Ghazir – The Maronite Patriarchal Seminary

Saint Zakhia's Cathedral, Ajaltoun, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة مار زخيا القديمة

City:  Aajaltoun

District:  Keserwan

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

History: 

كنيسة مار زخيا القديمة - عجلتون

بُنيت الكنيسة الأولى سنة ١٦٧٢، وكرّسها البطريرك إسطفان الدويهيّ. سنة ١٨٢٨ كانت الكنيسة أصبحت ضيّقة، فأُخذت جحارتها، بالإضافة إلى حجارة كنيسةٍ قديمةٍ مهجورةٍ على اسم مار عبدا، كانت تخصّ آل الشمالي قبل نزوحهم إلى بلدة سهيلة. كان البناء بسعي الخوري نقولا صفير. الكنيسة كناية عن عقدٍ مُصالب ينتهي بحنية. تضمّ أربعة مذابح: مار زخيا، السيّدة، القلب الأقدس، مار يوسف. الكنيسة تحافظ على طابعها الأصليّ بنقوشها وزخرفتها الملوّنة والأشكال الهندسيّة على الجدران والأسقف.

The church of St Zakhia (St Nicolas) - Ajaltoun

The first church was built in 1672, and dedicated by Patriarch Estefan el Douwaihy. In 1828 the church became too small for the increasing number of villagers. With the help of Fr Nkoula Sfeir, two old churches were dismantled: the old St Zakhia and an old ruined chapel dedicated to St Abda that belonged to the Chemaly family that moved to Shaileh. The stones were used to build the new church. The structure is a crossed vault, with four altars: St Zakhia, the Madonna, the Sacred Heart, and St Joseph. The church still conserves its original decorum with colored floral motifs and arabesques.

Sarba, Al Janub, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة السيّدة القديمة

City:  Sarba En-Nabatieh

District:  Nabatieh

Governorate:  Nabatieh

History: 

كنيسة السيّدة القديمة - صربا النبطيّة

كان البناء أساسًا جزءً تابعًا للقلعة العثمانيّة القريبة منه، إشتراه أهل البلدة وحوّلوه إلى كنيسةٍ كرّسها المطران بولس بصبوص سنة ١٩١١. البناء كناية عن سوقٍ واحد مسقوفٍ بالقرميد. رُمّمت سنة ٢٠٠٥. تحوي الكنيسة لوحةً للعذراء محليّة الصنع تعرّضت للضرب بالرصاص خلال الحرب العالميّة الأولى.

The old church of Our Lady - Sarba el Nabatieh

The building was originally a part of the nearby Ottoman castle, the villagers bought it and converted it into a church that was consecrated by Bishop Boulos Basbous in 1911. The church consists of a single nave with a brick roof, it was renovated in 2005. In the church is displayed a local painting of the Madonna that holds marks of Ottoman bullets from World War I.

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.