Baalbek — The Ancient Wonder and Hezbollah Capital

I found myself along an empty promenade lined with an unknown flag, that hung from every street light and every building. The green symbol on the yellow background is a morph of armed weapons. Where was everyone? I’d left the hustle and bustle of Middle Eastern culture about a kilometre behind with my car, and the lack of people on such a huge walkway was slightly eerie and inharmonious. Aside from a camel looking incredibly out of place, the only sign of life was a young man selling souvenirs. Met by a huge grin, I think he was as eager to see me as I was to see him. I asked him what this symbol represented that was on his t-shirt, the same symbol on the flags.

“Miss, it is the flag of Hezbollah. This is the Hezbollah capital.”

How I ended up in Baalbek

The Tourism for Lebanon team should be pleased to know that their campaigns are very effective. Lining the airport’s arrival terminal are huge billboards boasting the country’s highlights. Everything from shimmering turquoise waters in the south, archaic chic harbour towns along the coast and untouched ancient ruins. I chose Baalbek.

Baalbek is a two hour drive north east of Beirut, sat on a peak of the Beqaa Valley, the northernmost point of the Great Rift Valley. A quintessential Middle Eastern city has built…