The ancient city of Baalbek located in Lebanon keeps in itself a set of the secrets and fine architectural complexes attracting thousands of tourists annually. One of popular sights in Baalbek is the temple of Jupiter.
The beginning of construction of the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek it is considered to be the period of government of the Roman emperor Nero, that is it is approximately the 60th year B.C.
At the emperor Nero the full name of the temple sounded as follows: temple of Jupiter of Geliopolitansky.
The temple received the name in honor of great god of a thunderstorm, a rain and the sun who was called Gadad. It should be noted that many scientists still argue on date of construction of the temple therefore there is no unambiguous temporary interpretation of construction. Of course, over time the temple began to acquire also other constructions, such as Bacchus's temple, the yards and solemn ladders.
Monumentalism of the temple building
Perhaps, the first that it surprises at the sight of the Baalbek temple of Jupiter him monumentalism and the sizes, blocks which are its cornerstone, about 1000 tons weigh. Also the ladder conducting to the temple is surprising, it consists of 27 steps, one step can find room on itself for up to 100 people. This design is the widest ladder around the world. But not an architectural delicacy, but stones which often call trilitonam are considered as the main miracle of construction. Trilitona it is three well-known plates located in a temple terrace laying, they absolutely improbable sizes. On an ancient legend was considered that these enormous stones are sacred and that they have to lie on this place eternally. These wonderful blocks at the height about seven meters were located.
The exact sizes of a triliton are at the moment known: 21 meters in length, 5 meters in height and 4 meters in width, weight of vast objects are 800 tons.
Myths and legends
Because of so impressive amount of construction there is a set of disputes, about that who was a builder of this temple. Was considered that at that time Romans could not have such technologies which could allow them to lift the block weighing 800 tons. Therefore there was a set of myths, that unearthly civilizations built this temple. Arabs put forward the version, considering that the mythical people Nimrod who once governed in one of parts of Lebanon, sent the giants for construction of the temple. Annually hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world come personally to make sure of inviolability and monumentalism of the temple of god of lightnings. Not all parts of the temple complex are open for tourists, and it even more urges on interest in it, giving rise to all new and new legends.