When in Doubt, Take a Trip

So what happened today?
Wilders released his movie; nothing happened. The Dutch flag was flying again today at the embassy.

I went to the General Security, in wig and large sunglasses, clearly unrecognizable from that weird women that was in there yesterday cursing everything and everybody left and right. I mean, really. And I came out with the much coveted green paper which indicates the paper process has reached its last stage.

And a research was published that indicated that ‘more Christians (in Lebanon) than non-Christians have at least one male ancestor from Western Europe.’ Well, weren’t we all waiting for that news eagerly? Just what we needed. Not.

Well, when in doubt, take a trip. And so I did. Lebanon is teeming with remains from the Roman and Byzantine Empire. Quite a few are virtually unknown to the general public, stuck somewhere in the hills, and you are usually the only visitor.

The fruit trees are in blossom in Niha. Apple? Almond? Don't know.

One of these places is Niha, a small village on the western side of the Bekaa valley, where there are a total of 4 temples, although the 4th one is rather difficult to discern. There’s two on the lower part of Niha, and two (could find only one) on the upper part of Niha.The Niha lower temples: the large one (33°53'40.84"N & 35°57'45.78")
The larger temple is pretty complete, although seems to put together somewhat haphazardly. Some pieces do not quite seem to fit right. The Niha lower temples: the smaller one (33°53'43.15"N & 35°57'48.27"E). Both temples are dedicated to the Syro-Phoenician god Hadaranus and the goddess Atargatis.

Photo taken from 33°53'58.81"N & 35°57'41.30"E, going from the lower temples to the upper temples over the old Roman road.

The Niha upper temple, also called Hosn Niha, ‘fortress of Niha’ (33°54'26.31"N 35°56'55.07"E )

It is difficult to find a lot of background information about some of Lebanon’s minor monuments. One reader suggested the book Highways and Byways of Lebanon.’ It has some interesting stuff ; ‘Until recently, the pathway from these temples up to Hosn Niha (upper temples) was the original Roman road cut through the crest of the rock with traces of paving visible.’ The trick is ‘until recently’. In the meantime, they have widened and paved that road, and so nothing is left of the old path.

But if you’re interested, a lot more on these temples can be read here.
More pictures here (these are not mine though, found them on the web).