
Baalbek Megaliths
The Baalbek Temple Complex located in Beirut is one of the most amazing structures of antiquity. There have been many conflicts in the region for many years and even though it’s not currently the case, the buildings still hold traces of recent hostilities.
The diagram of what the complex looked like during the Roman Era shows a hexagonal rotunda, a large courtyard, the Temple of Jupiter, The Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Venus. Very little remains of the Temple of Venus and tourists are not allowed near it.
The history of the place is extremely eventful. It is believed that ten thousand years ago there was a sanctuary of the Neolithic Period that was discovered when archeologists made an excavation in the center of the courtyard. There was a temple dedicated to Baal during the time that the Phoenicians. That’s where the name of the city derives from.
However, the building of temples ended with the collapse of the Roman Empire. In the time of the Byzantines, when Christianity became the national religion, the pagan shrines and temples were desecrated and destroyed. Basilicas were built instead.
Then came the Arab crusaders and Turks who dismantled the ancient masonry for the construction of fortress walls, castles, and mosques.
The megalithic foundation of the temple of Jupiter is what attracts the most tourists and causes the most disagreement among historians. In the place called the Baalbek Terrace, the largest stones that have ever been used in construction are located. It’s a series of large limestone blocks surrounding the base of the Temple of Jupiter from the North, Western, and Southern sides.
The amazing film shares the details about this mysterious megalithic structure that has fascinated tourists and baffled historians for many years. Find out all about it now.