Baalbek: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Baalbek has a history that dates back at least 11,000 years, encompassing significant periods such as [[Prehistory of Lebanon|Prehistoric]], [[Canaan]]ite, [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]], and [[Phoenicia under Roman rule|Roman]] eras. After Alexander the Great conquered the city in 334 BCE, he renamed it '''Heliopolis''' ({{lang|grc|Ἡλιούπολις}}, [[Greek language|Greek]] for "Sun City"). The city flourished under Roman rule. However, it underwent transformations during the [[Historiography of the Christianization of the Roman Empire|Christianization period]] and the subsequent [[Spread of Islam|rise of Islam]] following the [[Muslim conquest of the Levant|Arab conquest]] in the [[7th century in Lebanon|7th century]]. In later periods, the city was sacked by the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] and faced a series of earthquakes, resulting in a decline in importance during the [[History of Lebanon under Ottoman rule|Ottoman]] and modern periods.<ref name=":102" /> 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 (Baalbek)|Temple of Jupiter]]. It was inscribed in 1984 as an [[UNESCO World Heritage]] site.

In the modern era, Baalbek is a relatively small city that enjoys economic advantages as a sought-after tourist destination. However, the tourism sector has encountered challenges due to conflicts in Lebanon, particularly the [[Lebanese Civil War|1975–1990 civil war]], and the ongoing [[Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon|Syrian civil war]] since 2011.<ref name=":102" /> In the [[2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon]], airstrikes were visible from the city's ruins.<ref>{{Cite newspaper |last1=Leatherby |first1=Lauren |last2=Toler |first2=Aric |title=What Lebanon Looks Like After Israel's Historic Airstrikes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/world/middleeast/lebanon-damage-israel-airstrikes.html?searchResultPosition=2 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=24 September 2024}}</ref> Today, the city is a stronghold of the militant organization [[Hezbollah]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-23 |title=Israeli Airstrike Hits Hezbollah Stronghold in Northeast Lebanon |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/israeli-airstrike-hits-hezbollah-stronghold-in-northeast-lebanon/7540324.html |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-04-23 |title=Israel conducts air raid on Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon, sources say |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-conducts-air-raid-baalbek-hezbollah-stronghold-lebanon-2024-03-23/ |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Amun |first=Fadi |last2=Hashmonai |first2=Adi |last3=Peleg |first3=Bar |last4= |last5= |first5= |date=2024-03-12 |title=IDF strikes Hezbollah stronghold deep in Lebanon; 100 rockets fired at northern Israel |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-12/ty-article/idf-strikes-hezbollah-stronghold-deep-in-lebanon-100-rockets-fired-at-northern-israel/0000018e-3263-df45-afaf-3f7775df0000 |access-date=2024-05-27 |work=Haaretz |language=en}}</ref>

==Name==

A few kilometres from the swamp from which the [[Litani River|Litani]] (the classical Leontes) and the [[Asi River|Asi]] (the upper [[Orontes River|Orontes]]) flow, Baalbek may be the same as the ''manbaa al-nahrayn'' ("Source of the Two Rivers"), the abode of [[El (god)|El]] in the [[Ugaritic religion|Ugaritic]] [[Baal Cycle]]<ref>KTU 1.4 IV 21.</ref> discovered in the 1920s and a separate serpent incantation.<ref>KTU 1.100.3.</ref>{{sfnp|Steiner|2009}}