Gallivanting around Lebanon in pictures: Baalbek

So my parents came to visit me for a week, which was a great opportunity to show them around the country I have been calling home for seven or so months, and a welcome break from relentless studying. It is very easy to spend extended periods of time without leaving Beirut, and I had been itching to get out of the capital for a while. Over the course of their visit, I took them to Baalbek, Mleeta (yes, again) and Jeita, and let them see Sur and Jbeil on their own like the grownups they are.

Baalbek


Baalbek, perhaps the most famous city in the Bekaa valley, is well known for its Roman ruins.

Zebra stripes of snow on the mountain tops.

Remains of the temple of Bacchus.

Another sight to see is Baalbek's intensely decorated Shi'a mosque honoring Husayn's daughter Khawla.

I didn't take pictures of the interior, but here is a photo from the Internet to give you an idea:

Picture by aasimaljudi on Geolocation

The mosque was renovated sometime in the past five years we were told, but it is in fact very ancient. According to a lady who kindly told us the story of the mosque in Arabic*, Khawla was one of the women who survived the battle of Karbala and wandered desperately for miles in search of help or shelter. She finally arrived to Baalbek's current location, begging for water, but no one helped her. She died of thirst, and was buried there under a tree, so she would never lack water again. The mosque is built around a very ancient-looking tree (somewhat visible through the window in the picture above), most probably Khawla's. It was a very sad story, as most Shi'ism stories of yore I've heard so far.

Other shots taken around Baalbek:

Cotton candy man.

Façades of Baalbek.

Façades of Baalbek.

Swanky bus.

Pictures by yours truly.

*subtle bragging about my improvement in Arabic comprehension !