Jezzine district

Machmoucheh

Monastery of Our Lady of Machmoucheh Museum

Monastery of Our Lady of Machmoucheh is one of Lebanon’s largest and most important Maronite monasteries. It was built on the burial site of Patriarch Semaan Awad. The town's name originally comes from the Syriac language and means "the church's servants and deacons". Machmoucheh, which was once the center of the archbishopric of Saida and Deir el-Qamar, enjoys a beautiful view overlooking the neighbring villages, below. Among the noteworthy sites within the village are the Monastery of our lady of Machmoucheh, built in 1732, and a water fountain dating to 1787.

All Religious Sites

Baalbak district

Baalbak

Sayyida Khawla Shrine

Sayyida Khawla Shrine is located in the southwestern entrance of the city of Baalbak, 85 km to Beirut, and adjacent to its archeological site, in the location of the old roman gardens surrounding the majestic temples. Discovered in the 17th century A.D., the actual aspect of the beautiful shrine goes back to the late 20th century and is distinguished by its beautiful blue color, its archaic motifs and graphics, and its golden minarets, featuring Kashani style, an Islamic style adopted in the religious architecture in Iran, especially in terms of domes, arches, minarets, and the distribution of external courtyards. The shrine consists of 2 floors with the mausoleum in the ground floor, linked to a mosque, and surrounded by a courtyard in which a perennial cypress tree is planted. The shrine also hosts a museum dedicated to Sayyida Khawla and a building for special celebrations. The outstanding interior features a visual richness in terms of the multitude of colors, the reflecting mirrors, the Persian carpets covering the arcades, as well as the shiny pure silver and its encryptions used in the mausoleum. Sayyida Khawla Shrine is one of the most visited Shiite shrines in Lebanon being related to the story of the martyrdom of El Imam El Hussein. And its old cypress tree, currently surrounded by a glass wall, has been always considered a blessing tree to take Baraka from.

Al Oumawi al Kabir Mosque

In front of the acropolis entrance, Al Oumawi al Kabir Mosque dates from the 7th-8th centuries of the Omayyad period. Built on what was the site of the roman forum and later a byzantine church dedicated to St. John, the mosque reuses granite and limestone columns. There is a square minaret in the northwest corner of the courtyard.

Al Hanbalee Mosque

Al Hanbalee Mosque was there in the AH sixth century/ AC twelfth century. It was restored in the Mamluk age in 682AH/1283AC, during the governorship of el-Mansour Qala’un, as stated in the plaque fixed on the northern side of the mosque. It is proper to the followers of el-Hanbali doctrine that was common in Damascus and Baalbak during the Mamluk age; hence, it was named after them. It is distinguished by its hexagonal minaret standing in the west corner. Inside the mosque, there were a center for the Koran studies and a zawiya for the Sufis.

Al Nahr Mosque

Al Nahr Mosque was built by the Emir Yunes el-Harfoush in 1028AH/1618AC above the remains of an old mosque, which might be the mosque known by el-Jokendar Mosque. It contains a slab that states the construction date and holds three lines of poetry. The upper corner of its door was decorated with two slabs on which the name “Ali” is graved in a triangle shape. Later, the mosque was renewed in 1327AH/1918AC. It is about 30 meters long and 20 meters wide, with three columns in the middle, surmounted by small simple capitals. Its minaret is hexagonal, standing over a square base as high as the wall of the mosque

Qoubbat al Amjad

Commonly referred to as Qoubbat Al-Amjad, this small square prayer hall is located in Sheikh Abdullah Hill in Baalbak, a town in the Bekaa Valley, northeast of Beirut. It contains the remains of the Zawiya Mosque and the tomb of Sheikh Abdallah Al-Youmînî. The mosque and tomb were built under the rule of Al-Amjad, the grandnephew of Saladin and governor of Baalbak between 1182 and 1230. The dome was built of stones from the nearby Temple of Mercury.

Bechwat

Saydet Bechwat Ancient Church

Bechwat lies on the versant of the western chain of Mount Lebanon. It is 110km from Beirut and 19km from Baalbak. Its latitude is 1300m. It was named after an Egyptian Saint, Anba Bishey. It contains ancient ruins (oil mills, statues and sarcophagi …) that date back to the Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Arab periods. But the fame of the town today is due to the presence of a miraculous sanctuary, Saydet Bechwat Ancient Church (the sanctuary of our Lady of Bechwat). Lebanese people who belong to both Muslim and Christian religions visit this place for blessing or to ask for a remedy for a sick person. The church was built by the Keyrouz family which migrated from Bcharreh in 1790. Despite the renovations (1998), today it holds its first architecture. Since its construction, the temple showed many miracles and believers got many benedictions, particularly in 2004 when the appearances of Saint Mary occurred several time starting the 21 of August till today. The first appearance was to a child from Jordan, Mohamed el-Hawadi and the last was to children, Diana Ali el-Ajam and Michael Adnan Mikhail (May, 2006). Bichwat witnessed the largest and most remarkable pilgrimage on Septembre 5, 2004 when all the roads that reached it were blocked by worshipers’ cars and buses at a distance of tens of kilometers. The sanctuary celebrates our Lady’s day on August 15. Religious and public festivals are held for a week until August 21 to commemorate the appearances that took place in 2004. Continually, groups of pilgrims visit Bishwat. They come from Lebanon and from all religious sects: pilgrims also come from different parts of the world, particularly from the Arab countries (Syria, Jordan, Egypt, the Gulf …).

