Baalbek, Beirut, Lebanon

Baalbek is an ancient city in the Beqa Valley in Lebanon, located about an hour's drive from the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Despite the fact that this area has been inhabited since ancient times (the first settlements arose here about 5000 years ago), no information about the city is found until the 4th century BC. Then the city was called Heliopolis and was the largest religious center. In the 1st-3rd centuries A.D. Heliopolis became a Roman colony, and many Roman temples were immediately built here. In the 7th century, he submitted to the Arabs and was renamed Baalbek (after the god Baal).
The ruins of Baalbek preserve a grandiose temple ensemble from the Roman era. These are the Great Temple (Temple of Jupiter), the well-preserved Small Temple (Temple of Mercury) and the round temple (Temple of Venus). The ruins of the Great Mosque and the minaret are also of archaeological and tourist interest.