Baalbek

American

[bahl-bek, bey-uhl-, beyl-] / ˈbɑl bɛk, ˈbeɪ əl-, ˈbeɪl- /

noun

a town in E Lebanon: ruins of ancient city; Temple of the Sun. 16,000. Ancient Greek name, Heliopolis.

Baalbek British

/ ˈbɑːlbɛk /

noun

Ancient name: Heliopolis. a town in E Lebanon: an important city in Phoenician and Roman times; extensive ruins. Pop: 150 000 (1998 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Later on Wednesday Lebanese state media said Israeli strikes hit a hotel in the Beirut suburb of Hazmieh and a four-storey building in the eastern city of Baalbek.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

"Baalbek is the major Roman site in Lebanon. You couldn't replace it if someone bombed it," says Graham Philip, an archaeology professor at Durham University.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2024

Some ordinary Lebanese attempting to escape Israeli bombing reportedly fled to the Baalbek ruins, judging that ancient sites would not be targeted by Israel and would therefore offer protection.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2024

The airstrikes near Baalbek came hours after Hezbollah said its fighters on Monday shot down an Israeli drone over its stronghold in a province in southern Lebanon.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2024

We’ll leave for Baalbek in a special carriage this afternoon.

From The Book of Khalid by Rihani, Ameen Fares

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023