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Baalbek Travel Blogs

Background: Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions since 1991 and the end of the devastating 15-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, the Lebanese have conducted several successful elections, most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended central government authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a radical Shia organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus justified its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's presence in Lebanon. Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its forces from Lebanon in April of 2005.




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We spent our first few days in Lebanon in the mountains. The scenery and the weather were both enjoyable. The valleys, trees, Christian churches and mountain air was not the typical Middle Eastern scene. We left the Lebanese holiday spots, checked out the Cedars and cruised by the ski resorts before we journeyed into the Bekaa Valley. We made it through the winding roads and were shocked by the fertile farmland in the valley. Once we reached the top of the mountain, we all gasped when we saw snow on the moutain-top! Snow in July in the Middle East...are you kidding [View Full Entry]

crenshawroehler - CrenshawRoehler | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
359 Words | 3 Comment(s) | 4 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 25th 2009 | 236 Views | [diary=421941]

Snowball fight in the Middle East
Views of the Valley in the Lebanese Mountains
Supervising the Harvest Crew in the Bekaa Valley

On Sunday, we woke up early and putzed around for a while at Starbucks (I know... but it's open early!), which turned out to be a fountain of useful information. First, we learned that today was daylight savings here. Then, I finally asked someone about the taxi situation because I am oh so tired of paying so much for cabs and Ryan isn't big on waiting around for buses. It turns out you just have to ask the cab, "servees?" which roughly translates as, "are you a service cab and not someone who is going to charge me a private cab [View Full Entry]

thebenders - Lisa and Ryan | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
779 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 10 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 6th 2009 | 129 Views | [diary=388159]

vineyards in bekaa valley
at the baalbek ruins
columns from the temple of jupiter, baalbek

Lebanon has been a country with many surprises, of course, the majority of these being enjoyable. Perhaps the best surprise of this trip though was getting the opportunity to feel Roman. Or when I say Roman, in this case I mean walking through the well preserved ancient Roman sites (and when you have the temple all to yourself, who's going to stop you from pretending?). Even though I traveled to Rome in Italy after my time in Lebanon, at this time of writing, I would still have to argue, Baalbek Lebanon has been the best Roman historical site I have visited. [View Full Entry]

gypsy_teacher - Nathan D. Bryant | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
955 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 46 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: August 30th 2009 | 177 Views | [diary=422473]

Another face of Bacchus temple
Dionysus himself?
Selling of sweet drinks

Baalbek, en árabe Ba'lbakk (بعلبك), es actualmente una localidad del Líbano de 25.000 habitantes a unos 200 km al este de Beirut. En la antigüedad fue un santuario fenicio dedicado al dios Baal; fue ciudad griega, y a partir de la época de los seléucidas se le llamó Heliópolis, siendo colonia romana desde Augusto. Es uno de los yacimientos arqueológicos más importantes del cercano oriente, declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en 1984. Es notable una zona de templos de entre los siglos I-III d.C. en honor de la Tríada heliopolitana: Júpiter, Mercurio [View Full Entry]

Pablo in Barhal - Pablo Martín Asuero | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
151 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 27 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 15th 2008 | 160 Views | [diary=300018]

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Approximately 90 kilometers northeast of the city of Beirut in eastern Lebanon stands the magnificent temple complex of Baalbek, the ruins are one of the holiest places of ancient times. Before the Romans conquered the site and built their enormous temple of Jupiter, long even before the Phoenicians constructed a temple to the god Baal, there stood at Baalbek the largest stone block construction found in the entire world. The Phoenician word Baalbek means "God of the Bekaa valley". Ancient legends assert that Baalbek was the birthplace of Baal, later the town became known as Heliopolis, the "C [View Full Entry]

Chi - Chisus | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
2164 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 42 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 18th 2007 | 1298 Views | [diary=221545]

Me & the Temple of Bacchus
City of the Sun
Temple of Bacchus

Yesterday is but today's memory, tomorrow is today's dream. -Kahlil Gibran My plan was to transit through Lebanon to get to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, but as usual, my plans changed and I decided to just stay in Lebanon. I just kept my fingers crossed that the consequences of an expired visa wouldn't be too serious. Everything always seemed to work itself out, so my plan was to ride on this high tide of optimism. On Sunday, Chi and I headed over to the ancient Roman ruins of Baalbek, which is charmingly referred to as the City of the Sun. [View Full Entry]

Waderlusting - Grace Choe | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
905 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 37 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 22nd 2007 | 1020 Views | [diary=222055]

Six pillar remains of Temple of Jupiter
Lion and Jupiter and I
Temple of Bacchus

High plateau between the mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges, linking the Syrian interior with the coastal cities of ancient Phoenicia. Used to be very much agricultural, it isn't that much flousishing anymore, apart from the "cannabis" cropping. Fortunately, it is now better known as the centre of Lebanon's burgeoning wine industry. From Beyrouth, which is my starting point for every trip I make inside the country, I have been so far to Baalbek and Zahle. Baalbek, mostly notorious back in the 80's for being the seat of Hezbollah (party of God) and helding hostages hidden in the val [View Full Entry]

leilaroundaworld - Leila | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
519 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 14th 2007 | 215 Views | [diary=159107]

Saint Secours "Mother Help" little church
Balbeek
The Bacchus temple

By Fran The Man
January 21st 2007
Tyre Burning Middle East » Lebanon » Baalbek
Well i arrived in Baalbek safe and sound and was introduced to a half Lebanese/half Italian Dr of Archeology in Baalbek making a model of the ruins. Unfortunatly he didnt speak any english and my Arabic and Italian are non existant. However he took me around the site of Baalbek and then got the police to drive us out to see "The Pregnant stone" - a huge block quarried for use in the temple complex of Baalbek but never used. I also got driven out to see a number of other ruins that are in the middle of nowhere really. Cool. [View Full Entry]

Fran The Man - Fran Mon | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
430 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 9 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: August 31st 2008 | 84 Views | [diary=123057]

Effing Massive!
Coffered ceiling
Pregnant Stone

Let me start out by saying that Lebanon is one of my favorite countries on the planet. I didn’t see all of it, and it is not that large to begin with. However, what I did see was truly amazing. When I first found out that the travel study component of my semester in Egypt would be spending a week in Turkey, a little less than a week in Syria, and a whole week just in Beirut, I thought that the scale was a little tipped. NO way! Well worth the time. But I am getting ahead of myself. First things [View Full Entry]

crowman - Pete Crow | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
563 Words | 4 Comment(s) | 8 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: January 22nd 2006 | 1121 Views | [diary=37041]

Baalbek Ruins
Me and a few youths on their way to a Hezbollah Rally
Rock Sizes