Plundered by the Mongols in 1260, Baalbeck 
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witnessed a period of calm and prosperity 
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under the reign of the Mamluks. In 1898, the 
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German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II visited 
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Baalbeck and was very impressed by the 
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ruins.
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Upon his return to Germany, the Emperor 
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wrote to the Sultan of Abdul Hamid the 
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Second for permission to send an archeological 
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team to document the site and start 
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excavation and restoration works.