Nabi Chit

Al Nabi Chit Shrine

Nabi Chit is one of Adam’s sons (peace be upon him) and the best of them. He was the one who succeeded his father (peace be upon him). It is said that he was buried in the fields out of the village of Ser’in in the Bekaa. A big town was built around this Maqam as people came to live near it, and thus the town held the name of this Maqam. It contains a mausoleum of about 40 ells. Believers visit it in order to celebrate religious occasions such as the mid of Shaaban (eighth month of the lunar year) and others.

Al Qalaa Church

The Qalaa Church (The Fortress) was built during the reign of Emir Fakhreddine II around the year 1640 A.D.

Hermel district

Hermel

Deir Mar Maroun

A few hundreds meters from the source of el-Assi River (Orontos) in the Hermel area of the north Bekaa is Deir Mar Maroun (the Monastery of Saint Maroun). This amazing three-story cave is cut into sheer rock more than 90 meters high. Known as “Mougharet Al Raheb” or Cave of the Monks, this is, in fact, a pilgrims’ monument. An altar, a staircase and small cells carved from the rock make up this place of devotion, marked by humidity and trusteeship. According to widely accepted legend, the site is identified with Saint Maroun, founder of the Maronite community.

Bcharreh district

Hadchit

Saint Elias Monastery

Hasbaya district

Rachaya el Fokhar

Saint Georgio's Greek Orthodox Church - Rachaya

Hundreds of years ago, Saint Georgio's church was built according to Christians rites upon a pagan temple site or fortress. Some of the site's original and large archeological stones still exist in the form of the church walls, village square surroundings and the Twan region. The church is erected on the highest hill peak of the village. Perched in all its glory above the village, it is also sequestered amidst the expansive greenness of Mount Hermon. It has four entrances and visitors can admire marvelous icons, among the finest in Greek Orthodox churches.

Greek Catholic Church of the Apparition

The Greek Catholic Church of the Apparition was built at the beginning of the 20th century according to its byzantine architecture, which is a blend of traditional Lebanese architecture characterized by arches and vaulted ceilings.

Jezzine

Saint Maroun Church - Jezzine

The Saint Maroun Church (Mar Maroun Church) is on the outskirts of the town of Jezzine, in the south, and it dates back to the 18th century. It was partially destroyed in 1759 and it was repaired several times. St. Maroun Church is distinguished for its vastness and elevated vaults. The church can be reached by passing through an old flight of stairs from the old section of town.

Our Lady Ma'abour Shrine

Saydet Jezzine or Saydet Al-Maabour (Our Lady of Jezzine) is a commanding shrine, in southern Lebanon, with a statue of the Virgin Mary at the entrance of the city. In 1898, an important passageway connecting Jezzine with the coastal cities and Saida was built. In 1955, the Virgin Statue was added and is visited during religious celebrations on August 15 every year, the day of the Virgin's ascension. During this time, celebrators walk around the town until they reach the statue with prayers and candles.

Lebaa

Saint John the Baptist Ancient Church

The town's name comes from the ancient Phoenician word meaning "the village of the relative or neighbor". Near Kfar Jarra stands the Church of Saint John the Baptist (Mar Youhanna Al-Ma'amadan), one of the oldest churches in the area. It dates back to the 16th century, but was renovated in 1755, as indicated by the inscription above the entrance. In 1989, part of the church was destroyed by Israeli bombing.

Saida district

Maghdoucheh

Our lady of Maghdoucheh

On a hill overlooking the coast, a few kilometers from the southern city of Saida, stands as a colossal statue of Mary holding infant Jesus, called the Saydet Al Mantara or Our Lady of the Guardian. The site is home to The Road of the Holy Shrines and the Church of Our Lady in Waiting, a cave in which it is said the Virgin Mary once stayed while pregnant with her son. The cave of Saydet Al Mantara was made into a sanctuary by early Christians. It is also said according to tradition that Mary followed her son on his journeys between Cana, Tyre, Sarafand, and Sidon, and that it was on this hill in Maghdouche that the Virgin awaited the return of Jesus from his apostolic wanderings. The new basilica features shiny, tiled frescoes, which are a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid or wet lime plaster. An annual pilgrimage takes place in Maghdouche every September 18 to mark the feast of the birth of the Virgin. The area of statue of Mary provides spectacular views which cover the Mediterranean, the city of Saida, the valley leading into the interior, and the Ain El-Hilweh refugee camp.

Saida

Bab Al Serail Mosque

Bab Al Saray is one of the oldest standing mosques in the southern city of Saida. Its construction dates from the period when Europeans occupied the city in 1201. Its minaret rises 20 meters above the roof and is distinguished by its large dome. It is called Al-Saray Mosque today because of its proximity to the saray (government house) built by Emir Fakhreddine II.

Abou Nakhleh Mosque

Abou Nakhleh Mosque was first built as a Sufi shrine. Its short minaret is built according to the Moroccan architectural style.

Al Kikhia Mosque

Located in the old town of Sidon, the third largest city on the southern coast of Lebanon, Al Kikhia Mosque showcases typical Islamic design from the Ottoman period. Built by Mustafa Al-Qatkhada in 1624, its structure includes six domes, muqarnas (architectural vaulting), four columns of differing geometric design, and a marble white and blue minbar (the pulpit where the Imam delivers sermons).

