Ceiling inside the Temple of Bel

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The Temple of Bel stands out from Palmyra's other religious structures due to its massive size and prime location. Its main altar or sacred space was dedicated in 32 AD, but the temple complex itself wasn't fully completed until the early second century. Archaeologists have identified a previous temple on the low hill where this one was built, often referred to as a tell. The area inside the temple's outer wall is almost perfectly square, measuring over 600 feet on each side. This monumental structure sits at the eastern end of Palmyra's famous colonnaded street. The Temple of Bel's size and location clearly demonstrate its prominent status among Palmyra's other deities. Its ceiling decorations are purely ornamental in design. In 1753, European artists learned about this temple's design through engravings based on drawings by Giovanni Battista Borra. This style influenced the decoration of many English mansions, which in turn inspired designs for lesser-known buildings.