The holy valley of Kadisha – also called the Qannoubine valley – in Lebanon has been classified on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1998.
Strongly steep and sloping, it extends from the Cedars Forest which overlooks it and hosts the Qannoubine river which will become the Abu Ali river in Tripoli.
The holy valley was occupied very early by man since traces have been found dating back to the Paleolithic. It will become a refuge because of the difficulties of accessing it for many populations victims of abuses including the Maronite community from the end of the 7th century.
General views of the Qannoubine Valley
Thus the Monastery of Qannoubine will even become the Maronite patriarchal seat in the 15th century. But there are also the ruins of Ethiopian, Nestorian, Armenian, Melchite and Jacobite monasteries. We can still find today paleo-Christian traces.
See the photo gallery: the frescoes of the Monastery of Qannoubine
In 1990, there were also 8 naturally preserved mummies of people with their clothes and belonging to the Maronite community, which proves that the place still has many secrets to reveal.
These mummies are currently in the National Museum with different objects discovered at the same time.
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The Monastery of Deir el Salib
Among the exceptional places the Ethiopian and Syriac Jacobite Monastery of Deir el Salib, located below the village of Hadchit. These frescoes, which date from the Middle Ages, were painted by Syriac, Jacobite and Ethiopian rite monks.
The Monastery of Deir el Salib is one of the oldest meeting places between different medieval Christian communities in Lebanon fleeing persecution. It is a cave transformed into a monastery or a hermitage.
We chose this painting of the 4 evangelists to show how the heritage can be in danger in Lebanon, in particular in view of the degradations made by the imbecility and the lack of civility of some and the carelessness of both secular and incapable religious authorities. to protect them. These frescoes have been degraded since the beginning of the 2000s by the hand of man and in particular at the level of the eyes and mouths of the evangelists, quite a symbol in the face of those who preach the word of the Lord.
See the photo gallery
Our Lady of Hawqa
Today, from this past of hermits, we can only meet Father Dario Escobar, a Maronite monk who came from Colombia and who gave up fortune and comfort to respond to the call of God for the discomfort of a church. , Notre Dame de Hawqa and her cloister perched in a cave located at almost the very beginning of the valley.
Getting there
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The Statue of Saint Charbel in Annaya
St Charbel, Patron Saint of Lebanon
The Maronite community through history and 3 tutelary figures
Lebanon / Culture: At the highest peak in Lebanon, Kornet Sawda
