Deir El Aachaiyer Temple

The Roman sanctuary of Deir El Aachaiyer is one of the biggest temples in Lebanon.

Some archeologists presume that the foundations of the temple are the biggest after the ones of the Bacchus temple of Baalbek.

Dedication

According to an inscription found at the bottom of the temple, the latter is dedicated to the gods of “Kiboreia” and that its worship is placed under the responsibility of a high priest in 132 AD.

“Kiboreia” was presumably the name of Deir El Aachaiyer, or a nearby area during antiquity.

The era of the gods of Kiboreia is not certain.

Structure

Open to the east, the temple rests on a solid foundation which offsets the slope of the land.

Excavations concluded that the initial architecture of the temple was remodeled, and its construction was never completed.

Nothing remains of its monumental staircase, and many sections of the temple were dismantled and reused for modern buildings.

Note

Some modern houses were built on top of the temple’s terraces and foundations by reusing the stones. In addition, the area seemed to have housed a pottery factory – one can find thousands of pottery shreds everywhere around the temple site.

Karim Sokhn

Tour Operator & Tour Guide

References:

La Vie Religieuse Au Liban Sous L'Empire Romain - Julien Aliquo