Baalbek

Not to be confused with Balbec, Indiana, in the United States.

Baalbek
بَعْلَبَكّ
City
Temple of Bacchus
Temple of Bacchus
Baalbek is located in Lebanon
Baalbek
Baalbek
Location in Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°0′22.81″N 36°12′26.36″E / 34.0063361°N 36.2073222°E / 34.0063361; 36.2073222
Country Lebanon
GovernorateBaalbek-Hermel
DistrictBaalbek
Government
 • MayorBachir Khodr
Area
 • City7 km2 (3 sq mi)
 • Metro
16 km2 (6 sq mi)
Elevation
1,170 m (3,840 ft)
Population
[citation needed]
 • City82,608
 • Metro
105,000
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)+3
CriteriaCultural: i, iv
Reference294
Inscription1984 (8th Session)

Baalbek[a] (/ˈbɑːlbɛk, ˈbeɪəlbɛk/;[5] Arabic: بَعْلَبَكّ, romanized: Baʿlabakk; Syriac: ܒܥܠܒܟ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about 67 km (42 mi) northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate.[6]

Baalbek has a history that dates back at least 11,000 years, encompassing significant periods such as Prehistoric, Canaanite, Hellenistic, and Roman eras. After Alexander the Great conquered the city in 334 BCE, he renamed it Heliopolis (Ἡλιούπολις, Greek for "Sun City"). The city flourished under Roman rule. However, it underwent transformations during the Christianization period and the subsequent rise of Islam following the Arab conquest in the 7th century. In later periods, the city was sacked by the Mongols and faced a series of earthquakes, resulting in a decline in importance during the Ottoman and modern periods.[7] The city is known for the ruins of the Baalbek temple complex from the Roman period, housing two of the largest and grandest Roman temples: the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter. It was inscribed in 1984 as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In 1998, Baalbek had a population of 82,608.[8] Most of the population consists of Shia Muslims, followed by Sunni Muslims and Christians;[8] in 2017, there was also a large presence of Syrian refugees.[9]

In the modern era, Baalbek enjoys economic advantages as a sought-after tourist destination.[10] The town is known for its historical sites and tourist attractions, including several ancient Roman temples, a Great Mosque from the Umayyad period, and a Roman quarry site named Hajar al-Hibla.[7] Baalbek's tourism sector has encountered challenges due to conflicts in Lebanon, particularly the 1975–1990 civil war, the ongoing Syrian civil war since 2011,[7][11] and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present). In 2024, during the Israel–Hezbollah conflict, Israel sent forced displacement calls for the entire city of around 80,000, which is a stronghold of the militant organization Hezbollah.[12][13][14] Shortly after, Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek killed 19 people, including 8 women.[15]

  1. ^ Cook's (1876).
  2. ^ Wood (1757).
  3. ^ EB (1878), p. 176.
  4. ^ إتحاد بلديات غربي بعلبك [West Baalbeck Municipalities Union] (in Arabic). 2013. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  5. ^
    • Olausson, Lena (2 August 2006). "How to Say: Baalbek". London: BBC. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
    • "Baalbek". Merriam–Webster. 2020.
    • "Baalbek". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 2020.
  6. ^ "Mohafazah de Baalbek-Hermel". Localiban. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Najem, Tom; Amore, Roy C.; Abu Khalil, As'ad (2021). Historical Dictionary of Lebanon. Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East (2nd ed.). Lanham Boulder New York London: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-1-5381-2043-9.
  8. ^ a b Wolfgang Gockel; Helga Bruns (1998). Syria – Lebanon (illustrated ed.). Hunter Publishing, Inc. p. 202. ISBN 9783886181056.
  9. ^ "Ba'albak (District, Lebanon) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  10. ^ Israeli war with Hezbollah cripples tourism in ancient city of Baalbek. Retrieved 1 November 2024 – via apnews.com.
  11. ^ Paturel, Simone (2019). Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: A Landscape Transformed. BRILL. p. 6. ISBN 9789004400733. The town of Baalbek is a Hezbollah stronghold and was the scene of Israeli commando raids in 2006 and some rocket fire from Syria in recent years due to the civil war.
  12. ^ Levitt, Matthew (2013). Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God (Updated ed.). Georgetown University Press (published 2024). p. 129. ISBN 9781647125325.
  13. ^ "Israel conducts air raid on Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon". Reuters. 23 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Israeli Airstrike Hits Hezbollah Stronghold in Northeast Lebanon". Voice of America. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  15. ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "What is Lebanon's ancient city of Baalbek and why is Israel targeting it?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 November 2024.


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