Located on the east of the Litani river, Baalbek is a town in the Bekaa valley in Lebanon. This region is famous for its beautiful roman temples. Back then when the Romans were in power, this region was called Heliopolis. Also known to be one of the holiest of places during ancient times. The story of Baalbek (according to an archaeological theory) goes way beyond five thousand years ago. The Phoenicians decided to construct a temple to their sun god – Baal; in Baalbek. This is because; according to legends, this region was the birthplace of the sun god Baal. Later on when the Romans came to the region, they made even more temples for Baal. The city of Baalbek is dedicated to the sun god Jupiter. This place has the largest stones structures that the Romans built. The Romans however, could not complete building it, as they lacked  [...]

Regarded as one of the most vital historic and religious destinations on the planet, the Roman Forum in Rome is the home of many edifices belonging to the period of the 5th century B.C. to 7th century A.D. Originally used as a market in the 6th century B.C., the forum gradually became significant at the time of the Republican period when temples and more public monuments were erected here. In the later period, many of these were transformed into holy churches. That which goes up has to come down – anything that receives prosperity has to ultimately bear the adversity. The same fact holds true even for this complex when in the Middle Ages it was ruined, monument stones were taken away for other works, and that the area lastly became a cow meadow. My Visit I was with a tour guide who took us to visit some of the most remarkable  [...]

Located in the monumental complex named Roman Forum in central Italy, the Temple of Castor and Pollux is an ancient shrine dedicated to the twin sons (Dioscuri) of Leda and Zeus (Jupiter) – the mortal Castor and the immortal Pollux. The temple honored both the great beings who were responsible for the victory at the battle of Lake Regillus in 495 B.C. History/Legend After the sect of Castor and Pollux arrived in Italy through the Greek culture of the south, the twins were honored for their victory in the Battle of Lake Regillus. As per the legend, the two young ones magically emerged on white horses on July 15 at the battle against Latins to help the Romans. After the victory, they were seen at the spring of Juturna next to the current Roman Forum watering their horses after which they declared the victory of the Romans. After  [...]

Located in the heart of Athens towards the southeast of the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus is a Greco-Roman temple also known as the Olympieion. Its construction period ranged from 6th century B.C. until the 2nd century A.D, after which it was regarded as the largest temple in Greece. History Interestingly, I was on a guided tour to this temple when I visited Athens. The guide first told us about its delayed construction by narrating the following brief. With the construction work of the Temple of Olympian Zeus that started in the 6th century by Peisistratos, decreasing wealth and dethrone of the Pisistratus’s son, Hippias 510 B.C was enough to stop it. It took some 700 years to complete the work that happened during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in 131 AD. The main reason behind this delay was that the Classical  [...]

Apparently a minor basilica but regarded among the key churches of the Roman Catholic Dominica, the Basilica of Saint Mary above Minerva is the only church in Gothic style in Rome. Located in the Piazza della Minerva, it is the home of the tombs of St. Catherine of Siena and the Dominican painter Fra Angelico (Blessed John). Santa Maria sopra Minerva is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary and was built over a Roman Temple of Isis, the goddess of wisdom mistakenly said as Minerva. This is evident from some of sections of the Roman temple that still can be seen since the era of Augustus (63 B.C – 14 A.D). Now, you can understand why the church is so named. The Church Just in front of the church, I first saw one of the most peculiar edifices in the nation called the Pulcino della Minerva. With the elephant as the base for  [...]

Imagine the lively poets alluring your hearts, gladiators struggling for life, and musicians captivating your mind within an open-air theatre. Yes! All this form an integral part of the Lyon’s Roman Theater. It is a theater-cum-odeum-cum-temple complex located in a park towards the south of the Notre Dame de Fourviere Basilica. This means that not only it was a cultural centre, but was also important from the religious point of view. This magnificent masterpiece of art and culture in Lyon is the most ancient edifice in France that was constructed by Augustus from 17 to 15 B.C. What attracts visitors at the Roman Theaters of Lyon is not only its antiquity, but also the amalgam of prosperous history and culture with modern structural design and culture. Among the structures, what is unique for the Roman antiquity here is the ruined  [...]

Excavated from the Walbrook Street in London at the time of restoration work after the World War II, the Temple of Mithras is a Roman ruin dedicated to the Persian god of light and sun, whom many look as the real personality of the Christ. Its present site is not its original look; rather it was located underground as a cave wherein Mithras had slain the primeval bull releasing the powers of life and vision on the planet. Acted as the foundation of the traditional Christian church holding long aisles to an altar and apse, the Temple of Mithras was shifted to its current site at Temple Court, Queen Victoria Street. History/Beliefs A local guide told me about this aspect of the Mithraic sect. In the 2nd century A.D., Mithraism posed a severe challenge to Christianity in the Roman Empire with the only men sect in which those they were  [...]