Peristyle, Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek, in 1860. Photograph by Gustave Le Gray (French, 1820-1884). Baalbek, Lebanon. Baalbek, also known as Baalbeck, is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, situated east of the Litani River. Known as Heliopolis during the period of Roman rule, it was one of the largest sanctuaries in the empire and contains some of the best preserved Roman ruins in Lebanon. A peristyle is a columned porch or open colonnade in a building surrounding a court that may contain an internal garden.