Omari Grand Mosque

Facing the northern tip of Saida's harbor, in the south, the Omari Grand Mosque ( Al Omari Al Kabir Mosque ) &nbsp;is said to be one of the finest examples of Islamic religious architecture of the 13th century. Named after the second orthodox caliph, Omar Ben El-Khattab, its architecture is a mix of Crusader and Mamluk styles. It was subject to many restorations and enlargements during the Ottoman period. The mosque is open to non-Muslims outside prayer times.

Saint Elias Maronite Church - Saida

Located in Saida in the South, Saint Elias Maronite Church was built by the Maronite Community in 1610 on a piece of land donated by Jalal Eddine's family. Today, it is used for other purposes and its bell is the only thing that has been preserved.

Saint Nicolas Church

Saint Nicolas Church is the cathedral of the Byzantine Antiochian archbishopric in Saida, in the South. It was built in the 15th century and the dome is the biggest in the city. Its altar dates back to the Mamluk period and its iconostasis, a wall of icons and religious paintings separating the central area from the sanctuary, dates back to the 18th century. In 1819, the church was divided into two parts, one for the Greek Orthodox community and the other for Greek Catholics. At the Greek Orthodox door there is a small chapel dedicated to the two notable saints, Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Bahaa Eddine Al Hariri Mosque

Bahaa Eddine Al Hariri Mosque is an imposing structure on the north side of the southern city of Sidon (Saida) and is clearly visible from the coastal road into the city. It is of a particularly distinctive Ottoman influenced architectural style. It consists of a dome resting on eight octagonal pillars, which cover the central prayer hall entirely. The mosque can accommodate up to 5,000 worshipers in two interior rooms for women and men.

Beirut district

Achrafieh

Saint Dimitri Church

Located in Mar Mitr in Ashrafieh, the Saint Dimitri Church was built in the 19th century and is dedicated to Saint Dimitri. It contains a unique oriental architectural style, and the adjoining cemetery is one of the oldest in the capital.

Monnot

Annunciation of Greek Orthodox Church

Dating back to the early 19th century, this church was first located in the center of the old Beirut, Southeast of St. George's Church of the Maronites to the Turkish Hammam. At the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, the government took the land and demolished the church to expand the road Maarad in the downtown Etoile area. The present church was officially opened in 1927 and is one of the largest Orthodox churches of old Beirut. This church is one of the few churches that still retain an ancient marble baptismal font decorated with carvings made by hand. It contains Russian icons of beauty and perfection mounted on existing iconostasis. An iconostasis is a partition or screen on which icons are placed, separating the sanctuary from the main part of the church. The iconostasis is a delicately carved white marble decorated with drawings and colored marbles along with seashells; thus, constituting a true artistic masterpiece.

Hamra

Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church

This church is located in Beirut, between the streets Al Makhoul and Bliss, in the opposite direction of the American University of Beirut. Built in 1860, the church has a five-story school where 1,300 students of all religions and rites pursue their academic studies. Within the walls of the church are the same cemeteries dating from the time of the construction of the church.

Saints Sarkis & Bakhos Monastery

Located in the Qozhaya Valley in Zgharta up north, the first church of Saints Sarkis and Bakhos, was built in the mid-8th Century A.D. on the ruins of a Canaanite temple. Due to commanding the valley at a high altitude, it is often also called “The Watchful Eye of Qadisha”. Several buildings were added from 1404 till 1690, when Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy, a famous Maronite figure and historian, restored part of the buildings. In 1739, the Monastery was given to the Antonin Maronite Order who extended and improved its buildings and properties since then. In 1854, this Order founded the Monastery of Mar Sarkis, Zgharta in order to allow the monks of Mar Sarkis to spend winter times away from the rigorous climate of the mountain. The monastery today receives different Christian groups and movements for retreats, and it spreads its spiritual ways in local religious communities and parishes.

Keserwan district

Bzommar

Our Lady of Bzommar

The monastery of our Lady of Bzommar (Deir El-Saydet), located northeast of Beirut in Bzommar, Keserwan, is the only Armenian monastery in the Arab world after the Monastery of Jerusalem. It is located in the midst of a green hill that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. The structure is white in color and the roof is of red bricks. The halls are spacious with Gothic vaults. This monastery was originally a pagan temple. Its priests used to blow the horn once every year to call the villagers in order to gather, celebrate and hold ceremonies. In 1749, patriarch Abraham Peter I Ardzivian made it a seat for his patriarchy. In the church of the monastery, there is an image of the miraculous Lady of Sorrows, a name by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life. This image is attributed to either the artist Raphael Sanzio (1483-1521) or to Guerairo Barbieri (1591-1666). Our Lady of Bzommar is worshiped in Lebanon and in other places in the world, and many miracles have been attributed to her. In the monastery there are relics from the Holy Land of Armenia. There are also Armenian manuscripts embellished with rare miniatures and a library rich in oriental and occidental topics. The topics cover different fields of human knowledge and the archives could shed much light on certain aspects of the history of the Middle East in general and Lebanon in particular.

Al Bahr Mosque

Travelers from Saida port used to pray in this mosque, which is located in front of the maritime castle. It belongs to the Mamluk age, and it is the only one remaining in Saida from that period. It was built by “Hasan Ben Sawah” (775AH/1373AC) as stated by the graved plaque above the entry. A new minaret was recently added.

