Temples Of The Beqaa Valley
The Temples of the Beqaa Valley are a number of shrines and Roman temples that are dispersed around the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon. The most important and famous are those in Roman Heliopolis. A few temples are built on former buildings of the Phoenician & Hellenistic era, but all are considered to be of Roman construction and were started to be abandoned after the fourth century with the fall of the Roman Paganism. Historical development During the early Roman empire the area was chosen to create huge pagan temples of Roman deities, in order to show the "greatness" of the empire of Rome in Phoenicia. After the end of the first century CE the territory became jointly controlled by the cities of Damascus, Sidon and Paneas. It is thought that the area was inhabited continuously until the third century CE. Although the sites may have been built on previous layers of architecture, the current temples are predominantly considered to be of Roman construction and were largely abandoned ...
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Al-Rafid, Bekaa, Lebanon (looking East)
Al-Rafid ( ar, الرفيد) is a village in the Rashaya District, in the southeastern area of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon. Its population is estimated to be 3,000. Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims. The village has two mosques, two schools, two pharmacies, and a telecommunications facility. Geography The oldest part of the village lies halfway up Mount Baaloul (Jabal Baaloul) on the eastern slope. It is widely accepted by the inhabitants of the town that the town was originally located on the top of the mountain but was re-located after a civil strife had subsided over 400 years ago. Neighboring localities include Bire, Mhaydseh, Kherbet Rouha, and Mdoukha. The town is located about from Beirut and from Damascus, Syria. From Al-Rafid, Jabal Al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon) can be seen with its majestic snow-capped peak. History In 1838, Eli Smith noted Al-Rafid,'s population as being predominantly Sunni Muslim.Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p ...
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