Baalbek

Baalbek was called Heliopolis during the Roman Empire, a latinisation of the Greek Hēlioúpolis used during the Hellenistic period, meaning "Sun City" in reference to the solar cult there [1]. After Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia in the 330s BC, Baalbek formed part of the Diadochi kingdoms of Egypt & Syria [1]. "Baalbek, with its colossal structures, is one of the finest examples of Imperial Roman architecture at its apogee", UNESCO reported in making Baalbek a World Heritage Site in 1984 [1]. Recent cleaning operations at the Temple of Jupiter discovered the deep trench at its edge, whose study pushed back the date of Tell Baalbek's settlement to the PPNB Neolithic [1]. The Tell Baalbek temple complex, fortified as the town's citadel during the Middle Ages, was constructed from local stone, mostly white granite and a rough white marble [1].