Tripoli district

Tripoli

Al Burtasi Mosque

Al Burtasi Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques and madrasahs, which means “a place of education”, from Mamluk Tripoli, in the north. It is located in Bab El-Hadid district, on the west bank of the river. It was built by Isa Ben Omar El-Burtasi El-Qurdi, around the year 1310 to be a mosque and a madrasah (school) for those who are looking for religious education. Its construction combines many unique architectural features. Its distinct Andalusian style minaret stands over a half-dome. Its mihrab, which is a niche that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca for prayer, is distinguished from all the other mihrabs of Lebanon by the gold mosaics and miniatures that represent a cup from which leafy branches stick out. This mosque is also characterized by a huge cupola, which is dome like structure on top of a building, under which stands the marble ablution fountain used for ritual washing before entering prayer.

Downtown

Emir Assaf Mosque

Also known as Bab Al-Saraya Mosque, the mosque is easily seen from Weygand Street, which runs through the heart of downtown Beirut, across from the Municipality Building. It was built by the Emir Mansour Assaf in 1597 on the ruins of a Byzantine church on the former Serail Square. &nbsp;Some of the characteristics of the Ottoman style are the square form of the mosque, its five-cupola/dome, roof and the ablaq decoration; an architectural style which involves alternating rows of light and dark stone of the entrance. Roman columns support the central dome in the mosque’s prayer hall. In the mid-1990s, the mosque’s original western façade was renovated.

Emir Munzer Mosque

The Emir Munzer Mosque is located in Riad El-Solh, downtown Beirut. It was named after Prince Munzer Bin Suleiman, and is also called the Nafoura, or fountain, due to the presence of an ancient fountain in its courtyard. The mosque was completed in 1620, during the reign of Fakhreddine II and it also features ancient Roman columns. Although it was built in the Ottoman period, the architectural style is much more traditional Lebanese than Ottoman or even Mamluk style. In a post-civil war restoration, the mosque's courtyard was covered to shield worshippers from rainy weather.

National Evangelical Church

Built in 1869, in Downtown Beirut, by the Anglo-American missionaries to fulfill the needs of Beirut's Protestant community, the National Evangelical Church was the earliest Protestant church that operated in Arabic. It is located on a high hill in downtown, and its clock tower is quite visible in surrounding areas of Beirut. The church was completely destroyed by shelling in 1976, except for the bell tower, but its congregation was gradually scattered. It was rebuilt using the original stone in 1998.

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Miraculous was built by the Vincentian Fathers overlooking a hill in Achrafieh, east Beirut. It was dedicated in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio in 1952 and was one of the first churches to be granted the status of basilica by the Holy See. With time, it has become a center of piety, reconciliation and spiritual influence in Beirut and all of Lebanon.

Abou Bakr al Siddiq Mosque

Abou Bakr al Siddiq Mosque, in Downtown Beirut, has been alternatively referred to as The Mosque of the Sea and The Tannery Mosque, given its historic proximity to each. It dates back to 1294, during the reign of Omar Ibn al-Khattab. &nbsp;It was demolished in 1915 under the French Mandate but rebuilt in 1932. The mosque sustained heavy damage during the Lebanese war, but it was remarkably restored and reopened in 1999.

Ain el Mreiseh

Ain el Mreiseh Mosque

Centrally located, across from the famous Cornish, the Ain el Mreiseh Mosque was built in the late 19th century, by Bayham and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah Al-Habari. In 1951, Islamic religious foundations restored the mosque and its court. This includes newly installed water pipes for the prayer rites of ablution. In recent years, the mosque was renovated, while preserving its historic character.

Msaytbeh

Al Msaytbeh Mosque

Al Msaytbeh Mosque is in the Msaytbeh district, one of the 12 neighborhoods of Beirut. It is located next to the residence of President Saeb Salam, another famous landmark of this area. The mosque was built in 1884 during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. At the time, the governor of Syria Ahmed Hamdi Pasha had contributed towards the cost of building it, in addition to the contributions he collected from the people of Beirut. Some refurbishments and renovations were made from 1973-1975, preserving it as a main hub for present day Muslims in this highly populated mainly residential area of Beirut.

Al Attar Mosque

Located in the souk area of Tripoli, the 14th century Al Attar Mosque is one of the largest and most important mosques of the city. Easily recognizable by its monumental doorway decorated with an intricate marble mosaic design, the mosque is named after a prosperous perfume merchant, Badr Al Din Ibn Al Attar. He funded its construction under the supervision of renowned architect Abi Bakr Al Bousais Al Baalbaki. Outside the west portal is a picturesque vaulted alley dating from the Crusader era. The mosque features a colorful marble minaret with the eastern door built by master architect Mohammad Bin Ibrahim. The square sandstone tower is considered one of the finest minarets in Tripoli, admired by locals and visitors alike.

Al Barrani Mosque

This mosque was the first to be outside the old Saida city walls in southern Lebanon, hence its name Barrani (external). Of Ottoman design, it has three domes and a room that includes the remains of two emirs, Melhem and Saif Eddine, sons of Fakhreddine Ibn Maan II, the Emir who built it in 1634. It is considered a lively model of the Islamic architecture of the Ottoman age. Its southern wall is made with piebald stones in brown, red, black and white, and its minaret is octagonal.

Al Majidieh Mosque

Al Majidieh Mosque was originally an ancient maritime citadel in Beirut and one of its most important strongholds. It was an extension of Souk Al-Tawile, which overlooked the harbor and was used as a warehouse for timber merchants. In the mid 19th century, it was restored and converted into a mosque, named in honor of Sultan Abdul Majid. During the Lebanese Civil War, the mosque was destroyed has since been restored once again, adding another minaret higher than the original one.

