8Baalbek, Lebanon

The ruins of Baalbek (called Heliopolis by the Romans) are extraordinary and predate the Roman Empire by thousands of years. According to ancient legends, Baalbek was the birthplace of Baal, the Canaanite god of the sun. Long before the Romans conquered the site in 47 BCE, the largest stone block construction found in the world stood at Baalbek.

Saying that, there are two particularly important Roman temples at Baalbek. The Temple of Jupiter, which was built on the base mentioned above, was huge, and probably built over the remains of a Phoenician temple to Baal. The temple served as an oracle and was dedicated to Jupiter Heliopolitanus. Unfortunately, now only a few columns remain of what was once the largest temple of the Roman world.

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