Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-05-14

for the Berlin museums now possess many OF the
Snnest examples Of the carvings found there. u
x Baalbek 10 the name OF ruined city Of ancient
Coela signifying the .city of Baal the sun
! God The name was converted Nv the Greeks.
during the seleucidian dynasty into It's Greek
equivalent Helopolis. II rs situated in latitude
34Adegrees, minute north, longitude SO degrees
v IL minutes east In the plain OF Buka's. ct the
northern extremity of low range % bleak hills
about one mile from the Sbsse sAntibanon. In
well fwatered and delightful locality. q little
more than 40 miles northwest Of Damascus. It
was once the most magnificent of Syrian cities
full Sof palaces, q fountains and beautiful monu-
ments
These ruins ire known as the Acropolis and are
unique for their nassiveness and for the great
amount of both bold and delicate carving with
which they are adorned. There IL. indeed, so
much carving and such variety AZ to make ones
first visit bewilde ring II The temples being built
\ on 81 nat plain, Sit was important to raise them
shove the surrounding leyel to render them more
imposing. and to that end there are vast sub
structures and vaults and passages supporting
the shrines. The most imposing was that OF the
great Temple Of the Sun, which was "a rectangu. I
lar building $50 feet BY 16o having Its roof sup
ported ~ : peristyle of 81 Corinthian columns
B 98at#each side and 40 at each end OF these
six are still standing The circumference of
these columns ID about q feet. and the length
of the shaft about 5s feet; with pedestal. capital
and entablature they measure about 80 feet in
i height. The great Temple of the Sun occupied
platform on the Acropolis about 700 feet by 450
feet. The main entrance OF the temple was on L
the east. Here "a wide flight Of steps led up to 4
w sportico IS feet above the gardens and orchards
\ that now surround the ruins. An inscription on
the great portico states that the temple was
erected to the Great Gods" Of Heliopolis by
@Antoninus. S 81 !. $
q Beyond the portico is hexogonal court
through which q large gateway opens into the 4
great square, at the west end Of which is the
temple on lofty stylobate. Except the columns
mentioned little Of the great temple or Of the (
buildings in front OF it is left standing, but the
ground lis covered with their ruins. The vast size
OF the stones used in the substructures ,of the 4
great platform is remarkable, some OF them being
over go feet long aHd IL feet thick. II Il Bill %
FL South from the great temple is a smaller one
known as the Temple of Jupiter. It is smaller
In form, having its peristye and the walls OF it,
/ cells still mostly standing. Its dimensions are
S227 feet in length by lit feet in breadth. with
Is columns at the sides and 8 at each end. Both
temples as well the surrounding structures
were built Of limestone. in a richly decorated,
somewhat fantastic Corinthian style. . Besides
these there stands at distance of 900 yards from
the others circular building supported on six
granite columns built in mixed Ionic and CORN.
THAN STYLE
Nearby also are the remains Of the Temple Of
Bacchus. famed for its magnificent carvings.
Here are enormous slabs Of stone deliberately
carved with the heads of emperors and deties
and interviewer with floral designs, the whole
forming a unique ceiling The portal is the gem
OF the entire edihce. The door posts are beauti-