Al Muallaq Mosque

This mosque is a mid 16th century Ottoman structure in Tripoli, the second largest city north of Beirut. It is situated near the south end of the city’s main street of the souks. Built by the Emir Mahmoud Lutfi El-Za’im on top of a passageway, it was named Al Muallaq (The Hanging). Visitors can access this hanging mosque by climbing a flight of stairs to the second floor entrance. True to its Ottoman design, the minaret is octagonal and adjoined by a small dome above the door. On the eastern side of the mosque is a garden containing the tomb of the Emir and his deserted castle.

Al Tahham Mosque

Located in Tripoli, Al Tahham Mosque stands on top of a souk in the Al Haddadine neighborhood, accessible by a staircase. The date of its foundation and its builder are unknown, but the styling of the mosque indicates a Mamluk period origin. Al Tahham Mosque is distinguished by a short but richly decorated minaret, known as The Prince’s Minaret. It rises over a pointed arch portal on the north side with four pyramidal buttresses supporting its base, and four arched windows, each with a carved stone balcony.

Al Qikhya Mosque

Located in the old town of Sidon, Al Qikhya Mosque showcases typical Islamic design from the Ottoman period. Built by Mustafa Al-Qatkhada in 1624, its structure includes six domes, muqarnas (architectural vaulting), four columns of differing geometric design, and a marble white and blue minbar (the pulpit where the Imam delivers sermons).

Al Tawbah Mosque

Located in the Al Dabbaghah neighborhood in Tripoli, Al Tawbah Mosque was frequently cited in the writings of travelers who visited this northern commercial coastal city in the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally a Mamluk construction, the mosque was destroyed by the 1612 flood and restored during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I. Interestingly, it shares a minaret with the Dabbaghin Mosque (Tanners’ Mosque) while the rest of structure reflects Ottoman styling. The mosque contains two inscriptions: one engraved in the stone from the Mamluk era, and a second set on a bronze plaque from the Ottoman period detailing its destruction and restoration.

Arghoun Shah Mosque

Located in the Saff El-Balat neighborhood in the northern city of Tripoli, in the north, the Mosque of the Emir Arghoun Shah was built several decades before Tripoli fell to the Ottomans. Its south side has been rebuilt and painted but the east facade and unique minaret have been left untouched. The mosque’s minaret is distinguished by its cylindrical shape and its ten-sided balcony, which has stone screens of richly carved arabesque and individually unique geometric patterns. Its stone screens are considered the most elaborate in all of Lebanon.

Bab Al Saray Mosque

Bab Al Saray Mosque is one of the oldest standing mosques in the southern city of Saida. Its construction dates from the period when Europeans occupied the city in 1201. Its minaret rises 20 meters above the roof and is distinguished by its large dome. It is called Al Saray Mosque today because of its proximity to the saray (government house) built by Emir Fakhreddine II.

Capuchin Saint Louis Church

Capuchin St. Louis Church is a Latin Catholic Church in downtown Beirut. Built in 1864 and inaugurated in 1868, it is noted for its sandstone facades, rose-colored wooden windows, and its new towering campanile. During the war, the church was burned and shelled several times, and restoration was completed in 2002. The church is just north of the Grand Serail, also known as the Government Palace, and the Council of Reconstruction and Development.

Madrassa Al Burtasiya

Serving as a mosque today, the Madrassa Al Burtasiya, originally a place of theological education, also known as the Bertasi, was built in the early 14th century in Tripoli in the north, and was severely damaged by flooding in 1955. It has since been expertly restored by the Lebanese Department of Antiquities and today this imposing monument of the early Mamluk period is one of old Tripoli’s major attractions. The madrassa features a dark stone portal, or entrance and surroundings, and the half-dome ceiling is decorated with traditional stalactites and beneath them is a band of Arabic inscriptions. The lintel or horizontal support, is inlaid with intricate geometric panels. The interior is decorated by a row of arched ornamentation interspersed with arched windows. A marble fountain stands in the prayer hall, while the beautiful mihrab, a niche that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca for prayer, is bedecked in stone and glass mosaics are overlaid with gold leaf. The designs of the mosaic are floral and geometric with green-blue branches standing out against a golden background. The madrassa has a square minaret and the small decorative column separating the windows has a badly-worn capital, which is the top portion of a column that may be of Crusader origin.

Mansouri Great Mosque

Situated at the base of the citadel, the core fortified area of a city, the Mansouri Great Mosque, located in the north in Tripoli, was erected between 1294 and 1315 on the ruins of St. Mary of the Tower Church, which was built by the Crusaders during the 12th century. It has the significant distinction of being the first major Mamluk construction in Tripoli, and while not having the most elaborate facade in a city so rich with ancient architecture, the Great Mosque is an impressively imposing structure. The ample stone courtyard, which features a covered ablution fountain which is used for ritual washing before entering prayer, leads to the domed and vaulted prayer hall. A common misconception is that the mosque was converted from the church that preceded it and while the northern door and the bell tower, which is now the minaret, are probably from the church, the building is still distinctly an Islamic one. There are informational plaques inside about the mosque and about life during the Mamluk period. The interior dome is a marvel of intricate gold-leaf geometry supported by the classic black-and-white arches perched atop slender pillars.

Jbeil district

Jbeil / Byblos

Saint John Mark Church

Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, in Byblos/Jbeil in the North, Saint John Mark Church (Mar Yuhanna Marcus Church) was initially dedicated to Saint John, the Baptist. A semi-circular cupola, or a small dome on a roof, was later added to the open-air baptistery that stands outside the church. During the 18th century, Emir Yousef Chehab offered it to members of Maronite Monastery, who renovated it. The church was restored a second time after being damaged by the British fleet in 1840. The bell tower was constructed in 1947.

