The temples of Baal'shamin and Bel: the destroyed symbols of Palmyra

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

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

Bel's Temple 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 was during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. The appearance of the Bel temple 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 building of this building became a symbol of the unity of East and West: the interior space 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 supposed that the temple of Bel was designed by architects from the city of Antioch.

Inside the structure there was only one, but a very large ceremonial hall. In its niches were installed large statues of the gods of Palmyra. Outside, the walls of the temple were decorated with magnificent bas-reliefs and small columns, and their gold-plated bronze capitals glittered in the bright rays of the sun. The bas-reliefs depicted ceremonial processions, 7 planets of the Solar system and 12 zodiacal signs.

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

The Baal Shamin Temple in Palmyra

This magnificent religious building was built in 17 year from the Nativity of Christ, and the last works on its formation were 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 the western Semites. In their pantheon, the Baalshamin was the master of the heavens and commanded storms and rains, through which the earth, withered from the scorching sun, became fertile. The name of the Baal Shaman temple in Aramaic means "God in Heaven"

Baalshamin was considered the embodiment of the supreme god Bel. Therefore, unlike the temple of the latter, it was much smaller and was located far from the central Column road. Despite such a small difference, both churches were built in a single antique style, decorated in the form of a national Syrian ornament and glorified the Phoenician gods.

The entire building outside had a strict design, there was only a central facade with a deep six-columned portico and portal, which had a rich ornament. The pilasters decorated the side walls of the temple. Despite its small size, the temple was impressive. Before the entrance to the building was located an older altar for the construction of the altar, on which it was possible to read the inscriptions. They were written in Aramaic and Greek.

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

The Baal Shaman Temple - the Sanctuary of the Lord of Heaven

Baal'shamin was a Phoenician deity, who challenged his importance with Bel. As well as Bel, he formed his triad, dividing the temple with the gods Aglibol and Malakbel, and was equated with the Greek Zeus. He was described as the lord of the sky and portrayed as a large eagle, whose wings extended to the sun, the moon and the stars. His symbols were lightning and ear.

BaalShamin was especially revered in Palmyra, because only from him, according to the inhabitants of the city, it depended on whether there would be a rain of rain over the desert terrain. And the water in here, as you know, is everything.

XXI century: the death of the temples of ancient Palmyra

On August 23, 2015, the militants of the terrorist organization of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IGIL) destroyed the Baal Shamin temple, a building that dates back to the year 17 of our era. According to Maamun Abdulkarim, the head of the Syrian State Department of Antiquities, the terrorists packed a huge amount of explosives in the temple, and then blew it, causing irreparable damage to the oldest of Palmyra's symbols.

As a result of barbarous actions, the interior of the temple was completely destroyed, and the outer columns suffered considerably. The video and photo of the Baal Sham temple, mercilessly destroyed by ignorant terrorists, aroused the indignation of the whole enlightened world community.

On August 30, 2015, militants blew up Bel's temple, completely destroying its central part.

Fine 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, Palmira was released from the terrorists IGIL. The Syrian authorities are planning to restore the destroyed monuments and the Baal Sham temple, and then the complete restoration of the Bel temple. It will take a lot of time and money to rebuild them, and perhaps, only after several decades, we will be able to see again the magnificent masterpieces of ancient architecture.