Achkout – Saint John the Baptist

Hermel, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  دير مار مارون على نهر العاصي

City:  Hermel

District:  Hermel

Governorate:  Baalbek-Hermel

History: 

The monastery of St Maroun on the Orontes - Hermel

The monastery was originally a natural cave consisting of three sections, it was expanded by Roman builders working in nearby stone quarries. It is situated above Ain El Zarqa, one of the sources of the Orontes River, and connected to the river via a corridor carved into the mountainside. This was used to fetch water and provide a hiding place during enemy attacks. In the VIth century, Maronite monks sought refuge in the cave after facing persecution in northern Syria, where their monastery was destroyed and its contents dispersed. The monks expanded the cave and carved an altar, turning the cave into a new monastery. This marked the beginning of the Maronite migration to the mountains of Lebanon along the Orontes River. Over time, the monastery was neglected and became an abandoned farm. In 2011, it was visited by Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi and has since been restored in 2018, returning to the Maronite Church. The monastery serves as a testament to the spread and perseverance of the Maronite Church in the Levant.

Eglise Notre-Dame De l'Annonciation - كنيسة سيدة البشارة للروم الأورثوذوكس, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة سيدة البشارة للروم الأورثوذوكس

City:  Kfar Aaqab

District:  Metn

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

Saint Maroun Church, Haiyatah, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة مار مارون

City:  Hayata

District:  Keserwan

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

History: 

كنيسة مار مارون - حياطة

بنى أهالي الحياطة كنيسة مار مارون وهي على شكل عقدٍ مصالب سنة ١٨٨٠. كرّسها المطران يوحنّا الحاج (البطريرك لاحقًا)، وقد أوحى وجه هذا الأسقف الفنّان حبيب سرور ليرسم لوحة مار مارون برصانته. تضمّ الكنيسة لوحة البشارة للخوري موسى ديب الدلبتاوي. رمّمت الكنيسة سنة ٢٠٠٨.

The Church of St Maroun - Haiyatah

The villagers constructed the parish church of St Maroun in 1880. The structure is a cross-vault building. It was consecrated by Bishop Youhanna El Hage (later Patriarch) whose face, due to his serenity, served as a model for that of St Maroun when the painting was created by Habib Srour. The church also features an Annunciation painting by Fr Moussa Dib from Dlebta. The church underwent restoration in 2008.