#745 Baalbek, Lebanon

Tourist entrance into Baalbek - The portico bears the inscription
'For the safety and victories of our lord, Caraculla.'

I think the most impressive Roman ruins I have ever seen were in Lebanon. In the Bekaa Valley, far from coastal Beirut and old Byblos (#840), lies fertile farmland, wineries and other riches that helped to make Baalbek superior. Definitely the most impressive site in Lebanon, it is also one of the most impressive in the Middle East. Called the 'Sun City' (Heliopolis) by Alexander the Great, it was a place famed for the mystic powers of its courtyard complex which was built of a size to rival those in Rome.

Originally a Phoenician settlement dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, the first temple was built to the god Baal, from which we get its name and derive fascinating yet horrific sacrifice and ritualistic prostitution stories. It's a prime location for a settlement with two nearby springs and its between two local rivers. as well as being on the east-west and north-south trade routes between the coast and desert Palmyra (#952). It was visited by Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar (who renamed it for his daughter Julia) and construction on the Roman temples began in around 60BC, which continued for centuries under Nero, Antonius Pius, and Caracalla. Some historians speculate that the grand-ness of the temples was a contrast to the emerging religion of Christianity and to show off the political and civilizing power of Rome. It was representative of the struggle as work halted with the back-and-forth tug of war between religions, and after 379, Theodosius converted the temples into a basilica, but as pagan rituals continued, Justinian had parts of the temples destroyed and the pillars moved to become part of the Aya Sofia in Istanbul (#969). It was an important enough site to be sacked by the Arabs (in 748) and Tamerlane (in 1400) and visited by Kaiser Wilhem II (in 1898), but it was also ravaged by nature with significant earthquakes (in 1158, 1203, 1664 and 1759) which also caused damage and exodus of the population.

The First (Hexagonal) Courtyard:
Fifty meters  deep, with the famous bas-relief of Jupiter Heliopolitan found 7km from Baalbek, this area would have been surrounded by columned portico.

 

The Second Great/Sacrificial Courtyard:

With an arcade of 84 columns each harboring areas for statues and decorative niches and two pools (with decorations showing Trions, Nereids, Medusas and Cupids), this is area held many important discoveries. The basilica in the center was completely dismantled by the French archaeologists to reveal a huge altar.

 

The High Temple (of Jupiter):

Over 300m long, 10 columns by 19 columns (for a total of 54), with an enormous staircase that allowed it to rise high above all the surrounding buildings, this is the most impressive building in Baalbek. It's columns are the largest in the world (22.9m high with girth of 2.2m) and were thought to have been built by giants in ancient times. Only six remain standing in original form, and the building blocks used to construct the temple are some of the biggest anywhere (one alone is 19.5m by 4.3m). The views over the Temple of Bacchus are superb.

 

 

The Temple of Bacchus (actually a temple to Venus):

Bacchus, said to be connected to Baal of old and his consort Astarte (Venus/Aphrodite), the rituals of the era performed in their honor shocked visitors with public sexual displays and prostitution within the temple, not to mention wine! Completed around 150 AD and very well-preserved, this temple has some of the most beautiful decoration that exists in the Roman world. Though called the 'small temple' in antiquity it is larger than the Parthenon in Athens. 30 flights of stairs with 3 landings lead up to the main area of portico with 8 columns by 15 columns along the sides. Decorated with lions, bulls, Mars, winged Victory, arrow -appointed Diana, Vulcan with hammer, Bacchus and Ceres with a sheaf of corn, it is very beautiful and diverse.

Source: Lonely Planet Syria & Lebanon 2nd Edition 2004

#746 Old Medina, Rabat, Morocco

The view of the twin city of Sale across the river mouth as viewed from Rabat's old city.

I think if I had to pick a favorite capital city in the world, it might be Rabat, in Morocco. It is small and manageable, but central to the country and all the things one might need such as beaches, culture shows, and heritage. The incredible half completed Hassan Mosque (#864) sits on the top of the river cliff overlooking Sale the equally magnificent old city across the water (the Oued Bou Regreg). But one of the glories of Rabat is the old city which sits majestically on the cliffs above the beach, overlooking all that was important in its trade-packed history where it has risen to importance and fallen into village obscurity. It is not a huge old town, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in pretty alleyways and excellent shopping!

