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Baalbek

File:Temple_of_Bacchus,_Baalbek,_Lebanon_(49890013476).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Baalbek

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Also known as Baalbeck, Balbec, Baalbec, Heliopolis

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.

AI overview

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.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Place details

Locality
بعلبك
Region
محافظة بعلبك الهرمل
Country
لبنان
Population
30,916
Timezone
Asia/Beirut

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Air quality

59US AQIModerate
PM2.5
10.3 µg/m³
PM10
15.8 µg/m³
As of 2026-08-11 03:00 · Open-Meteo

Key facts

Settlement.official_name
Baalbek
Settlement.settlement_type
City
Settlement.pushpin_map
Lebanon
Settlement.pushpin_label_position
bottom
Settlement.pushpin_mapsize
275
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption
Location in Lebanon
Settlement.subdivision_type
Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1
Governorate
Settlement.subdivision_name1
Baalbek-Hermel
Settlement.subdivision_type2
District
Settlement.subdivision_name2
Baalbek
Settlement.leader_title
Mayor
Settlement.leader_name
Bachir Khodr
Settlement.area_total_km2
7
Settlement.area_metro_km2
16
Settlement.elevation_m
1170
Settlement.population_total
82,608
Settlement.population_metro
105000

via Wikipedia infobox

Travel guide

See

thumbnail|Temple of Bacchus Visiting the ruins of Baalbeck costs 15 000 LL. The ruins consist of several temples and buildings:

Buy

Do not buy antiquities as they are most likely fake. This is the center of the fake coin industry. Insist on a certificate of authenticity, and pay by credit card and keep your receipt. At least then you can charge back the dealer when you learn you have been deceived. Real antiquities could also be from illegal digs, don't buy them either.

You will probably also be touted some yellow Hezbullah T-shirts while you are at Baalbeck, as it is the birthplace of that party. If you choose to buy one beware: these T-shirts will self-destruct in the laundry, losing all of their green ink in the wash. That aside, they are an interesting souvenir. They should only cost 1,000 LL, not the 15,000 LL they'll ask.

Drink

Every summer there are outdoor sheesha bars, they also serve food, drinks, desserts.

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~49 min read

Encyclopedic overview

27 sections
Contents
  • 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.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Baalbek” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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