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The Temple of Bachus is one of several major structures located at Baalbek in modern Lebanon.

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The site of Baalbek also includes a massive sanctuary dedicated to Jupiter Heliopolitanis, complete with temple, colonnaded courtyards and elaborate propylaea (gates) as well as a small circular temple dedicated to the goddess Venus.

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At the height of the city's power, under the Roman Empire, this religious complex was one of the most magnificent in the ancient world.

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The site of Baalbek, located on a broad plateau in the Bekaa Valley, is an ancient one.

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Excavations have shown that the current Roman structures are simply part of a series that date back as far as the sixth century BC.

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Before the Hellenistic and Roman occupation, Baalbek was the centre of worship for a triad of Syrian agricultural deities.

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Chief amongst these was the thunder god Baal and his sanctuary serviced the nearby coastal ports of Tyre, Sidon and Byblos.

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During the centuries that followed, Baalbek's continual occupation as a holy site led to a complex series of religious and cultural usurpation, which all left some mark on the site.

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During the Hellenistics period, under the influence of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, Baalbek was re-named "Heliopolis" and the Syrian deities were absorbed into the Greek Pantheon.

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Baal as the leading male deity was equated with Zeus, the king of the gods.