Baalbek, Lebanon

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With an image of the Roman God Bacchus.

In the background is the Roman temple to Bacchus, the god of wine.

Usually referred to as "Roman Ruins" the shrines at Baalbek were originally built by the Phoenicians, c.3000 BC, in honor of their god Baal. When the Romans occupied the area, during the time of Christ, they transformed them into shrines to the Roman gods. Then the Byzantine Christians came in, and it became a Christian place of worship. Finally, the Muslims occupied the land, and these structures became Islamic. Now they belong to everyone and you can easily see the different influences. No one ever destroyed anything, they just covered up, and made it their own!