Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, Bekaa Valley · Lebanon
The largest Roman temple complex ever built, with six of the tallest columns of the ancient world still standing above the Bekaa Valley and a temple more complete than the Parthenon.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0
Baalbek lies on the eastern slopes of the Bekaa Valley, about 85 km north-east of Beirut, at 1,100 metres. It was an ancient sanctuary of a Phoenician god, Baal, and under the Greeks and Romans it was called Heliopolis, 'the city of the sun'. From the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE, the Romans built an enormous temple complex here, dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, in the largest sanctuary in their empire.
The scale is what stays with visitors. The Temple of Jupiter stood on a huge platform, and six of its columns, 22 metres high, still tower over the site. Beside it, the Temple of Bacchus, with its carved doorway and coffered ceiling, is one of the best-preserved Roman temples anywhere and is larger than the Parthenon. Beneath the platform, the Trilithon, three limestone blocks each weighing around 800 tonnes, is among the biggest worked stones in the world.
Baalbek was listed by UNESCO in 1984 and was for many years Lebanon's greatest tourist attraction, with an annual international festival in the temples. It lies in an area where Hezbollah has strong support, and the city and surrounding valley were bombed heavily in October and November 2024, with evacuation orders that at times included areas close to the ruins. UNESCO gave provisional enhanced protection to the site and other Lebanese monuments in that period. At the time of writing, many governments advised against travel to the Bekaa, so check current advice before considering a visit.
Why visit
Baalbek is the finest Roman site in the Middle East and one of the great sites of the ancient world.
The six surviving columns are 22 metres tall, and the temple platform, the Trilithon and the huge blocks of its foundation show the ambition of Roman builders.
Almost complete, with carved friezes, a richly decorated doorway and a cella that can still be entered.
The Trilithon and the nearby quarry, which holds an unfinished stone of about 1,000 tonnes, raise questions about how the Romans moved such weights.
Roman, Byzantine and Islamic remains stand together, including an Umayyad mosque and later fortifications.
The Bekaa Valley and the Anti-Lebanon mountains form a superb backdrop, particularly at sunset.
Main attractions
The site takes two to three hours. This describes the site as it was before 2024 and is subject to current access.
The great temple of the complex, of which six Corinthian columns survive, standing about 22 metres high with their entablature. It was reached by a huge staircase, a forecourt and a propylaeum.
Tip Stand at the base of the columns to appreciate the scale.
A superbly preserved temple of the 2nd century CE, with fluted columns, a coffered ceiling and an ornately carved doorway. It was used as a fortress in the Middle Ages.
Tip Look at the carved ornament on the doorway and the interior walls.
A small circular temple with a curved facade, built outside the main sanctuary, unlike anything else in the Roman world.
Tip It is a short walk from the main complex.
The vast forecourts that led to the main temple, with the remains of altars, basins and exedrae. They give a sense of the scale of the ceremonial processions.
Tip Walk through the underground passages beneath the courts.
Three enormous blocks in the temple's western wall, each about 800 tonnes, and an even larger unfinished block, about 1,000 tonnes, in the quarry about a kilometre away.
Tip The quarry stone is a short drive from the main site.
A small museum in the vaults of the site, with finds from Baalbek, and the ruins of a mosque built after the Arab conquest.
Tip Check whether they are open.
Things to do
Baalbek is best in a slow morning, if access allows.
The light is soft and the crowds are small in the first hour, and the temples look their best.
Tip Check the opening hours and current access before you go.
Examine the huge blocks that form the foundation, and visit the unfinished stone in the quarry.
Tip A guide or a good guidebook explains the engineering.
A guide brings the history and the layout to life, and can explain how the site has changed.
Tip Ask your driver or hotel for a recommendation.
Local restaurants serve grilled meats, mezze and the region's sweets, including the famous Baalbek sfiha.
Tip Try a sfiha, a small meat pie, at a bakery.
Wineries such as Ksara and Kefraya are about an hour's drive to the south, and offer tastings.
Tip Book in advance and confirm they are open.
