Spain - The Sagrada Família in Barcelona
Foto: The ruins of Baalbek (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Lebanon - Baalbek is a city in Lebanon. The name means "Baal of Beka." The city is located in the Bekaa Valley, between the Litani and Orontes rivers. Baalbek is mainly known for its Roman ruins. Its heyday began in 15 BC when the city became a Roman provincial capital under the princeps Augustus. During the Roman period, Baalbek was an important religious center. The temple dedicated to Jupiter attracted many thousands of visitors. In addition to a temple for Jupiter, temples for Bacchus and Venus were also built. The Roman buildings were erected on older ruins. Monolithic retaining walls were constructed with stones estimated to weigh 400 tons. In the highest western wall, three stones of more than 1,000 tons were used. A fourth, even larger stone, called Hajar el Gouble (southern stone) or Hajar el Hibla (stone of the pregnant woman), lies unused in a quarry near the city and can still be visited. In 635 the city was conquered by the Arabs. The Umayyads destroyed the historic city in 748. A major earthquake caused even more damage in 1759.
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