The history of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has been recorded since the 14th century BC. Throughout its long history, Beirut has been occupied by various empires, including the Egyptians, Romans, Ottoman Empire under “Affan,” the French, and the British, finally becoming the capital of Lebanon in 1941. These complex historical events have contributed to the city’s multicultural character.
The ruins of the city walls surrounding BaierBeit, located 7 km east of Beirut, are among the most magnificent wonders in the world. After the Roman Empire conquered the entire territory of Palestine in 63 BC, the Romans built a temple dedicated to the goddess Venus and the Roman god here to replace the shrines of the god Pali and his wife, the goddess Askait.
These grand structures of ancient Rome have endured through thousands of years, with most being destroyed in an earthquake. Consequently, when remnants of this ancient architecture were uncovered from deep within the earth, they became a challenging subject for archaeologists over the millennia. Within this architectural complex lies a section of wall known as the Three Stone Tower, named for the beautifully carved stone slabs that comprise it. Each of these three stones weighs 800 tons, with one stone standing 7 meters tall, precisely placed atop the other two. Near the Three Stone Tower, there is also a beautifully carved stone measuring 4.5 meters high, 3.7 meters wide, 22 meters long, and weighing nearly 1,000 tons.
The architectural origins of these stone slabs indicate a history that predates even ancient Rome. In antiquity, many people worshiped deities, traveling from Mesopotamia and along the Nile River to the temple of Pali and Askait.
According to records from ancient Arabs, numerous early temples dedicated to Pali and Askait were constructed after the Great Flood. In Arabic tradition, the builders of these temples were referred to as “the giants of the same clan,” commissioned by King Nimrod, a ruler from ancient times.
Architectural scholars state that modern heavy machinery would struggle to lift such massive stones into their precise positions. So how did the ancients manage to place the stone atop the tower exactly where they wanted? Moreover, what do the architectural designs of these stones symbolize, and what significance do they hold?
To this day, these stones stand resilient, gazing into the vastness of the sky, with no satisfactory explanation for their existence.
