Baalbek: Shadows of Destruction Hide the “City of the Sun” (Photos)

2nd November 2024

3 minutes read

Baalbek: Shadows of Destruction Hide the "City of the Sun" (Photos)

Lebanon’s Baalbek has bid farewell to its bright mornings, and its façade has forsaken its usual smile, slowly slipping away from the Bekaa Valley and the Litani River.

The features of the “City of the Sun” have vanished, and the heritage of historical civilizations has crumbled. Its streets – along with the surrounding towns – have turned into desolate corridors, with debris piling up on their edges.

آثار الدمار بعد غارة على بعلبك

As for the buildings, most have transformed into ruins, standing as a sad testament to the “storm” that passed through, leaving behind death, displacement, and much anger and questions.

On Thursday, a series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the outskirts of Baalbek (East) following warnings issued by the Israeli army for evacuation, particularly affecting the town of Douris.

The strikes were carried out after a statement from the Israeli army informed the residents of Baalbek, Ain Bourday, and Douris to evacuate the area because it “intends to attack and target infrastructure, interests, and military facilities belonging to Hezbollah.”

Baalbek Calls for Help

In the midst of ongoing shelling in eastern Lebanon, the Baalbek International Festival Committee, which has hosted events in the city for decades, sent an open letter to international organizations and specialists in heritage protection.

آثار الدمار بعد غارة على بعلبك

In its message, it called for the protection of the city and its archaeological sites, and urged “rapid action to stop the repeated assaults.”

Since last October, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on areas considered strongholds of Hezbollah near Beirut and in the south and east of the country, and has launched a “limited” ground offensive in southern Lebanon after a year of cross-border shelling with Hezbollah.

However, the cost of pursuing the party’s strongholds is borne heavily by civilians, who pay a steep price, losing their cities, their characteristics, and their inhabitants. Baalbek is a striking example of this, having been forced to see its residents leave due to Israeli warnings.

Baalbek has not only lost its inhabitants, but it also fears losing its identity. This historical city, adorned with a heritage that encapsulates the uniqueness of an entire country, is a geographical crossroads that has long been a meeting point for caravans coming from Rome, Anatolia, and Syria toward Palestine and the Mediterranean coast.

آثار الدمار بعد غارة على بعلبك

Situated north of the Bekaa Valley and east of the Litani River, it appears from afar like a painting suspended amid a mountain range that protects it from all sides and has historically shielded it from invaders.

The city rests at a point of geographic intersection, about 85 kilometers east of the capital Beirut, 45 kilometers from the city of Zahle, and it even overlooks the Syrian capital, Damascus, which is only 56 kilometers away.

آثار الدمار بعد غارة على بعلبك

Naming and History

Some historians say that the origin of the name Baalbek comes from the combination of the words “Baal” and “Bak,” or “City of Baal,” since “Baal” is one of the gods of the Syriacs and Canaanites, while the word “Bak” means the city.

As for the title “City of the Sun,” it was given to it by the Romans when they conquered it in 332 B.C., naming it “Heliopolis,” which means “City of the Sun.”

Because it was distinguished by its agricultural abundance, the Romans also referred to it as “the granaries of Rome,” meaning the storages of grain.

But today, after all it has accumulated in glory and uniqueness, Baalbek stands as a witness to its destruction and the displacement of its children, chronicling its daily life in deserted streets, destroyed homes, and a threatened identity.