Clemenceau

Saint Elias Maronite Church - Beirut

Located in the Beirut Central District, on Fakhreddine Street Kantari, the original building dates back to 1907. It was built on the ruins of a small ancient Maronite church. The yellow-stone church was restored in 2002 and French artist Jack Guiton painted its windows.

Mohammad Al Amin Mosque

Located just off of Martyrs’ Square, in Beirut, this massive and domineering mosque, now the most recognizable and iconic in Lebanon is distinguished by its Ottoman and Oriental architectural styling. In the 19th century, a zawiya, or prayer corner, was originally built on this site, and later on there were intentions to replace the site with a mosque. Following a donation by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the foundation stone for the Mohammad Al Amin mosque was laid in November 2002, and the mosque was finally inaugurated in 2008. It was built with yellow stones and an enormous blue cupola, a rounded dome forming the roof, and features four minarets that stand 65 meters high. The mosque also contains the grave of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005.

Harissa

Our Lady of Deliverance Monastery

In 1783, the patriarch of the Syriac Catholics, Ignatios Mikhail Gerweh El-Halabi, arrived to Lebanon, escaping his persecutors in Baghdad. He took refuge in this monastery, which is the located in the town of Daroun, in the Kerserwan district, northeast of Beirut. Later on, he bought it and named it the Monastery of the Chair. The monastery began to enlarge. A clerical school was inaugurated in it in 1964. Today, it contains a library hosting manuscripts dating back to the Middle Ages and letters exchanged between the superior fathers in the monastery and the Holy See, the patriarchs, the princes, the ambassadors and councils. It also contains around 30,000 books related to religion, history, geography, and liturgy in Arabic, Syriac, Turkish, Persian and Latin. Some of them date back to the last two centuries. The monastery lost around 18 manuscripts, which were chosen by father Agustin Chiasca upon his visit in 1880. He took them to the Vatican library upon the approval of Patriarch Gerges Chalhat. Foreign orientalists and travelers visited the monastery in order to study and gain knowledge. They organized a training session for the bishops. They also supplied the library with material to preserve it from decay.

Hraicheh

Our Lady of Natour Monastery 

Taynal Mosque

Built in 1336 in the north, in Tripoli, on the site of what was once the Crusader Carmelite Church, Taynal Mosque is an exquisite example of Mamluk architecture. Situated in the middle of a delightful grassy courtyard with a large marble fountain and lined with palm trees, this oblong sandstone structure has four 16-sided green domes. The mosque contains the mausoleum, a small building which houses tombs, of its founder, Emir Saifeddine Taynal. Some of the columns used in the building were taken from Roman buildings.

Our Lady of Lebanon - Harissa

A huge, 15-ton bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, with her arms outstretched adorns the bluff high above Jounieh. Located in Harissa, on the mountainside overlooking the city of Jounieh, this statue is known as Our Lady of Lebanon or Notre Dame du Liban. It was made in the late 19th century in Lyon, France, and inaugurated in 1908. Inside the statue's base there is a small chapel. Among other churches of various denominations, it is worth mentioning the Byzantine-style Melkite Greek Catholic Basilica of St. Paul, is located to the south. The Papal Embassy, as well as the residences of four Eastern Catholic cardinals church, are in the vicinity of Harissa and Our Lady of Lebanon. The site was visited by both Pope Jean Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

St. Elias and St. Gregory Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saints Gregory and Elias is located in the south of downtown Beirut, near the residential zone of Saifi Village. During its construction in 1860, this church was the first to be dedicated to Armenian Catholics in Lebanon. It was destroyed in 1901 in order to expand so that it can accommodate a large number of devotees. It was destroyed once again in 1950 to build the Cathedral of St. Elias and St. Gregory which was during the time of the Cardinal Agajajian.

Zahleh district

Zahleh

Our Lady of Zahle 

The top of eastern tower of Saydet, Zahle, in eastern Lebanon, which is accessed through an elevator, offers tranquil views of the city and the Bekaa Valley. A bronze Italian statue of the Virgin Mary holding a grapevine stands atop the tower and watches over the city while the base houses a small chapel.

Al Imam Al Ouzai Mosque

Zaouiyah Al-Imam Al-Ouza'I is located at Souk Al-Tawile, where in the old souks used to be in downtown Beirut, within Beirut Central District, in the West side of Sheikh Ibn 'Arraq’s Zaouiyah. The school is named after Imam Al-Ouza'I who lived Beirut and turned his home into a school of Islamic theology, a place where religious studies were taught. In 1529, a fountain was built next to the school in memory of the Imam. Imam Al-Ouza'I died in his school in 774 in the last years of the reign of Caliph Abi Jaafar Al-Mansour and the inhabitants of Beirut had followed the procession carrying his mortal remains from downtown to the southern suburbs, known as the Hantous. The Zaouiyah was situated in the middle of Souk Al-Tawile until the outbreak of the Lebanese war in 1975 which turned it into ruins. A project is being prepared to rebuild it in its original place.

Saydet el Maabour - Jezzine

Saydet el Maabour (Our Lady of Jezzine) is a commanding shrine, in southern Lebanon, with a statue of the Virgin Mary at the entrance of the city. In 1898, an important passageway connecting Jezzine with the coastal cities and Saida was built. In 1955, the Virgin Statue was added and is visited during religious celebrations on August 15 every year, the day of the Virgin's ascension. During this time, celebrators walk around the town until they reach the statue with prayers and candles.

