Courtyard of the Madrasa al-Firdaus in Aleppo
Ablaq Architecture
Square Kufic
Different concepts of the temple institution and its social and economic role where perhaps reflected by different deities: Astarte, the most popular goddess,easy to be identified with local female hypostases, was usually connected with emporia erected at selected landmarks along the sea-route to the West; Melqart, the distinguished deity of Tyre, was the titular god of major temples in official “colonies” (Cadix, Carthage)8; while Baal, Astarte’s companion, the storm God, also related with underground waters, and other male divine figures (such as Reshef, Eshmun, and Shadrapha), was preferred by merchant enterprises, for docking stations open to fast development into commercial harbours; his presence may be also related to other major Phoenician centres, such as Sidon, and Arwad/Arados, and even Kition (Qrt ‘dsht), the earliest Phoenician foundation at Cyprus.