Umayyad Dynasty

• Trent's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Aanjar

Trip Start Dec 23, 2007 Previous
Entry Trip End Ongoing Next
Entry

  Aanjar, Béqaa, Lebanon
Saturday, April 17, 2010

Leaving Ballbek, I drove to Aanjar.  Aanjar was the commercial center of the Umayyads, an Islamic dynasty which ruled the 8th century AD and captained the great Arab and Islamic conquests which spread from the Middle East all the way to southern France. 

Not too much to tell really as it's quite isolated in the countryside, but the fragile arches and columns of this place are surrounded massive mountains and make a nice place to visit.  Aanjar was a small commercial center and stopover linking Syria to the sea.  It had a city wall and only two main streets, but these streets were apparently lined with over 600 shops, surely making it one of the earliest outdoor shopping malls!  It also had three main palaces, a mosque, and a hammam (Roman baths). 

Like I said, nothing too much else to tell, but a nice place to see.

Slideshow Share

Pictures

001	021	024	002
022	003	004	006
007	011	008	010
012	013	023	015
016	017	018	019
020

Previous Entry Next Entry