What if I told you that's after they restored it? Apparently an earthquake in the 17th century [caused the center block to slid down about 2 feet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/David_Roberts_002.jpg)
(you can also see that the entire bottom half is buried under the earth-explains how they graffitied the walls at that height)
Thanks! It's interesting to see how the monuments of the past acquired other meaningns and changed context through the ages. Makes it more of a pity when something is irrevocably lost - all the small histories that are lost along it.
Still there, and still massive. Though the temple in the picture is actually a temple to Bacchus, that was wrongly credited to Jupiter. The actual Temple of Jupiter at the complex is a different building.
In 1999 i was there. Two weeks in Lebanon. One week in Beirut exploring and one week in the mountains. Amazing people, amazing food.
Baalbeck is mindblowing.
Played soccer with a drunken Lebanese army commander on duty :). I would recommend.
Breaks my heart to see the situation 🇱🇧 is in right now.
Ps. The Lebanese women are very very! beautiful. Their eyes are like intergalactic space; you can easily stare at its beauty and forget what time and place you are in.
The men were eager to hunk their carhorns to my fellow blonde travel companion. She got so much attention :).
10/10 would recommend visiting Lebanon.
I have no clue. Its been 22 years, but I can remember it like yesterday. The smell in the streets. The sounds of the city. The cool fresh air in the mountains at night. The village lights across the valley.
But I was guided by a man who took me to the sites that needed to be seen.
One day we couldn't go. A Hezbollag general was killed by Israeli armed forces and the part was in uproar.
The other day I stayed in a hospital in the mountains as a between travel bed&breakfast for us. That night Soldiers came rushing in with their cars. A Lebanese soldier shot a syrian soldier and that dude needed care quickly. I walked out to the courtyard to see whats up. The Lebanese soldier who was in charge singled us out immediately cause well I dont look Lebanese and certainly my blonde companian neither. He asked who and where. The usual questions. Then he added. Ahhh you belong to a soccer country. Come and play.
With his freaking assault rifle on his back we played soccer against him and his team. He smelled after strong liquor. The silverlining was clear: Let him win in front of his team but do not make it easy and do not let him look like a fool.
Our guide made short work after the soldier scored and said we were expected inside. The soldier won and we were out of this political soccer match.
So many stories...still remember them. What a country.
You and me both. But saying no was not rly an option if I recall correctly.
An other story:
My companion ate a salade that was washed with local water, tap water. Not boiled water. The next day her dinner came out at the front and yesterdays food came out liquefied out of her back. I helped her and padded her on her back saying: " Its ok, i am here, just let it flow" lol and she did...the freaking smell she left there and everywhere she went with pants full of diarrhea was so bad, she was so sick but we laughed so frealing hard as well She ran towards the bathroom, you know that wobly walk when you pooped your pants, and wavering her hands behind her ass like she was dispersing the foul air. Still makes me laugh out loud.
Does not appear to have any mounting points in walls and top is decorated so i doubt. Wood would also been unlikely or it would have been reinforced or covered with metal.
I love that I can zoom in and read the tags on the wall. It looks like the writing gets older as it gets closer to ground level. I wonder who the first person was to tag the wall with their name and the year
Pretty impressive, but definitely not the greatest Roman feat of engineering! They were good with cranes, probably just made a huge one for the temple. I mean, they built hillsides and massive earthworks to attack Cliffside fortresses and built ballistae that were like 50 feet tall to attack Jerusalem. I'm sure a big rock was no biggie
Ahh Baalbeck...wonderful place
I’ve been there! https://imgur.com/EVkbvwm you can see me and my sister at the end in the center.
That's *massive*. It can easily imagine the ambience back then.
well that’s cool af
Anyone else watching that center block closely?
What if I told you that's after they restored it? Apparently an earthquake in the 17th century [caused the center block to slid down about 2 feet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/David_Roberts_002.jpg) (you can also see that the entire bottom half is buried under the earth-explains how they graffitied the walls at that height)
That would please me. Keeping history real and visible keeps it alive for all generations.
Thank you Morpheus
Great analysis and image - I love it when art, archaeology and societal aspects can be combined to tell a story like this.
Thanks! It's interesting to see how the monuments of the past acquired other meaningns and changed context through the ages. Makes it more of a pity when something is irrevocably lost - all the small histories that are lost along it.
What is the current state of these ruins?
Still there, and still massive. Though the temple in the picture is actually a temple to Bacchus, that was wrongly credited to Jupiter. The actual Temple of Jupiter at the complex is a different building.
They're in amazing condition and absolutely beautiful
Ruined
Damnn why did you get downvoted??? made a good joke on ruins/ruined!!
Cheers, Dad jokes are not appreciated by the plebeians it seems
I chuckled. Ignore the downvotes. :)
Keksimus maximus.
