Baalbek's Ruins
This magnificent Roman temple complex, which sits at the heart of modern Baalbek, is one of the most important archaeological monuments of the Middle East. It consists of the massive Temple of Jupiter with its impressive size, the adjacent Temple of Bacchus with its well preserved features and exquisite carved engravings, the Temple of Venus located directly across from the main entrance, and a museum situated in a tunnel underneath the complex. Other buildings and remains of a Roman theatre have also been discovered near the main complex.
Since 9,000 BC, Baalbek Valley has been inhabited, and during Bible times it was the site of human sacrifices for the Canaanite God of fertility. Many of the ancient civilization's relics can still be found here.
The temples of Bacchus, Jupiter and Venus are the most remarkable Roman buildings in the complex. They constituted one of the Roman Empire's biggest temples. The Temple of Bacchus with its huge 65-ft-columns still standing today, parts of it still remains untouched and extremely well-preserved.
