An Architectural Hybrid
The Temple of Bel was a synthesis of Near Eastern and Greco-Roman architectural traditions, a record of the cultural exchange common in the trade city of Palmyra. The entire sanctuary occupied a four-hectare precinct, enclosed by a courtyard wall over 200 meters (673 feet) on each side. Construction began around 19 CE, and the temple was consecrated on April 6, 32 CE, though work on the surrounding courtyard and monumental entrance continued for more than a century. The central temple building, or cella, was a rectangular structure surrounded by a peristyle of fluted Corinthian columns standing over 14 meters high.
This classical Roman exterior concealed a layout based on Near Eastern traditions. Unlike Greek and Roman temples with entrances on a short side, the main entrance to Bel's cella was on one of its long sides. The roof was not gabled but a flat terrace, edged with crenellations (merlons), which was accessed by stairwells built into the structure's corners—a feature not in classical temples. Inside, the cella did not have a single chamber for a cult statue but two opposite shrines, called adytons, on its north and south ends. High windows cut into the long walls provided light.
Celestial Sanctuary and Explosive Destruction
The temple was dedicated to a divine triad: the primary Mesopotamian god Bel, the lunar god Aglibol, and the sun god Yarhibol. The northern adyton was particularly noted for its ceiling, which featured a bas-relief carving of the seven planets known to antiquity surrounded by the twelve signs of the Zodiac. This combination of astronomical and religious iconography shows the scientific and spiritual interests of the Palmyrenes. The temple itself was built on a tell, an artificial mound indicating millennia of previous human occupation at the site.
On August 30, 2015, ISIS detonated a large quantity of explosives inside the temple's cella. Satellite imagery taken by UNOSAT on August 31 confirmed the complete destruction of the main temple building and a row of adjacent columns. The blast reduced the cella to rubble, leaving only the main arched entrance to the precinct and sections of the outer courtyard walls standing. UNESCO condemned the act UNESCO as a war crime. Analysis of the ruins is ongoing to determine if any form of reconstruction, such as anastylosis (rebuilding with original surviving elements), is possible.