Some elements of the Ruins of Baalbek date to the 3rd millennium BC and some could say is one of the oldest civilizations on earth. The temple is thought to have begun in 60 BC by the Romans...its interesting to note that this wasn't a "city" as we think of it, but a kinda of tourist site for pilgrams. The site, located within the water rich Bekaa Valley was considered sacred and the temples exerted influence on politics as much on religion. The Temple of Jupiter has the largest columns in the world at 22.9 m hight with a width of 2.2 m - with today only 6 of the 54 still standing.
The other well perserved momument is the Temple of Bacchus (Venus/Astarte) completed around 150 AD. It is larger than the Parthenon in Athens.
And finally we strolled thru the neighborhoods surrounding the ruins. The vernacular architecture is a huge reminder of greater Mediterrean architecture and even the styles of Northern New Mexico. But even more important is the incredible amount of decay they are experienceing and the families that are living within. The amount of mishandling of funds from World Bank and the millions pocketed was expressed by the friendly people that let us take a look.
See more photos here
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