Baalbek
is perhaps the most spectacular archeological site in Lebanon and it is
among the largest and best preserved set of Roman ruins in the world.
No trip to Lebanon is complete without a visit to this remarkable
place. However, the history of Baalbek is not confined to the Roman
conquests, for its history dates back to the first millenium B.C.E. One
of the difficulties in appreciating such a site is that is difficult to
get a sense of its scope from individual photos online. In light of
this, we have created (and, 18 years later, re-created) a virtual
tour, consisting of interlocking 360
degree panoramas with embedded audio, photographs and videos within
each scene to provide a more accurate view of this
amazing site.
Baalbek During Roman Rule:
Before commencing the actual tour, let
us get a
sense of
what
the site looked like during the Roman Era. While its history stretches
back much further, most of the ruins visible today harken from that time
period. The animated photo to the right shows an artist's
recreation of the temple complex under Roman rule, and it is helpful to
keep this "mental map" in mind as your tour the ruins. The
animated gif to the left cycles through a reconstruction of the Roman
era and then a map of the current ruins.
There
is also a version of this tour
designed specifically
for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone
and Android devices. It may be accessed by scanning on the QR code to the
left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR
tour by following this
link.