Annaya

Saint Maron Monastery

Located in Annaya within Byblos (Jbeil), in northern Lebanon, this site is the hermitage and burial of Saint Charbel, a famous iconic Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon. In the peaceful green of Annaya rests the remains of the saint Lebanese Mar Charbel who was born May 8, 1828 at Bqa'aqafra, one of the highest villages in the Cedars region, in the north. Mar Charbel is now an object of worship and a supreme example of hard work and absolute devotion to God. Moreover, from an early age he was nicknamed “The Holy” because of his great piety. In 1875, he retired to the hermitage overlooking the valley Ehmej, which was later transformed into a fervent pilgrimage, one of the busiest in the country. He lived there in the greatest austerity, 23 years until his death in December 24, 1898 while celebrating Christmas mass at the age of 70. In 1965 He was then beatified, which means he was declared as a deceased person, to be among the blessed and entitled to specific religious honor. In October 1977, he was canonized, which means the church declared after his death that he was a saint, and then he was included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. The monastery of Mar Maroun Annaya is a simple, squat building, with a statue of Saint Charbel’s arm raised to the sky in the outdoor courtyard with a wrought iron fence. It also contains a small church which is constantly illuminated by the prayers and wishes of believers, and small museum objects that belonged to Saint.

Batroun district

Hamat

Our Lady of Nourieh Monastery

At the top of the historic Deir El Nourieh cliffs of Ras Chekka in North Lebanon, historically known as Cape Theoprosopon, the 17th century monastery of Saydet El Nourieh, Our Lady of Nourieh, stands amidst the charming orchards and gardens of the village behind it. The scenery here is breathtaking. The monastery’s structure is cloistered around an interior courtyard, and the church is laid out on a basilica plan. Steep staircases lead down the cliff sides from the monastery to a small church built in a cave carved out of the cliff, exposed to the wind and sea. A number of old hermitages are also found on the scenic footpaths leading down. There is a wetlands refuge, as well, which is listed under the Ramsar Convention, which is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. Submarine freshwater springs off the coast of Ras Chekka are thought to enhance the biodiversity of the waters, making the Deir El Nourieh cliffs and promontory a significant stopping point for migratory birds, which includes notable species such as the White Pelican and Purple Heron.

Gemmayzeh

Saint Maroun Church - Beirut

Located in Gemmayzeh, Beirut, this roman style Maronite church with variegated, oriental stone arches was built in 1875. It is known for its arcades and its quarried stones. The church’s most beautiful part is its stained glass windows and the white marble altar, which is surmounted by a portrait of St. Maroun, painted by Daoud El Corm.

Saint Nicolas Church - Saida

The Church of Saint Nicolas was built in the 15th century, as the cathedral of the Byzantine Antiochian Archbishopric in Sidon (Saida), in southern Lebanon. Its dome is the biggest in the city and its altar dates back to the Mamluk period. Its iconostasis, a wall of icons and religious paintings separating the central area from the sanctuary, dates back to the 18th century. In 1819, the church was divided into one part for the Greek Orthodox community and the other one for the Greek Catholics. At the door of the Greek Orthodox bishop which is part of the cathedral there is a small chapel dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.

Ghazir

The Monastery of Saint Anthony of Padua - Ghazir

This monastery lies upon the hill of Khashbao that overlooks the Bay of Jounieh, north of Beirut. Khashbao is a Syriac word that means a house for invocation and prayer. The Lebanese Maronite Order constructed it in 1752. In 1820, the church was built and was dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. It is one of the most beautiful churches in the East. It is 30m long, 15m wide and 19m high. The Lebanese Maronite Order restored it in 1977 with the aid of the General Directorate of Antiquities in Lebanon. It was inhabited by the Armenian monks until 1890. Then the Capuchin monks came from France and stayed in it and then they left it during the 1910’s. It was deserted until 1985 when the Maronite Order renovated it adding a new aisle where it became an architectural piece of art.

Mar Semaan Church

To the east of Byblos (Jbeil), in northern Lebanon, on a small hill, you can see an old chapel dedicated to St. Simeon, a Syriac ascetic saint who achieved fame for climbing a pillar and living for 37 years on its small platform until his death. The church was designated in the region, Mar Semaan. At the center of this chapel, built by the Crusaders, stands a huge trunk marble column, which obviously does not come from an ordinary Roman temple. In fact the square chapel, built by the Crusaders and surmounted by a dome is intended to highlight the column of the Stylite, who were a type of Christian ascetics, which were inspired by St. Simeon and who were common in the early days of the Byzantine period. They lived on pillars, preaching, fasting, praying, and essentially were living a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures.

Chouf district

Deir el Qamar

Saydet Al Talleh Church

In the maze of old houses and narrow streets, a small staircase leads to the front of the church of Saydet Al Talleh or Our Lady of the Hill, in the heart of Deir El-Qamar, Chouf, within south central Lebanon. It was constructed on the ruins of a Phoenician temple dedicated to Astarte, a goddess of many things including fertility and war. Extended, restored and rebuilt, the church is dedicated to the miraculous Virgin Mary. It is one of the places most frequented by pilgrimage in Lebanon. The first Sunday of August is celebrated lavishly in this church enclosed by buildings of the convent of monks.