The summer festival, with concerts and performances in the temples, has been held in most years since 1956, but has been suspended in difficult ones.
Tip Check whether it is taking place.
Local food
Baalbek's food is the food of the Bekaa: bread, dairy, meat and fresh produce, with strong local traditions of sweets.
A small open pie of minced lamb with tomatoes, onions and spices, baked in a wood oven. Baalbek is famous for its version.
Where to try it Bakeries in the town centre.
Lamb, chicken and mixed grills served with bread, pickles and salads.
Where to try it Restaurants near the site.
Sweet shops sell baklava, knefe and ashta-filled pastries.
Where to try it Sweet shops in the town centre.
Wineries in the valley produce wine, and the region is known for arak.
Where to try it Wineries and restaurants nearby.
Labneh, white cheese and yoghurt made from local milk, eaten with bread and olive oil.
Where to try it Restaurants and shops.
Freshly baked flatbread and toppings, a staple of any meal.
Where to try it Bakeries.
Accommodation
Most visitors visit as a day trip from Beirut, and accommodation in the town has been limited and affected by conflict. Check what is open, and consider staying in Beirut or the mountains.
Transport
Baalbek is about 85 km from Beirut, over the Mount Lebanon range via the Beirut–Damascus highway. Check current conditions and advice.
The site is explored on foot, and the town is small.
When to go
Baalbek is at 1,100 m and has a continental climate: hot dry summers and cold winters, sometimes with snow. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.
Warm, clear days and green fields in the valley.
Hot and dry, but cooler than the coast. Visit in the morning.
Warm and clear, with the grape harvest nearby.
Cold and often snowy, with few visitors. Roads over the mountains may close.
Worth planning around: Any period of conflict or heightened tension, and winter storms.
Itinerary
The temples in the morning, lunch in the town, and a winery in the afternoon. Assumes a driver from Beirut and current conditions that allow it.
Roman scale and a valley view.
Travel tips
Baalbek is magnificent, and it needs more caution than most places.
FAQ
Baalbek and the Bekaa were struck heavily in the 2024 war, and many governments advise against travel to the area. Conditions can change quickly. Check your government's advice and current conditions, and do not visit if advised against it.
It has the largest Roman temple complex in the world, with the tallest surviving columns of a Roman temple and one of the best-preserved temples, the Temple of Bacchus. The Trilithon is among the largest worked stones in the world.
Two to three hours for the site, and half a day with the museum, the quarry and lunch.
The main temples were reported not to have been directly hit, but the city and the surrounding area were bombed, and UNESCO gave the site provisional enhanced protection. Check for current information.
By private driver or tour from Beirut, about two and a half hours each way. Buses and shared taxis run from Beirut, but take longer.
April to June and September to October. Summer is hot, and winter is cold and sometimes snowy.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Baalbek, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Bekaa Governorate, Zahle District, Lebanon
A UNESCO-listed Umayyad city of arcades, palaces and baths, a short drive from the Ksara and Kefraya wineries — in a border area where visiting depends on current conditions.
Don't miss The Umayyad city's grid of streets, with tetrapylons at the crossroads and arcaded shops, and the snow-capped mountains behind.
Explore Destination — Anjar & the Bekaa Wine CountryBeirut Governorate, Mediterranean coast, Lebanon
Lebanon's capital: a dense, cosmopolitan city of Ottoman houses and glass towers, with the National Museum, the Corniche, cafés, bars and a food scene that outclasses its size.
Don't miss A long dinner in Gemmayzeh or Mar Mikhael, after a sunset walk along the Corniche to the Pigeon Rocks.
Explore Destination — BeirutMount Lebanon Governorate, Chouf District, Lebanon
A green, terraced mountain region 45 km south-east of Beirut, with Beiteddine Palace, the historic village of Deir al-Qamar, Druze and Christian villages and the Chouf Cedar Reserve.
Don't miss Beiteddine Palace, a huge 19th-century mountain palace of arcaded courtyards, mosaics and gardens, and one of the finest Ottoman-era buildings in the Levant.
Explore Destination — The Chouf & Beiteddine PalaceRead next
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