The Temple of Mercury at Baalbek stood on Sheikh Abdallah hill above the main sanctuary, where today a shrine and lookout share the ridge with scattered Roman remains. Mercury, or a local god identified with him, was worshipped here apart from the giant temples of Jupiter and Bacchus below. The reason to climb is the view over the UNESCO complex, the Bekaa plain and the Anti-Lebanon. Go before sunset, wear decent shoes and keep the religious site on the summit respectful. The main ticketed temples and the quarry can fill the rest of the day. This ridge is the missing vertical piece of a Baalbek visit.
