Dating from AD 17 and dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilising rains, the Temple of Baal Shamin is all that remains of a much larger compound. This small shrine stands alone 200m north of the main colonnaded street, near the Zenobia Hotel, in what was a residential area of the ancient city. Baal Shamin was an import, like Bel, who only really gained popularity in Palmyra when Roman influence was at its height.
Although the temple gate is permanently padlocked closed, it is possible to peer inside. Fronting the temple , the six columns of the vestibule have platforms for statues, and carry inscriptions. The column on the far left, dated AD 131, has an inscription in Greek and Palmyrene that praises the secretary of the city for his generosity during the imperial visit of 'the divine Hadrian' and for footing the bill for the temple's construction.
