Traditions of Baalbek
A Roman temple town in the Bekaa Valley, famed for its summer international festival and its sweets.
Baalbek, in the Bekaa Valley, is home to some of the largest Roman temples in the world, built to Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus. In summer the temples are the stage for the Baalbeck International Festival. The town is also known for its sweets and for the traditions of the valley's farmers.
Temples and festival
Since 1956 the ruins have been the setting for concerts of music from classical to Arabic song, with performers such as Fairuz. The valley around holds vineyards and orchards, and the harvest season is marked with local festivals. Villagers keep the old customs of zajal, improvised sung poetry.
At the table
Baalbek's sfiha, small open meat pies, and its sweet shops, with Baalbek's famed ice cream and nammoura, a semolina cake with syrup, are known across Lebanon. The valley produces wine, olive oil, and apricots, and local families make labneh and kishk, a fermented wheat and yoghurt.
Signature traditions of Baalbek
Also part of it, and being written: Baalbeck International Festival (The festival in the Roman temples.), Sfiha (Meat pastry.).
A trail idea for Baalbek
- Temple of Bacchus Visit at dusk.
- Ksara winery Taste wine in the valley.
- Baalbek market Try sweets and sfiha.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Zajal: 13th century artist, Public domain, source