The number of great civilizations whose remains are left in Lebanon is impressive indeed. North of Beirut you can read on the stelae carved on rocky cliffs of the Dog River, inscriptions of Egyptians pharaohs, Assyrian kings and Roman commanders. One tablet tells of the entry into Damascus of General Gouraud's troops in 1920 and the most recent celebrates the evacuation of foreign troops in 1964 in the wake of Lebanon's independence in 1943.
Baalbek :
A MAJESTIC ENSEMBLE
The Acropolis of Baalbeck, in the Beqaa valley 85 kilometers from Beirut, is the largest and best preserved corpus of Roman architecture left to us. Its temples, dedicated to Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, were built in the second and third centuries A.D. The ruins present a majestic ensemble: two temples, two courtyards preceded by propylaea (ceremonial entrances) and a boundary wall upon which Arab architecture has left its traces. Six immense columns still soar upwards from the holy place where the Temple of Jupiter once stood.
Caravans in the Beqaa :
The granary of ancient Rome this great fertile plateau, 176 km long and 15 km wide, was in times past a route for caravans from the east and north. Traces have been found of the many people who have passed here. Some merely came through- Egyptians, Hittites, Persians, crusading Franks. Other lingered- the Greeks Romans and Byzantine- While some, like the Arabs, settled down.
Aanjar :
Also in the Beqaa
valley is Aanjar, Lebanon's only remaining walled city , some 58 km from
Beirut. The stones and carvings were brought to this spot by decree of
the Omayyad Caliph al-Walid in the early 8th century AD. The ruins of the
restored palaces, souks, bath colonnaded streets and walls recall the days
of the Moslem suzerains who spread their influence from Damascus to Spain
and India.
Antiquities in Safekeeping :
Opened in 1942 to house
Lebanon's archeological treasures, the National Museum has been a landmark
both in times of peace and turmoil. During the war, when the Museum stood
on the dangerous "Green Line" that divided Beirut, the antiquities
it housed were removed for safekeeping. Larger objects were covered with
concrete to ensure their protection. From prehistoric flint tools and weapons
to Greco-Roman objects and a large collection from Byblos, the Museum's
holdings are a reflection of Lebanon's national heritage. Projects are
underway to restore the building and gradually bring this national institution
back to its former importance.
