Baalbek is the Lebanese city home to the ancient Roman temple complex commonly called Baalbek.
Baalbek stands in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, east of the Lebanon mountain range. In antiquity, the site was known as Heliopolis, meaning “City of the Sun,” and it became a major religious center under Roman rule.
The complex includes the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus, the Temple of Venus, and the later Temple of Mercury. The Temple of Bacchus is especially well preserved, while the Temple of Jupiter once stood on a massive platform with enormous stone blocks.
The city’s ancient name, Heliopolis, can cause confusion with the modern district of Heliopolis in Cairo. Baalbek is the commonly used modern name for the Lebanese settlement and archaeological site. UNESCO inscribed the complex as part of the Ancient City of Baalbek in 1984.