Anjar

Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

The only significant Umayyad urban settlement in Lebanon, revealing a planned city with palaces, mosques, baths, and a grid-pattern street layout directly inspired by Roman urban design.

Historical Context

Built at the crossroads of trade routes between Damascus, Homs, and the Mediterranean, Anjar was likely intended as a commercial and administrative center. It was abandoned after the end of the Umayyad dynasty, preserving its original layout remarkably intact.