Hardine village houses an imposing Roman temple at an altitude of 1460m, with a 360 degree splendid view of the neighboring villages and the shores of Batroun.
Timeline
The temple dates back between the 2nd and the 3rd century AD.
Remnants of structure foundations have been noted to date back to the Hellenistic era, proving that the site has been a worship location since the pre-Roman era.
Structure
The temple of Hardine rests on a podium measuring 16.80m by 27.90m, open to the southwest. Its plan is of a pseudo-dipterous peripteral, following the Ionic order, surrounded by a double row of six columns on the façade, six columns on the small posterior side and eleven columns on the long sides,
Most of the structure is in ruins, while the wall still standing with its 6 columns is the one on the western side. Small portions of the temenos (sacred enclosure), the cella and the podium can still be seen.
Based on archeological findings, and on several modifications to the structure elements, scholars believe that the temple may have been converted to a church like many others during the Byzantine era onwards.
No inscriptions were found on site that can help scholars identify the deity venerated at the temple. However, other researches claim that the temple is dedicated to the God Mercury – god of shopkeepers and merchants, travelers and transporters of goods, and thieves and tricksters.
Karim Sokhn
Tour Operator & Tour Guide
References:
La vie Religieuse Au Liban Sous L’Empire Romain – Julien Aliquo
