Temple complex of Baalbek, Lebanon

Postcard

Baalbek is the name of an archeological site in Lebanon. In Roman times it was known as Heliopolis or City of the Sun. Today the city, 85 km from Beirut, is an important administrative and economic centre in the northern Beqaa valley.

The origin of the name Baalbek is not precisely known. The Phoenician term Baal means 'lord' or 'god' and was the title given to the Semitic sky-deity. The word Baalbek may therefore mean 'God of the Beqaa valley' (the local area) or 'God of the Town', depending on different interpretations of the word.

Stamps