoun.

The monumental podium belongs to the temple built by Echmounazar II, whereas Saida was under the domination of the Achéménides, during the Fifth century before the Christian era and was probably enlarged by King Bodashtart whose inscriptions were discovered on the retaining wall.

Another temple was added to the complex in the th century B.C., which is characterized by a very damaged frise that represents scenes of cult, hunting and children's play. Near the north-west corner of this temple lies the remains of a sanctuary dedicated to Astarté, also dating from the Hellenistic era. Within this structure is a throne flanked by two pleasure winged sphinx on a monolithic block and generally designated as the "Throne of Astarté".

In the north of the sanctuary of Astarté, another small hall covered with mosaics and guarded by a sphinx, now cephalous, was added to the complex at a late time. An inscription dates back to this part of 335 of our age.

To the northeast of the basin adjoining the throne of Astarté is a sculpted frise frise of characters, some intoxicated, including a tent to seize a rooster. Among the Greeks, it was common to offer this animal to sacrifice.

At the south-east corner of the site, there was a system of piping that brought water from the source to a whole series of basins used for ritual? or for the disposal of patients.