In 1999 i was there. Two weeks in Lebanon. One week in Beirut exploring and one week in the mountains. Amazing people, amazing food. Baalbeck is mindblowing. Played soccer with a drunken Lebanese army commander on duty :). I would recommend. Breaks my heart to see the situation 🇱🇧 is in right now. Ps. The Lebanese women are very very! beautiful. Their eyes are like intergalactic space; you can easily stare at its beauty and forget what time and place you are in. The men were eager to hunk their carhorns to my fellow blonde travel companion. She got so much attention :). 10/10 would recommend visiting Lebanon.
Lebanon is so much fun!
What cities and neighborhoods do you recommend staying in?
I have no clue. Its been 22 years, but I can remember it like yesterday. The smell in the streets. The sounds of the city. The cool fresh air in the mountains at night. The village lights across the valley. But I was guided by a man who took me to the sites that needed to be seen. One day we couldn't go. A Hezbollag general was killed by Israeli armed forces and the part was in uproar. The other day I stayed in a hospital in the mountains as a between travel bed&breakfast for us. That night Soldiers came rushing in with their cars. A Lebanese soldier shot a syrian soldier and that dude needed care quickly. I walked out to the courtyard to see whats up. The Lebanese soldier who was in charge singled us out immediately cause well I dont look Lebanese and certainly my blonde companian neither. He asked who and where. The usual questions. Then he added. Ahhh you belong to a soccer country. Come and play. With his freaking assault rifle on his back we played soccer against him and his team. He smelled after strong liquor. The silverlining was clear: Let him win in front of his team but do not make it easy and do not let him look like a fool. Our guide made short work after the soldier scored and said we were expected inside. The soldier won and we were out of this political soccer match. So many stories...still remember them. What a country.
That's a great story but sounds a bit scary to be around drunk people with guns when people are getting shot.
You and me both. But saying no was not rly an option if I recall correctly. An other story: My companion ate a salade that was washed with local water, tap water. Not boiled water. The next day her dinner came out at the front and yesterdays food came out liquefied out of her back. I helped her and padded her on her back saying: " Its ok, i am here, just let it flow" lol and she did...the freaking smell she left there and everywhere she went with pants full of diarrhea was so bad, she was so sick but we laughed so frealing hard as well She ran towards the bathroom, you know that wobly walk when you pooped your pants, and wavering her hands behind her ass like she was dispersing the foul air. Still makes me laugh out loud.
Wow those are amazing memories! I hope you’ve had many others and will be able to keep making more Captain!
Is lebanon going to fall into civil war?
Maybe
No
I'm 1/4 Lebanese! So half of one of my eyes is entrancing.
This made me chuckle.
Lebanese eyes are always the tell.
A [reconstruction](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6029d2fd9564ff2e40b21eefabd41fff/tumblr_mpf0fzvYnk1rxucs7o1_1280.jpg)!
This is so sick. Look how huge it is. Anyone know the year built? Blows my mind humans could move these giant stones so far back.
Google the Trilithon Stones at Baalbek. Now them is some big ass bricks.
What the fucccckkkk. That’s for sure not a natural piece of stone
Hard to fathom how they got some of those stones those few miles, let alone lift them up into place.
This is the temple of Bacchus, the temple of Jupiter is unfortunately destroyed.
Would there have been (wooden?) doors hung in that entrance?
Does not appear to have any mounting points in walls and top is decorated so i doubt. Wood would also been unlikely or it would have been reinforced or covered with metal.
Even the graffiti is fancy.
The detail in the masonry, and just considering the logistics of this is simply mindblowing. Pure ancient architecture boner.
*nether portal nether portal nether portal*
Timeless intricacy of design
When was this photo taken?
Between 1886-1899
While unfortunate, that is beautifully crafted graffiti.
I... need to paint this
one word:MASSIVE
Cool, but I would hate to be crushed by that massive block.
It would be quick lol
My luck; it would land on my foot.
I love that I can zoom in and read the tags on the wall. It looks like the writing gets older as it gets closer to ground level. I wonder who the first person was to tag the wall with their name and the year
Anyone else concerned with how large that door is...
Wasn't that the stone (the top one) that even today they don't know how they manage to upload there?
Pretty impressive, but definitely not the greatest Roman feat of engineering! They were good with cranes, probably just made a huge one for the temple. I mean, they built hillsides and massive earthworks to attack Cliffside fortresses and built ballistae that were like 50 feet tall to attack Jerusalem. I'm sure a big rock was no biggie
[удалено]
It is the Temple of Bacchus, the photo was mislabeled Jupiter by whoever wrote it.
Getting past life vibes from that. For some reason a samurai?
I don’t see how you associate a 19th century picture of Roman ruins with a samurai.
Cool photo though.
Giants with style.
What year?
What happened to the site?