Sfireh Roman Temple

The Sfireh temple complex, located about 35 km from Tripoli at 1,100 meters elevation, is one of the largest Roman temple ruins in Lebanon. Built during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus in the 2nd century AD, with one inscription dating to 283-284 AD, the village name derives from 'Severus' through phonetic adaptation. The complex comprises six structures: the Grand Sanctuary (Temple A) with a megalithic podium and tetrastyle pronaos, Temple B with Ionic columns, and temples extending to a summit shrine with panoramic views toward Tripoli and Syria. Inscriptions reveal multicultural participation, with Greek-named benefactors and Roman-named architects and stonemasons.