I think one of my favorite memories is from my first visit to the city. I was shopping in the old souq for souvenirs and gifts for Christmas, but it was hot and almost lunchtime, and one by one all the shops closed up for an afternoon siesta. The pretty wooden doors were soon all boarded up and the previously busy street was empty and quiet.
Returning years later when I was visiting Morocco for a friend's wedding, I was impressed that the beautiful sun shades and arches were still there and just as beautiful as I remembered.
The city is painted white and blue and green, but not overly so, and it is kept clean and safe because of both it's small size and the tourists that pass through, but it is local in a way that Fes and Marrakech are touristy.

Rabat has really only been the capital of Morocco since it was part of the French protectorate (away from the intrigues of the traditional capitals of Fes (#929), Meknes, and Marrakech (#988), although there were two brief imperial capital periods. However, it has been settled since the 8th century BC, with the necropolis at Chellah, a Phoenician then Roman settlement (called Sala Colonia), evolving into a Berber kingdom (keeping prominence as a settlement long after the Romans were gone, similar to its more northern cousin Volubilis (#912)). In the 10th century, the Zenata tribe that controlled Sale built a ribat (fortress-monastery) on the site of the Kasbah, which was later rebuilt by the Almohads in the 12th century. After the successful campaigns against the Spanish Reconquista under Yacoub al-Mansour, Ribat al Fatah (Victory Fortress) was expected to become a great capital, and the extensive walls and Bab Oudaia gate were built, the grand mosque planned, but all came to a halt with Al-Mansour's death in 1199 and the town fell from significance.
In the 17th century there was an injection of new settlers in the area with refugees from Muslim Spain, Christian renegades, Moorish pirates, corsairs and other adventurers, many of whom roamed the Atlantic for Christian slave labor, only partially reined in by the Alawite sultans. The old city has survived from this era, and the modern capital (since 1956 independence) was a recognition of its suitable location, but the old part of the city is definitely smaller than those in Fes, Meknes and Marrakech.
Inside you will find the Souq as-Sebbat with lots of jewelry for sale, and a small flea market near the river. In the days of the Sallee Rovers, the broad open area near the Kasbah was site of the slave auctions.

Source: Lonely Planet Morocco 6th Edition 2003

#747 Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, Samoa

In 1890 the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson had this mansion built on the outskirts of Apia, Samoa in hopes that the tropical climate would help his tuberculosis, but he only lasted four years before dying here, but not before he was adopted by Samoans as a storyteller. With a beautiful lawn and gardens next to untamed tropical forest where Stevenson is buried, the house was partially destroyed in cyclones in the early 1990s, but was loving restored as a museum for the centenary of Stevenson's death.

A short tour leads past the antiques and family photos. Why so amazing? Such manicured carefully tended humble appreciation of literature does not really get celebrated much, but when it's one of the things to see in tiny Samoa, it is valued.

Source: Lonely Planet's Samoa & Tonga 6th Edition 2009

#748 Fethiye, Turkey

Livable and yet still traditional, Fethiye is a pretty town on a beautiful bay on Turkey's southern coast, flooded with history and heritage, mixed with modern, tourist-oriented Turkey. Named for an early Turkish pilot, ironically it doesn't even have its own airport (most traffic uses Dalaman, and hour to the west), but it was previously known as Makri ('long one' from the shape of its harbor).  

As ancient Lycia's most important city Telmessos ('the land of lights') from the 5th Century B.C., historical relics abound such as the tombs seen on the hills (including the Tomb of Amyntas) , the Hellenistic theatre near the marina and the sarcophagi in the middle of the street! Either as Telmessos or Anastasioupolis, as it was also known it has variably been part of the Persian empire, the Attic-Delos Union, Alexander the Great's empire, the Roman then Byzantine empire, until it became Ottoman after the late 12th century. It has been known for its perfume production, and for having a sizeable Greek population before the population exchange.

Now a major tourist hub, with several stunning beaches (such as Oludeniz, supposedly the most photographed in the Mediterranean, and Chalish), pretty harbors and bays, ancient Lycian cities and the famous Lycian Way walking path, sailing opportunities, market stalls, small villages (including the ghost village a Karakoy) and resorts. With the Taurus Mountains rising up as a backdrop to the calm turquoise waters, and an ideal temperature and climate, its popularity is not surprising.

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fethiye