Temple of Venus (Baalbek)

The ancient Phoenician city of Baalbek attracts tourists with the majestic ruins of a unique temple complex that has no analogues in the whole east. The complex was originally dedicated to the Phoenician god Baal. Later, his cult merged with the veneration of the Greek Helios, giving the city the name Heliopolis, and under the Romans temples dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus were erected here.

The ruins of the temple of Venus are located three hundred meters from the territory of the main acropolis. The temple was built in the third century AD by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus. For construction, a place was chosen where the ancient sanctuary of the Phoenician goddess Astarte was previously located.

The temple of Venus was distinguished by unusual architecture - the walls of the round temple, erected on the foundation in the form of a horseshoe, were decorated with five niches with bas-reliefs depicting pigeons and shells - symbols of the goddess Venus.

Later, the Temple of Venus was used as a Christian church dedicated to St. Barbara.