Small - Group Tour to Baalbek, Cedars & St Anthony Qozhaya -Day Trip from Beirut

Itinerary
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Stop At: Baalbek Roman Ruins, Baalbeck Lebanon

The city of Baalbek is a major city in the Northern Beqaa valley, approximately 85 kilometers from Beirut. This vibrant city is famed for its Roman remains of a large temple complex. It was known as Heliopolis in the Roman period. The image of six standing columns from the peristyle of the temple of Jupiter has become the icon of cultural tourism in Lebanon. The original temple complex included four monumental temples, those of Jupiter, Bacchus, Venus and Mercury; the last of which did not survive. It also includes enormous propylaea and vast courtyards.
Baalbek has been occupied by successive civilizations. Recent excavation dates some of its finds to the Bronze Age, however the Romans gave particular attention to this site because of its geographic location as an end of a series of cities in the eastern Mediterranean which were caravan stops for the commercial routes from Central Asia, India and China, among these cities is Palmyra in Syria. The city was also important for the successive Muslim dynasties that ruled the eastern Mediterranean especially for the Umayyads, the Ayyubids and the Mamluks.


Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Temples of Baalbek, Baalbeck Lebanon

Baalbeck also called the city of Baal or Heliopolis, is known for having one of the largest temples of the Roman Empire. In Baalbeck, Romans worshipped the gods Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus – gods that may also have been related to the Canaanite deities Haddad and Astarte.
Though the Temple of Bacchus is the site’s largest ruin, there are actually three ancient temples at the Baalbeck Archaeological Site—the Temple of Venus, Jupiter, and Bacchus. The Temple of Jupiter originally featured 54 of the largest such columns in the world, some of which can still be seen today. The Temple of Bacchus is easily one of the best-preserved remains of a Roman temple in the world, and it is rumoured that its halls were once used for human sacrifice. The mammoth structure took 120 years and 100,000 slaves to construct, and today, its glory is a reminder of the history buried deep within Lebanon’s past.
The sheer size of the Baalbeck Temple is enough to astound visitors. It ancient columns loom high overhead and support an intricately decorated roof. The carving throughout the temple depicts Roman scenes and history-buffs will enjoy recognizing famous gods and goddesses in the artwork.



Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: The Cedars of God, Bcharre Lebanon

A short car ride away from Bcharre are the Cedars of God, a beautiful reserve holding the ancient and epic trees Lebanon is famous for. Outside the reserve you’ll see several souvenir shops and small snack shops, where you can stock up on your cedar goods before entering the reserve. The Cedars of God themselves are majestic. These mammoth trees have been around longer than any living thing and their subdued magnificence exude an spiritual aura. Take your time walking around the reserve and allow the timelessness of these Biblical trees to really sink in. Entrance to the Cedars of God is donation-based and all proceeds go to maintaining the reserve.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Deir Qozhaya, Qadisha Valley, Bcharre Lebanon

This hermitage is the largest in the valley and has been in use since it was founded in the 11th century. It is famous for establishing the first known printing press in the Middle East in the 16th century. The museum houses a collection of religious and ethnographic objects as well as an old printing press that was used to publish the Psalms in Syriac, a language still used by the Maronite clergy during their services. Near the entrance to the monastery is the Grotto of St. Anthony, known locally as the ‘Cave of the Mad’, where you can see the chains used to constrain the insane or possessed, who was left at the monastery in the hopes that the saint would cure them.

Duration: 1 hour