Baskinta and the surrounding areas contain the ruins of monuments, cemeteries, and pottery remains dating back to
Phoenicia and
Ancient Greece. The Greeks built several palaces there, of which enormous stones, pillars, and underground passages still exist. The temple in the place known as Qanat Bakish was originally dedicated to
Bacchus, the Greek god of merriment and wine. The Faqra temple ruins dedicated to
Adonis and
Atargatis are also found 11 kilometers north of Baskinta near
Mzaar Kfardebian, the largest ski resort in the Middle East. Gold coins and jewels that belonged to
Empress Helena (Saint Helen of Constantinople (c. 250 – c. 330), mother of
Constantine the Great), have been found in the area. The
Cross of All Nations was built in Baskinta to commemorate Saint Helen's pilgrimage. Baskinta is also the native village of
Mikhail Naimy, one of Lebanon's greatest thinkers and literary figures known for his spiritual writings, notably “
The Book of Mirdad”. A poet, novelist and philosopher, Naimy co-founded, along with
Khalil Gibran and others, the New York literary society known as the
Pen League. He personified Baskinta's natural scenarios in most of his writings. It was here in a hut surrounded by extraordinary rock formations that Naimeh drafted much of his monumental work. The family home of award-winning novelist and journalist
Amin Maalouf at
Ain el Qabou is near Baskinta, where his novel "
The Rock of Tanios" is also set. The Baskinta Literary Trail, a 24-kilometer hiking path, offers hikers a chance to discover 22 literary landmarks related to several acclaimed Lebanese literary figures from the area. ==Location==