Temples of Bacchus and Jupiter, Baalbek, 1936
The Temple of Bacchus is one of the best preserved and grandest Roman temple ruins in the world. The temple was commissioned by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and built close to the courtyard in front of the larger temple of Jupiter-Baal. The period of construction is generally considered between 150 AD to 250 AD. The temple is is 216 feet long, 115 wide, and 102 feet high. Its walls are adorned by 42 un-fluted Corinthian columns, 19 of which remain upright in position standing 62 feet high. The columns support a richly carved entablature. The Temple of Jupiter was begun during the reign of Emperor Augustus in the late 1st century BC and completed soon after 60 AD. The single largest religious edifice ever erected by the Romans, the immense sanctuary of Jupiter Heliopolitanus was lined by 104 massive granite columns, imported from Aswan in Egypt, and held a temple surrounded by 50 additional columns, almost 62 feet high. Heliopolis remained the most holy of temple structures until Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313 AD. At the end of the 4th century, Emperor Theodosius destroyed many significant buildings and statues, and constructed a basilica with stones from the Temple of Jupiter. Photographed by the American Colony (Jerusalem) Photo Department, dated 1936.
Size: 3255px × 4500px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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