Have you ever heard of this ancient city? Time is relentless, it flows inexorably, and the traces of great civilizations gradually disappear from the face of the Earth. Historians suggest that Baalbek may be one of the oldest known cities. Very little remains of it today, but how many mysteries does this place still hold?
Baalbek is located in Lebanon, northeast of the capital. It is 65 km from Beirut. The earliest documents mentioning this city date back to the 14th century BCE. According to legend, Baalbek was built by Cain, the son of the first man on Earth, Adam.
There are many more references to Baalbek after Phoenicia was taken by the army of Alexander the Great in 332 BCE. At that time, the city was an important religious center, with Dionysus and Baal being the main deities worshiped there.
Alexander renamed the city, and until it was conquered by the Arabs in the 7th century CE, Baalbek was known as Heliopolis.
Supernatural Help or Human Skill?
On every tour of the ruins of this ancient city, the word “mysterious” is always mentioned. People are drawn to what cannot be explained by common sense.
The construction of the buildings in Baalbek is one such mystery. In ancient times, temples were built using stone blocks weighing hundreds of tons. Did people have unique technologies that have not survived, or were they helped by extraterrestrial civilizations? Perhaps giants once inhabited the planet? Scientists still can’t answer these questions.
The main attraction of the “City of the Sun” is its temple complex. The long civil war in Lebanon nearly erased the traces of these buildings, but in the past, Baalbek was one of the most important sacred sites on Earth.
What the City Looked Like
The building complex is divided into three parts. The first is a semicircular courtyard, the second is the Hexagon, and the third is the Altar Courtyard.
The grand staircase that once led to the first courtyard is now in ruins, but even looking at the remnants, you can feel the majesty of the structure. The staircase led to the inner courtyard, which was adorned with statues of 230 gods from the pantheon, though none of these statues remain today.
The Altar Courtyard spanned over a hectare. At its center stood an altar shaped like a cube, and farther away, a smaller altar.
Baalbek’s Stone Terraces
These structures were made from solid stone blocks. Even the pyramids of Giza pale in comparison to their scale. Archaeologists believe the terraces were built during the Roman era, but it’s hard to believe this, as such massive structures would have required a civilization with immense knowledge in construction and unique techniques.
The blocks are placed on top of each other with millimeter precision, without any binding material.
The Temple Complex
Baalbek is located at an elevation of 1,130 meters. The temple complex, crowning this elevation, consists of three buildings dedicated to Venus, Jupiter, and Bacchus. Rulers would come here to offer sacrifices and gain favor from the gods.
The roof of the main temple was supported by 54 columns, only six of which remain today. Each column, including its pedestal, is 24 meters tall and 7 meters in diameter. The temple itself is constructed from stone blocks, each weighing 300 tons.
One wall is adjoined by a stonework structure made of blocks cut from stone. Each block is over 20 meters long and weighs about 800 tons. How did the builders manage to move such massive stones?
The quarry from which the blocks were cut is about 500 meters from the construction site. Even with this relatively short distance, the method of transportation remains a mystery. It’s also unclear how these enormous stones were lifted to a height of 7 meters. Like the previous examples, the stones were laid without any bonding material, but they are perfectly aligned and tightly fitted.
Who Built Baalbek?
Serious research into Baalbek’s construction methods hasn’t been conducted, but illustrations often depict the use of a lever system. However, one might conclude that ancient civilizations didn’t rely on such primitive mechanisms.
Proponents of mystical theories believe that the temples in Baalbek were built by a vanished civilization and that these massive structures were markers for landing spacecraft. The beings that built the city had an extraterrestrial origin. The lack of evidence for their existence is explained by the fact that despite their technological prowess, they did not have a written language.
This hypothesis is supported by the fact that many civilizations experienced unprecedented technological breakthroughs at certain points in history. In other words, they did not accumulate knowledge gradually. Myths tell us that the gods taught humans their crafts.
The Treasures of the Underground City
A network of tunnels forming an underground city was discovered beneath the temple complex. Some tunnels led to palaces, while others led to burial chambers. According to legends, immeasurable treasures are hidden in these underground chambers.
Various mineral deposits still exist near Baalbek today. In ancient times, precious metals and copper were mined here, so the legends of wealth may hold some truth. Perhaps one day these treasures will be found, along with evidence of the civilization capable of building such grand structures.
Baalbek attracts thousands of people from around the world—tourists, historians, archaeologists, treasure hunters, and those who are drawn to places with incredible energy.
The Theft of the Baalbek Stone
In the late 19th century, a notorious case involving the theft of one of Baalbek’s large stones became famous. A European businessman sought to ship one of the smaller stones from Baalbek to his estate, with plans to use it as a showpiece.
However, the stone, which weighed several tons, ended up stuck on the journey to the port and never made it out of Lebanon. This incident became a local legend, symbolizing the mysterious power of Baalbek and how the ancient stones “refused to leave their home.”
Unexplained Phenomena and Paranormal Claims
Baalbek has long been a hotspot for paranormal claims. Numerous visitors have reported strange occurrences, such as unexplained lights in the sky, unusual energy fields, and an overwhelming sense of awe or fear when standing near the temple complex. Theories involving extraterrestrial involvement have fueled the site’s allure, with some believing that the massive stones and perfect alignment of structures could not have been built by ancient humans alone.
In one notable incident in the 1990s, a group of tourists claimed to have seen mysterious, glowing objects hovering above the ruins at night. While there is no official explanation for these sightings, they have added to Baalbek’s reputation as a place steeped in mystery and legend.