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Baalbek Lebanon - Virtually Via Google Earth



At lunch today I went to Baalbek, Lebanon by way of Google Earth.  Super cool to explore - there are quite a few virtual tours of the ruins.  Not being able to travel is bringing me down.  We have a trip scheduled to Israel and Jordan in September.  I am not holding my breath that we will be able to go with all of the travel restrictions due to the pandemic.  So, to get my travel and exploration fix, I went virtual.

The place was pretty empty of people, shelter in place I guess...haaa.  I was armed with my SnagIt camera and took pictures of what I would take.  Pretty fun!
Baalbek is an ancient Phoenician city located in what is now modern-day Lebanon, north of Beirut, in the Beqaa Valley. Inhabited as early as 9000 BCE, Baalbek grew into an important pilgrimage site in the ancient world for the worship of the sky-god Baal and his consort Astarte, the Queen of Heaven in Phoenician religion (the name 'Baalbek' means Lord Baal of the Beqaa Valley). The center of the city was a grand temple dedicated to Astarte and Baal and the ruins of this early temple remain today beneath the later Roman Temple of Jupiter Baal. Baalbek is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  
https://www.ancient.eu/Baalbek/


Camera: TechSmith Snagit 
Overhead view
I started on the outside of the Ruins and walked along the wall for a while before heading over to the entrance.


Google Earth has some tours where you can walk up the stairs and into the some of the buildings. 

The Entrance - I had free admission and didn't have to wait in line!

Nice garden at the entrance. I would have zoomed up on the flowers if I could have gotten closer.

Inside the Temple grounds I wandered around for a while and no one got in my shots.  I should have used a polarizer filter though.  It would have cut down the glare a bit.







I tried to find a place to eat, get a Shawarma or something.  Not much around here so I went to the  Sayyida Khawla Shrine. 



I got to go inside, how cool is that? Left my shoes at the door and put on my head scarf.  Great day of exploration!!



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Location: Baalbek, Lebanon

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