The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1922-07-27

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington p. c.
Famous ruins and historic relics have
been shifted under new fiazs by the
World war just a. have places OF more
practical and less sentimental value.
And SO It happens that the magnificent
ruins Of Baalbek. the Heliopons OF the
Graeco-Roman world and once the
greatest city Of Syria. are now under
the administration OF the French
French authority Is the latest of many
national Influences TO be exercised over
these world-famOus ruins.
Not many centuries after the Roman
Empire crashed and multiple states
rose In its place, the Arabs captured
Baalbek. The great temple had been
turuSz into a Christian church in the
DAYS OF Constantine. Now IL was In
turn changed into a mosque Tanner
lane plliaE-d the old temple. site Later
came the Turks. and IL was under their
regime that the Western world first
learned 81 the stately ruins Even
German influence was eNerted on the
place, Tor under the Turks German
areheol0gists eXcavated and partially
restored the temples.
The Baalbek temples are not minor
ruins. Unexpectedly 10 most observers
they take one palm from Egypts pyra-
mids: for In the walls at Baalbek are
the largest stones ever used by man
In erecting a structure-great mono
llths larger than freight car.
These ruins. properly speaking. are
known as RI Kslla (CitadeD and are
composed 81 only two temples. and
they DO not cover a large area when
compared with other ruins in Syria.
The Great Temple. or the Temple
Of Jupiter as II is called. had its main
entrance from the East Here wide
flight II steps led up to the prOpylaea.
or vesribule. 10 feet above the gardens
and orchards that now surround the
ruins. This poTtico was open 10 the
east the full width of the stairs, and
the worshlpers used 20 enter between
rows of columns, on the bases of three
Of which are inscriptions stating that
the temple was erected 20 the great
gods Of Heliopoiis by Antoninus and
Caracalla. At an early period the
Arabs converted these temples into a
fortress. and 70 a certain extent re-
them. The columns mentioned
were removed. the staircase taken UP,
and the material used TO construct a
solid wall where the columns had been
Arabs Blocked This Entrance.
Next came the hexagonal fOrecourt.
entrance into which was made by
means OF a central doorway. with a
smaller one on each side This small
court was surrounded by a colonnade,
and on four Of the six sides by exedrae.
porticos with stone seats The Arabs
have also blocked this three-fold en-
trance and converted the exedrae into
filing them with brick
masonry.
After the visit Of the former German
emperor TO these ruins, IN 1898. body
" German excavators was sent to
Ssalbek. and worked there from 1901
10 1904 They not only dug down and
the debris. but strengthened |
weak parts. and. where necessary, they |
the Arabic work so as TO |
make the original plan more easily |
10 the visitor.
The workmen built a narrow stair |
'ase where the broad old one used |
o be. tore away the wall constructed |
'ver the bases Of the columns. and |
opened an entrance through a great |
'lock of stone which was placed across
he central doorway into the forecourt. |
o that today visitors enter as did the
Roman worshipers Of old
Proceeding inward one passes
through a triple entrance into the
,reat court. or court of the altar. 1t
$ about 40 feet long by $40 feet wide
The central portal. as well as one OF
he smaller side ones. has fallen m
nd the pieces which formed the arches
ave been collected and laid together
n the ground below the place where
hey had originally been
Around this court. on three sioes'
uniting the west end. where q stair
ase led up 70 the level OF the Great
emple. are square and semicircuiar
xedrae. each OF which contain many
andsoEe inches for statues. OF WHICH, !