Baalbeck: City of the Sun

For thousands of years, Baalbeck has stood at the crossroads of civilizations. Located in Lebanon's fertile Beqaa Valley and known in antiquity as Heliopolis, the city of the Sun, Baalbeck developed into an important religious and cultural center under successive civilizations. Its monumental Roman Temples, dedicated principally to Jupiter, Bacchus, and Venus, remain among the most extraordinary surviving examples of Roman architecture. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, Baalbeck has long attracted travelers, scholars, archaeologists, artists, and pilgrims. Its ruins, landscape, and continuing life as a city have made it not only a place of historical significance but also a powerful symbol of Lebanon's cultural heritage.