Baabdat – Saint Georges

Monastery of Saint John Marcus Jbeil Lebanese Maronite Order, Byblos, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  مار يوحنا مرقس - جبيل

Year built:  1115

City:  Jbayl

District:  Jbeil

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

History: 

A beautiful Romanesque church, Eglise Saint Jean Marc is the cathedral church of Jbail-Byblos. The Church is dedicated to Saint Jean Mark, the patron saint of the town, who is said to have founded the first Christian community of Byblos. The church itself was built in 1115 A.D by the Crusaders, originally as the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. After their departure, earthquakes, invasions and other disasters have repeatedly damaged the structure, and for a few centuries it remained disused. In 1764, Emir Youssef Chehab, of the Druze dynasty that ruled a semi- autonomous Lebanon under the Ottomans, donated the church to L’Ordre Libanais Maronite (Lebanese Maronite Order) which subsequently restored and reopened in 1776 after re-dedicating it to St Jean Marc. British bombardments of Lebanon in 1840 caused further damage, but the church was restored yet again. Eglise Saint Jean Marc continues to serve the Maronite Christian community. One interesting feature in the church is its open- air domed baptistery on the northern side which dates from the original construction in 1115 A.D, The church is situated on Rue de Port, between the port and the archaeological area.

Sayyidat Naya Church, Kafr, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة سيّدة نايا

City:  Kfarb Shlaimane

District:  Batroun

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

History: 

كنيسة سيّدة نايا - كفرشليمان

كانت كفرشليمان مركزًا لمعبدٍ فينيقيّ تحوّل في القرن الخامس الميلادي مع إنتشار الديانة المسيحية، الى كنيسة على إسم سيّدة نايا (الكنيسة الجديدة). إزدانت الكنيسة برسوم وجدرانيات ونقوش مميزة على صخورها رمّمت عام ٢٠٠٧. في الكنيسة جداريّات الشفاعة ، الضابط الكلّ، العذراء المرضعة، مار أفسطاقيوس.
كان البطريرك يوسف التِيّان متنسكًا في هذه الكنيسة، بعدما إستقال من السّدة البطريركية جرّاء خلافه مع الأمير بشير الثاني الشهابيّ.

The church of Our Lady of Naya - Kfarshleiman

Kfarshleiman was the land of a Phoenician shrine that was converted in the Vth century into a Byzantine church dedicated to our Lady and named “nea” meaning new church. The church was ornate with frescoes that were restored in 2007 representing: the Deisis, the Pantokrator, the Nourishing Virgin, St Eustache.
The Patriarch Youssef el Tyan used the church as a hermitage for a while after he resigned from his seat due to the polemic with Prince Beshir the second Shehab.

Mar Mikhael - Church, Seraal, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة مار ميخائيل

City:  Seraal

District:  Zgharta

Governorate:  North

History: 

كنيسة مار ميخائيل - سرعل

بُنيت الكنيسة الأولى في القرن الثاني عشر. سنة ١٨٨٥ قرر الأهالي تشييد كنيسة جديدة. سنة ١٨٩٧ إنتهى بناء الكنيسة الجديدة. زيّن الكنيسة بالجداريّات الفنّان راجي دانيال السرعلي، سنة ١٩٥٥، وسنة ٢٠٠٢ رمّم اللوحات وزاد عليها الفنان حبيب خوري. رتّلت فيها السيّدة فيروز أناشيد الفصح سنة ٢٠١٠. تضمّ الكنيسة جثمان كاهنها الخوري يوسف أبي مارون معتوق الذي اشتهر بقداسة السيرة وبقي جسده سالمًا من الفساد.

The church of St Michael - Sereel

The first church was built in the XIIth century, and in 1889 the new church was built on top of it. The church was decorated with frescoes in 1955 by Daniel el Seraaly. In 2002 the frescoes were renovated and added upon by Habib Khoury. In 2012 Fairouz chose the church to sing the easter hymns. The church holds the remains of Fr Youssef Abi Maroun Maatouk who was a saintly figure and his body was incorruptible.