Ashkout – The monastery of Sts Peter and Paul

Our Lady of the Forest - Saydet el Ghabeh, Beirut, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة سيّدة الغابة

City:  Beit Chabab

District:  Metn

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

History: 

كنيسة سيّدة الغابة - بيت شباب

بنُيت الكنيسة الأولى في القرن السابع عشر، واعتنى بإعادة بنائها آل الحايك مرّتين سنة ١٧٧٢ و١٧٧٣. خُرّبت أثناء حملة إبراهيم باشا فأعاد ترميمها الأمير حيدر أبي اللمع سنة ١٨٤٠. أخذت شكلها الحاليّ سنة ١٩٠٠ ورُمّمت سنة ١٩٩٠. في الكنيسة عدّة لوحات أهمّها اللوحة القديمة التي تعود للقرن السادس عشر، كان قد رسم فوقها كنعان ديب لوحة أخرى لم تعد موجودة سنة ١٨٣٩ وقد جرّحها فارسٌ درزيّ في أحداث ١٨٦٠، وقد نُقلت عنها لوحة لحبيب سرور تعود لسنة ١٩١٩.
The church of Our Lady of the Forest - Beit Chabeb

The church was first built in the XVIIth century, then rebuilt by the Hayek family in 1726 and 1773. It was damaged during the campaign of Mehmet Ali Pasha and restored by Prince Haidar Abi Ll Lamah in 1840. It took its final shape in year 1900, and then restored 90 years later. The church holds many paintings the most important ones being the old XVIth century icon of the Madona, that was covered by another painting by Kanaan Dib drawn in year 1839 that is no longer present. This painting was attacked by a Druze knight in the war of 1860. Habib Srour drew a copy of it in 1919.

Saint Challita Church, Tannourine El Faouqa, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  دير مار شلّيطا

City:  Tannourine El-Faouqa

District:  Batroun

Governorate:  North

History: 

دير مار شلّيطا - تنوّرين الفوقا

من أقدم كنائس تنّورين، يرجّح البعض أن يكون البناء في الأصل هيكلاً وثنيًّا. الكنيسة مزدوجة بمذبحين: مار شليطا ومار جرجس، دلالة على أنّ الكنيسة تعود لأواسط العصر البيزنطيّ. دير مار شليطا يحوي نقوشًا مميّزة: صليب العاموديّين، الصليب الورديّ، والنجوم المثمّنة والمسدّسة. جرسها من عمل فارس النفّاع سنة ١٩٤٤. في الكنيسة لوحتين غير موقّعتين لمار جرجس ومار شليطا تعودا لما قبل القرن السادس عشر.

The monastery of St Challita - Tannourin el Fawka

It is one of the oldest churches in Tannourin, and used to be a pagan temple according to some sources. The double choir indicates that the structure dates back to the mid Byzantine era. The monastery of St Chalyta is finely built with rare encrypted geometric shapes on the apses : the rose cross, the cross of the stylite, the six and the eight pointed stars... The bell is done by of Fares el Nafah in 1944. In the church are two paintings for St Challita and St George dating back to the XVIth century and not signed.

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.