Temple of Eshmun

Eshmun was the Phoenician god of healing, and this sanctuary in the valley above Sidon is the most substantial Phoenician religious site left standing anywhere. It was begun in the seventh century BC and used into the Roman period, built as a great stepped podium of massive limestone blocks with terraces below, fed by channels bringing spring water for ritual washing. A marble throne of Astarte flanked by sphinxes survives, along with a children's frieze and Roman mosaics. It sits on Lebanon's tentative list rather than the inscribed World Heritage list.

History

The sanctuary has an esplanade and a great court bounded by a huge limestone terrace wall that carries a monumental podium. Sidon grew prosperous again while Tyre was besieged for 13 years by Nebuchadnezzar II, from 586 to 573 BC, and regained its standing as Phoenicia's chief city under the Achaemenid Empire (Wikipedia, Temple of Eshmun).

What's there

• The podium - the massive stepped terrace of large limestone blocks.
• The throne of Astarte - a carved marble throne with sphinxes at the sides.
• The water channels - the ritual washing system fed from the valley springs.
• The Roman additions - mosaics and a colonnade from the later phases.

When to go

March to May and October to November are the best; summer in the valley is hot and humid. Mornings are quietest. Winter rain can flood parts of the lower terraces.

Good to know

The site is not restored and requires interpretation to make sense of; signage is minimal. Some of the best finds are in the National Museum in Beirut rather than here. The access road through the valley is poor.

Nearby

Sidon is two kilometres southwest, and Maghdouche is in the hills.

Key facts