Temples of Baalshamin and Bel: destroyed symbols of Palmyra

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Ancient Palmyra was founded by the Hurrian ruler Tukrish. At one time, it was one of the most significant cities in the Syrian desert and was located in a beautiful oasis between the Syrian capital Damascus and the largest river in Western Asia - the Euphrates. The "sweet water" of the Euphrates, as the name of the river is translated from the Aramaic language, gave rise to many ancient civilizations.

The route of many caravans passing through the Syrian desert ran through Palmyra. Due to its favorable location, the city flourished, constantly expanding and received the honorary title of "bride of the desert". The most famous buildings of Palmyra were the temples of Bel and Baalshamin.

Temple of Bel in Palmyra

This ancient temple was considered the largest object in the Syrian Palmyra. It was erected in 32 AD, and the beginning of its construction fell on the years of the reign of Emperor Tiberius. The appearance of the Temple of Bel symbolized the superiority of the Roman Empire, which annexed Palmyra. At the same time, it became the main sanctuary of the ancient city, erected in honor of the supreme heavenly ruler Bel.

The construction of this building has become a symbolunity of East and West: the interior of the temple was built in the Middle Eastern traditions, and its facades corresponded to the architectural preferences of the Western rulers of Palmyra. It is assumed that the Temple of Bel was designed by architects from the city of Antioch.

Inside the structure there was only one, but very large ceremonial hall. Large statues of the gods of Palmyra were installed in its niches. Outside, the walls of the temple were decorated with luxurious bas-reliefs and small columns, and their gilded bronze capitals sparkled in the bright rays of the sun. The bas-reliefs depicted ceremonial processions, 7 planets of the solar system and 12 zodiac signs.

Over time, the temple of Bel acquired a more modest appearance, which was known to the world until 2015: the greedy Roman emperor Aurelian removed the gilded bronze from the columns and took it to the capital of the Roman Empire.

Temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra

This majestic religious building began to be built in the year 17 from the birth of Christ, and the last work on its formation was completed in 130, during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian.

The temple was dedicated to the supreme Phoenician deity Baal, who was worshiped by Western Semites. In their pantheon, Baalshamin was the master of heaven and commanded storms and rains, thanks to which the lands dried up from the scorching sun became fertile. The name of the temple Baalshamin in Aramaic means "God of Heaven"

Baalshamin was considered the incarnation of the supreme god Bel. Therefore, inunlike the temple of the latter, it had a much smaller size and was located away from the central Column Road. Despite such an insignificant difference, both temples were built in the same ancient style, had a decoration in the form of a national Syrian ornament and glorified the Phoenician gods.

The whole building outside had a strict design, only the central facade stood out with a deep six-columned portico and a portal that had a rich ornament. Pilasters adorned the side walls of the temple. Despite its small size, the temple had an impressive appearance. In front of the entrance to the building, there was an altar that was more ancient in terms of construction time, on which one could read dedicatory inscriptions. They were written in Aramaic and Greek.

In the 5th century AD, after the widespread spread of Christianity, both temples became Christian churches.

Temple of Baalshamin - the sanctuary of the ruler of heaven

Baalshamin was a Phoenician deity who disputed his importance with Bel. Like Bel, he formed his own triad, sharing a temple with the gods Aglibol and Malakbel, and was equated with the Greek Zeus. He was described as the lord of the sky and depicted as a great eagle whose wings extended to the sun, moon and stars. His symbols were lightning bolts and an ear.

Baalshamin was especially revered in Palmyra, because, according to the inhabitants of the city, it depended only on him whether the blessed rain would fall over the desert area. And the water in here, as you know, is everything.

XXI century:destruction of temples of ancient Palmyra

On August 23, 2015, militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) terrorist organization destroyed the Temple of Baalshamin, a building whose construction began in 17 AD. According to Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of the Syrian State Department of Antiquities, the terrorists filled the temple with a huge amount of explosives and then blew it up, causing irreparable damage to the oldest symbol of Palmyra.

As a result of barbaric actions, the interior of the temple was completely destroyed, and the outer columns were significantly damaged. The video and photos of the temple of Baalshamin, mercilessly destroyed by ignorant terrorists, aroused the indignation of the entire enlightened world community.

August 30, 2015, militants blew up the Temple of Bel, completely destroying its central part.

Beautiful masterpieces of ancient architecture, which stood for almost 2 millennia under the hot sun of the Middle East, were destroyed in a matter of minutes.

In March 2017, Palmyra was liberated from ISIS terrorists. The Syrian authorities have planned the restoration of the destroyed monuments and the temple of Baalshamin, and then the complete restoration of the temple of Bel. It will take a lot of time and money to recreate them, and perhaps only after a few decades, we will be able to see the magnificent masterpieces of ancient architecture again.