Baalabak/Baalbak/Baalbeck, the Roman Heliopolis – the town of the sun - as it was named by the Romans, lies underneath the present Ba'albeck. The name originated in the ancient Semitic languages and is formed of two parts meaning “ Lord - god – of the plains “, although some researchers believe the name is rendered to “ The Lord –god- of weeping and mourning “ , that is Adon or Adonis.
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Located in the Bekaa Valley ("the breadbasket" of the Roman Empire), the city of Baalabak/Baalbak/Baalbeck originated as a place of worship to Baal, the Phoenician Sun God. Later, in Greco-Roman times, Baalbeck was known famously as Heliopolis, or "City of the Sun." Today, Baalbeck is world renown as the site of some of the largest and best preserved Roman temples in the world.
Abot Beqaa/Bekaa Valley
Beqaa (also as Bekaa, Biqâ‘ or Becaa) is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region. Zahlé is the largest city and the administrative capital of the Beqaa Governorate. It lies just north of the main Beirut–Damascus highway, which bisects the valley.
Beqaa is a governorate in Lebanon with a population of 750,000 inhabitants. The Beqaa governorate forms the main geographical extension of Lebanon and it lies between the Western and Eastern Lebanese Mountain ranges. Two rivers run through Béqaa: the Litani River and the Asi River. It encompasses Beqaa Valley. The villages of Zahlé, Baalbeck, Niha, Anjar, Qab Elias, Kfar Zabad, Karaon Dam, Chtaura and Furzul are the area's main tourism destinations.
