One of the greatest Roman temple complexes in the world, in the Bekaa Valley.
Baalbek is an ancient city in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, about 85 km northeast of Beirut, home to one of the largest and best-preserved Roman temple complexes anywhere in the world. Known in antiquity as Heliopolis, its colossal temples of Jupiter and Bacchus are so vast and well-preserved that they leave almost every visitor speechless.
"Quick facts",
Baalbek was a place of worship for thousands of years, but it reached its greatest glory under Rome, when — as Heliopolis, ‘City of the Sun’ — it was adorned with some of the grandest temples of the empire. Built over roughly two centuries from the 1st century AD, the sanctuary was dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus.
The site is famous not only for its scale but for its engineering: the temple platform rests on some of the largest cut stones ever used in construction, and a nearby quarry still holds the colossal ‘Stone of the Pregnant Woman.’ Baalbek was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and today also hosts the renowned Baalbek International Festival.
Astonishingly well-preserved and richly carved — the highlight of any visit.
Six towering columns are all that remain of what was once a giant temple.
A vast ceremonial courtyard lined with the remains of altars and colonnades.
Nearby lies the ‘Stone of the Pregnant Woman,’ one of the largest carved stones on earth.
Baalbek is about 85 km northeast of Beirut — roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive over the mountains into the Bekaa Valley. Because of the distance, most visitors come on a guided day tour, which often pairs Baalbek with the Umayyad ruins of Anjar and a tasting at Château Ksara winery.
About 85 km — roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive northeast into the Bekaa Valley.
For its colossal, remarkably well-preserved Roman temples — especially the Temple of Bacchus and the six great columns of the Temple of Jupiter — among the largest Roman ruins in the world.
Yes — it’s a comfortable full-day trip, usually combined with Anjar and a winery stop in the Bekaa Valley.
