Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek: View of the interior engaged Corinthian columns and arcade

The real interest of this temple lies in its interior where giant engaged columns running down the long north and south sides articulate an arcade below and niches crowned by triangular pediments above.\u000a\u000aIn 16 BCE Baalbek became a Roman colony with the name Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Heliopolitana. The 'Temple of Bacchus', largely built in the 2nd century AD, lies parallel to the Temple of Jupiter but is set in a separate courtyard. It is a smaller structure (66 x 35 m), although still roughly the size of the Parthenon. Like the Temple of Jupiter, it is in the Corinthian order, with 8 columns along the front and rear and 15 down the sides; the columns are again of local limestone with unfluted shafts. The real interest of this temple lies in its interior where giant engaged columns running down the long north and south sides articulate an arcade below and niches crowned by triangular pediments above.