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Israeli Strikes Near Baalbek Endanger 4,000-Year-Old Greco-Roman Ruins

The bombs fell 500 meters from the ancient ruins in Baalbek, one of six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Lebanon.
israeli-strikes-baalbek Baalbek, Temple of Bacchus. Creative Commons.
by Miloš Antić / October 15th, 2024

With Israel's aerial and ground invasion of Lebanon ongoing for less than a month, many historic buildings and UNESCO World Heritage Sites face significant danger. On October 6th, 2024, Israeli air strikes on the ancient city of Baalbek fell carelessly close to its UNESCO-protected Greco-Roman ruins, endangering the entire structure of the city's most treasured archaeological site. The missile attacks, resulting from Israel's expanded bombing campaign over northern Lebanon, killed 300 and wounded 800 people, inflating the Lebanese death toll to around 2,000 since the start of the invasion, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

Smoke billowed from behind the trio of remarkably preserved Roman temples dedicated to Venus, Bacchus, and Jupiter, built around 4,000 years ago. The Temple of Jupiter is particularly noteworthy; at 44 meters tall in its ancient heyday, it stands as the largest temple dedicated to Jupiter ever constructed and the second largest in the entire Roman Empire, surpassed only by the Temple of Venus and Roma in Rome.

The Baalbek temple complex also features numerous ruins from the Greek and Hellenistic periods, along with remnants of Phoenician culture dating back to around 9,000 BCE. Baalbek and its surrounding area have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

The Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek
The Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek. Creative Commons


The bombs in Baalbek fell barely 500 meters from the ancient ruins. Although none hit the site directly, the latest Israeli assault sent alarm bells across the world. This led Lebanese Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada to call for international intervention, emphasizing that "UNESCO is responsible for safeguarding these sites." He added, "We've instructed our mission to inform the UN and the Security Council to urge Israel to respect international laws and protect our heritage."

Mortada's appeal was acknowledged, with a UNESCO spokesperson noting that the organization is closely monitoring the effects on Lebanese cultural sites, including Baalbek, and affirming the organization's commitment to "assess the state of conservation at the sites and help implement protective measures where necessary." Additionally, initiatives such as Aliph (The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas) have also stepped in to take action, trying to secure funds and protect Baalbek’s temples from shelling.

The shelling of Baalbek comes just days after Israeli airstrikes targeted an ancient Islamic graveyard near Beirut, while a separate bombing in the city's historic Raas el-Nabaa neighborhood resulted in the deaths of 22 people. This area is home to the National Museum of Beirut and numerous cultural landmarks. The bombing of Baalbek has drawn particular international scrutiny, as intentionally damaging UNESCO World Heritage Sites constitutes a war crime according to the International Criminal Court.

Meanwhile, over the past year, Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has resulted in the damage or destruction of nearly 200 heritage sites. Notable sites affected include the Great Omari Mosque, which was largely destroyed; the Rafah Museum and Al Qarara Museum, both razed to the ground; and the Sayed al-Hashim Mosque, which was damaged and built at the believed burial site of Prophet Muhammad's ancestors. The recently refurbished Byzantine Church of Jabalia, the Monastery of Saint Hilarion, and the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, constructed on an ancient pagan site, have also faced destruction. In total, more than 100 mosques have been ruined, including the 1220 Othman bin Qashwar Mosque, underscoring the profound loss of cultural heritage.