Throne of Astarte from the region of Tyre, Hellenistic period · Wikimedia Commons

Thrones of Astarte Sanctuary, Ain Baal

Ain el-Baal

SanctuarySyria · Ain Baal, near Tyre, LebanonBuilt 200 BCE

About

At the spring sanctuary of Ain el-Baal south of Tyre, Phoenician worshippers carved stone 'thrones of Astarte,' flanked by winged, cherub-headed lions, as offerings to the city's chief goddess. One inscribed throne excavated here, dated to the Hellenistic period, now stands in Beirut's National Museum. The shrine sat beside the same springs that fed Tyre's own water supply, tying worship of Astarte directly to the city's lifeline. These open-air Phoenician shrines carried on through the Roman period, when Astarte still appeared on Tyre's civic coinage.

What happened here

A sanctuary is a precinct, not a building — an enclosed area with a boundary that matters legally. Inside it, rules apply: certain acts are forbidden, debtors and runaways may claim protection, and in some the birth or death of anyone is not permitted. Pilgrims arrive on foot, sometimes over days, and there is accommodation, water, and a market selling exactly what they need to offer. Priesthoods are local and hereditary or annual and political depending on the place. Treasuries hold the accumulated gifts of centuries, catalogued on stone. Festivals draw crowds from a whole region and bring games, contests and trade with them. Between festivals the place is quiet, staffed by a caretaker and visited by a trickle of travellers.