Baalbek
Sign in to saveBaalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of Shia Muslims, followed by Sunni Muslims and Christians; in 2017, there was also a large presence of Syrian refugees.
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Baalbek is a city in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, east of the Litani River and northeast of Beirut, serving as the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. The city is predominantly inhabited by Shia Muslims, with smaller populations of Sunni Muslims and Christians, and has also hosted a significant number of Syrian refugees in recent years.
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Place details
- Locality
- بعلبك
- Region
- محافظة بعلبك الهرمل
- Country
- لبنان
- Population
- 30,916
- Timezone
Article
27 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Prehistory
- Antiquity
- Middle Ages and early modernity
- Early modernity
- Excavations
- Modern history
- Israeli–Lebanon conflict
- 2006 Lebanon War
- Geography
- Climate
- Demographics
- Economy
- Tourism
- Ruins
- Ecclesiastical history
- Titular see
- Notable people
- In popular culture
- Twin towns
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
Baalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of Shia Muslims, followed by Sunni Muslims and Christians; in 2017, there was also a large presence of Syrian refugees.
Baalbek's history dates back at least 11,000 years. After Alexander the Great conquered the city in 334 BCE, he renamed it Heliopolis (, Greek for "Sun City"). The city flourished under Roman rule. However, it underwent transformations during the Christianization period and the subsequent rise of Islam following the Arab conquest in the 7th century. In later periods, the city was sacked by the Mongols and faced a series of earthquakes, resulting in a decline in importance during the Ottoman and modern periods.