معبد بعل | |
 The Temple of Bel's exterior in 2009 | |
  Shown within Syria | |
| Location | Palmyra, Syria |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°32′49″N 38°16′26″E / 34.547°N 38.274°E |
| Type | Temple |
| Height | 15 metres (49 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | Stone |
| Founded | 32 AD |
| Cultures | Palmyrene |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Main building destroyed, exterior walls and gate survive |
| Ownership | Public |
| Public access | Inaccessible (in a war zone) |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iv |
| Designated | 1980 (4th session) |
| Part of | Site of Palmyra |
| Reference no. | 23 |
| Region | Arab States |
| Endangered | 2013–present |
The Temple of Bel (Arabic: معبد بعل), sometimes also referred to as the "Temple of Baal", was an ancient temple located in Palmyra, Syria. The temple, consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol, formed the center of religious life in Palmyra and was dedicated in AD 32.[1][2] The temple would have been closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire in a campaign against the temples of the East made by Maternus Cynegius, Praetorian Prefect of Oriens, between 25 May 385 to 19 March 388.[3] Its ruins were considered among the best preserved at Palmyra,[4] until they were further destroyed by the Islamic State in August 2015.[5] The arched main entrance into the temple is still intact,[6] as well as its exterior walls and fortified gate.
- ^ Gates, 2003, p.390–91.
- ^ Kaizer, p.67.
- ^ Trombley, Hellenic Religion and Christianization c. 370-529
- ^ Cremin, p.187.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BBC-09-01was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Domingo, Plácido (December 2016). "End the International Destruction of Cultural Heritage". Vigilo (48). Din l-Art Ħelwa: National Trust of Malta: 30–31. ISSN 1026-132X.