Baalbek houses the remnants of a Roman-era temple, dedicated to Mercury, god translators and interpreters; he also serves as the guide of souls to the underworld.
The site is accessible by car, where at a specific juncture, visitors will have to walk up the hill.
Structure
Located outside the city, on the hill of Cheikh Abdallah (1250 m above sea level), the temple site features minor structural elements .
Minted under the reign of emperor Philip the Arab (3rd century AD), coins found on site depicted the sanctuary, which gave archeologists an idea about its architecture. Measuring approximately 20m wide and 37m long, the temple had a single row of pillars on all sides – referred to as peripetral – in the style of the temples of ancient Greece, and resting on a podium surrounded by a court enclosed by a wall – referred to as peribolos – to which a 13m wide monumental rock staircase connected the hill to the city.
Karim Sokhn
Tour operator & Tour Guide
References:
Julien Aliquot, La vie religieuse au Liban sous l’Empire romain
Mnemosyne Supplements, history and archaeology of classical antiquity, Vol 426
