Lebanon - Heritage and Community - Baalbek
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Episode 9 - New Goals 1 - Recognise and protect our diverse identities and our
common heritage
Project implemented by the Government of Lebanon
Baalbek, Lebanon
Project co-financed by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs (www.esteri.it/MAE/EN)
November 2010
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. It is Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, containing some of the largest and best preserved Roman ruins and can be counted among the treasures of humanity.
Baalbek was severely hit during the 2006 Israel incursion into Lebanon. On August 4, 2006, Israeli helicopter-borne soldiers entered Hikmeh Hospital in Baalbek to capture senior members of Hezbollah who were considered to be responsible for the kidnapping of two Israeli IDF soldiers on July 13, 2006. Vibrations caused by bombs during the 2006 conflict damaged the ruins.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cooperates with the Government of Lebanon through bilateral agreements under which Italian experts train and support Lebanese authorities in better conservation and management of archaeological sites, in strengthening and ensuring the safety and security of internal roads for accessing archaeological sites, in creating/rehabilitating information points, in organising exhibitions and setting up museums.
The cooperation project for the restoration of the Baalbek ruins includes infra-structural works to widen and strengthen the irrigation system of the Roman era, training of farmers in managing water resources and irrigation networks, training the municipality in managing resources and local development in partnership with the communities and promoting responsible tourism.
If it were not for such cooperation initiatives between governments, many of humanity’s historical, artistic and heritage treasures would have been lost forever by humanity.
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Additional notes
The greatest of the three temples was sacred to Jupiter Baal, ("Heliopolitan Zeus"), identified in here with the sun, and was constructed during the first century CE (completed circa 60 CE). At the time it was the largest temple in the empire. With it were associated a temple to Venus and a lesser temple in honour of Bacchus (though it was traditionally referred to as the "Temple of the Sun" by Neoclassical visitors, who saw it as the best-preserved Roman temple in the world – it is surrounded by forty-two columns nearly 20 meters in height). Thus three Eastern deities were worshipped in Roman guise: thundering Jove, the god of storms, stood in for Baal-Hadad, Venus for ‘Ashtart (known in English as Astarte) and Bacchus for Anatolian Dionysus.
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The cooperation initiative between the Government of Lebanon and the Italian Ministry for External Affairs for “Enhancing and strengthening the irrigation perimeter of Baalbek”, aims at making it a tourism resource, ensuring proper land and environmental management (focusing on agriculture and rural economic development) in Baalbek.
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. It is Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, and can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world, containing some of the largest and best preserved Roman ruins.
The greatest of the three temples was sacred to Jupiter Baal, ("Heliopolitan Zeus"), identified here with the sun, and was constructed during the first century CE ( completed circa 60 CE ).[5] At the time it was the largest temple in the empire[citation needed]. With it were associated a temple to Venus and a lesser temple in honour of Bacchus (though it was traditionally referred to as the "Temple of the Sun" by Neoclassical visitors, who saw it as the best-preserved Roman temple in the world – it is surrounded by forty-two columns nearly 20 meters in height). Thus three Eastern deities were worshipped in Roman guise: thundering Jove, the god of storms, stood in for Baal-Hadad, Venus for ‘Ashtart (known in English as Astarte) and Bacchus for Anatolian Dionysus.
Baalbek was severely hit during the 2006 Israel incursion in Lebanon. On August 4, 2006, Israeli helicopter-borne soldiers supported by bombs from aircraft entered the Hikmeh Hospital in Baalbek to capture senior members of Hezbollah who were considered to be responsible for the kidnapping of the two Israeli IDF soldiers on July 13, 2006 and who were believed to be residing in the building. It has been reported that during the conflict, vibrations caused by bombs damaged the ruins. UNESCO offered help to coordinate restoration efforts.
The cooperation
project includes infra-structural works to widen and strengthen the irrigation
system of the Roman era (pressurized systems), train farmers and empower local
municipality management. Through targeted restoration works, the project also
aims at including the area within a specific tourist route that focuses on
water and the link with the history of Baalbek. Italian experts are supporting
Lebanese authorities in better conservation and management of archaeological
sites, in strengthening and ensuring the safety and security of internal roads
for accessing archaeological sites, in creating/rehabilitating information
points and organise exhibitions and set up museums.
Related story: Lebanon - Waste Treatment Centre
| Mayor of Balbek - Cooperation with Italy - 1 - In Arabic with English Translation | piDTrC3cCsk |300}} |
| Mayor of Balbek - Cooperation with Italy - 2 - In Arabic with English Translation | YVctam9znDc |300}} |
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