Baalbek
/ˈbɑːl.bɛk/noun
An ancient city in Lebanon, famous for its Roman temple ruins.
Did you know?The name is traditionally linked to Baal, a West Semitic storm-god title, and the site’s monumental ruins later made Baalbek feel like a place where gods and empires both left their fingerprints.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near Eastern
Semitic
baʿal
“lord, master, owner; also used as a divine title”
Hellenistic period
Greek
Heliopolis
“"City of the Sun," the Greek name used for the site”
Roman period
Latin
Heliopolis
“The city’s formal Greco-Roman name in imperial usage”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
Baalbak / Baʿlabakk
“The local place-name as preserved and adapted in Arabic sources”
Modern English
English
Baalbek
“The modern name of the Lebanese city and archaeological site”