Description - وصف
The temple of the god Eshmun, the god of healing for the Sidonians, is a temple where the Phoenicians held special religious rituals, so they built temples to their gods to seek healing, mercy and forgiveness. This ancient temple holds many secrets of the Phoenician culture and religious rituals. The Temple of Echmoun is located northeast of Sidon, near the Awali River, in a spot known as Bustan al-Sheikh. This site still preserves the stones of its foundations, which testify to the Persian era to this day. This temple was dedicated to the worship of the god Echmun, the Phoenician god of healing. The Temple of Echmoun was built by Sidon's King Echmoun Ezer II, after Sidon regained its former position as a major Phoenician city in the Persian period. It is known that Echmoun was a leader among the gods of Sidon, and this thing prompted the construction of the temple at the site near a water spring, because water has a major role in the ritual washing associated with the ritual of healing. This temple is the ruins of a pyramidal building, and by climbing the stairs you can see a general view of the site with all its details. There are also a number of ponds, and besides the great temple, there is a temple and near it remains the remains of a shrine dedicated to the goddess Astarte. The building is semi-square and inside is a stone throne surrounded by two winged lions known as the throne of Astarte. A group of statues of children was found in the temple. It is most likely that they were given as a token of thanksgiving to God after the sick child was healed. These statues are displayed today in the National Museum.