Baalbek is a village in eastern Lebanon, about 55 km (34 mi) northwest of Damascus, Syria, and about 65 to 70 km (40 to 50 mi) northeast of Beirut. A desert oasis on the western slopes of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Baalbek was probably an ancient center for the worship of the Phoenician god BAAL, although its early history is obscure. The Greeks, who identified Baal with Helios and called the city Heliopolis ("City of the Sun"), occupied the site as part of their conquest of Syria in 332 BC. It became a Roman colony under Augustus in 16 BC. In 1759 an earthquake destroyed much of the city. Just west of the village are some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world. A major tourist attraction, they include remains of the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus, the circular Temple of Venus, and parts of the city wall.