Monastery of Mar Elian

The monastery was founded in the 5th century as a complex of caves around the tomb of the physician Saint Elian, and it expanded to become a Byzantine pilgrimage center. It included a church with an eastern apse and excavation rooms containing stones and bones.
The Temple of Bel in Palmyra
The Temple of Bel, whose construction began in 32 CE and was completed in the 2nd century, dominated the architectural landscape of the Palmyra oasis. Its massive Corinthian facade and courtyard surrounded by an astrolabe-inspired portico combined Greek and desert Nabataean influences. Dedicated by local merchants to the god Bel (lord of the sky), it became a religious and economic hub that hosted the rituals of the ruling clan and the signing of trade contracts. It was converted into a cathedral during the Byzantine period (5th century) and later became an Ayyubid fortress with a small mosque.