Aley district

Bmekkine

Saint George Greek Orthodox Church

Located 23 km southeast of Beirut, this monastery is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Beirut. It is actually the summer residence of Archbishop of Beirut. Built in 1904 under Archbishop Gerasimos Mesarrah, the monastery church is distinguished by its large rocky pillars surrounding its outer galleries and hallways and the rare icons and wooden carved iconostasis, a wall of icons and religious paintings separating the central area from the sanctuary, from 1905. On the left side of the church, there is an archeological monastery from, the early 20th century that houses rocky, vaulted halls. The church was exposed to partial destruction during the war but was renovated later.

Saydet Al Mantara

On a hill overlooking the coast, a few kilometers from the southern city of Saida, stands as a colossal statue of Mary holding infant Jesus, called the Saydet Al Mantara or Our Lady of the Guardian.The site is home to The Road of the Holy Shrines and the Church of Our Lady in Waiting, a cave in which it is said the Virgin Mary once stayed while pregnant with her son. The cave of Saydet Al Mantara was made into a sanctuary by early Christians. &nbsp;It is also said according to tradition that Mary followed her son on his journeys between Cana, Tyre, Sarafand, and Sidon, and that it was on this hill in Maghdouche that the Virgin awaited the return of Jesus from his apostolic wanderings. The new basilica features shiny, tiled frescoes, which are a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid or wet lime plaster. An annual pilgrimage takes place in Maghdouche every September 18 to mark the feast of the birth of the Virgin. The area of statue of Mary provides spectacular views which cover the Mediterranean, the city of Saida, the valley leading into the interior, and the Ain El-Hilweh refugee camp.

Saint Elias The Great Monastery

The Monastery of Saint Elias At-Towaq, located in Zahle, in eastern Lebanon, dates back to 1755. It was renovated in 1880 after a fire. Today it stands as one of Zahle's most venerable monuments.

Saydet Al Najat Monastery

Located in Zahle, in eastern Lebanon, The Monastery of Our Lady of Najat has the largest bell tower in Lebanon. Built in 1720, the monastery is also known for its beautiful icon of the Virgin Mary, which was a gift from the King of Prussia.

Behdidat

Saint Theodore Church

Bahdidat, is a small village located at 550m above sea level north of Byblos (Jbeil) in northern Lebanon. Here, an old rectangular Maronite chapel dedicated to St. Theodore contains beautiful murals. The apse, a part of a church that is shaped like a half circle, is covered over the entire height of the wall, which tells the story of salvation in two stages according to the Old and New Testament. The relative part to the Old Testament occupies the bow hanger, while the lower arch and apse depict scenes from the New Testament.

Zouk Mosbeh

Christ the King Convent - Zouk Mosbeh

This site is located in Zouk, Mosbeh in Keserwan, north of Beirut. In 1895, Brother Yaacoub (Jacob) Haddad, from the Latin Capacin Order, was passing in front of the rocks of Nahr El Kalb on his way to pronounce his monastic vows, where he saw the historical inscriptions on the rocks and said, “Christ must have a record in this place, more important than the written and engraved remains”. Later, he bought a piece of land (300 thousand m2) on the hill called Ruins of the Kings facing the Monastery of Saint Joseph Al-Bourj from the Halabite monks of the monastery of Louizeh, later called the Mariamites. He built a church and inaugurated it 1951. Later on, he asked the Italian artist, Renato Betelia to make a statue, which was elevated on the last Sunday of October 1952. Near the monastery there is a small cave, which the workers discovered. Father Yaacoub turned it into a sanctuary for the Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

Abdel Wahed Mosque

One of the oldest religious monuments in Tripoli, in the north, located to the east of Souq Al-Attarine, or the perfumers market, in the Al-Mahatirah neighborhood, the Abdel Wahed Mosque was built not by a Mamluk but by a Moroccan holy man called Abdul Wahed El-Meknasi in 1305. He was among the many Sunni Muslims who traveled to the newly built Muslim city, that had been retaken from the Crusaders and which was to become a center of Islamic scholarship. The engraved plaque detailing the construction of the mosque is written in naksh, a Moroccan calligraphy. The mosque is famous for its small, elevated minaret, which was the first of its kind in Lebanon, as well as for its simple dome surmounting the Moroccan-style mihrab, a niche that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca for prayer. To this day people continue to put Myrtus Communis branches on the window overlooking the road, which is a sort of commemoration of the dead. Above the mosque there is a corridor with several rooms where Moroccans still live.

Matn district

Deir el Harf

Saint George Orthodox Monastery

The Greek Orthodox monastery of Saint George is located in Deir El-Harf, Baabda, east of Beirut, in the midst of a pine forest that covers Ras El Matn Mountain. Its construction date is unknown but the available documents reveal that it dates back to the 18th century. It has a simple architectural style consisting of an open courtyard and near it, a church that gathers the Orthodox inhabitants of the village. The iconostasis, a wall of icons and religious paintings separating the central area from the sanctuary, is wooden and the church is decorated with a rare collection of icons while rare frescoes, which are a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid or wet lime plaster, cover its walls and vaults.

Joun

Deir el Mkhaless - Joun

On a green spot next to Joun, where Lady Ester Astanhope lived, in the Chouf in south central Lebanon, stands the Greek Catholic Monastery of our Savior on a piece of land offered by the Sheikhs of the Joumblat family. It consists of a red tiled roof, a large building superimposed with a clock tower, and with a fountain in an open court. Its church is a masterpiece and it contains rare manuscripts and a collection of precious icons and other objects used for worship.

Our Lady of Ilige