St Tedros church, Behdidat

Eyes staring into eternity, fresco of Mar Tadros, Behdidat, Byblos area. Around the city of Jbeil (Byblos), many town churches have kept 13th century murals within their churches, like the church of Mar Tadros in of the village of Behdidat. The church walls are covered with a complete pictorial program, relating the story of Salvation in its two dimensions, according to the Old and the New Testaments under the aegis of two warrior saints: Saint George and Saint Theodore (Mar Tadros). Read more

St Phocas church, Amioun 

Mar Fauqa, or St. Phocas, built by local architects during the Crusader period. The entire interior of St. Phocas is covered with paintings of the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the frescoes represents Christ descending into hell and holding out a helping hand to Adam and Eve. On the pillars are painted figures of Christ, Saint Phocas, Simon Stylites and other saints. To know more

Saint Phocas amiounAl Qatteen convent, Sghar

Dated back to the 6th century, it is carved into the rocks, where there are caves and remains of rooms in the pockets of the sheer cliff. It was destroyed in 1405, leaving only the altar’s apse, some vaults, a rock basin and a room built from rocks standing on top of the rocks, which no one has reached since the destruction of the monastery; in local parlance, it is “the Boss’s room”. To know more

Al Qatteen Convent

St Charbel, Maad 

Mar Sharbel of Edessa was the chief of the pagan priests who used to offer sacrifices to the gods of Edessa, a city in Turkey now called Urfa. Converted to Christianity together with his sister Babai, he was tortured under the Roman emperor Decius (236-250 A.D.) and then had his head cut off. His sister Babai, who was present at his execution, then took up some of his blood in her robe, saying, “May my spirit be united with yours in the presence of Christ, whom you have known and in whom you have believed.” To know more

saint charbel maad

Mar Saba church, Edde 

Built during the medieval period, a crusader church, dating back to 1262 AD. Its style is Roman, rustic, and military with very large walls, big pillars and narrow windows for the archers. On the North wall is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary and Syriac inscriptions. On the South wall is a Virgin Mary in her majesty and Jesus Christ. We can also recognize St. George and admire a beautiful crucifix. These frescoes seem to be the result of collaboration between local and occidental masters of the Byzantine style. To know more 

mar saba edde 3

Deir el Natour Convent, Anfeh

The convent’s ancient origin is attached to a legend. A rich man of the region committed adultery; filled with remorse, he attached a padlocked iron chain to his ankle and threw the key into the sea-shore and survived on the fish brought to him by local fishermen, who called him the guardian of the cavern. One day, a fisherman brought him a fish, in whose entrails the hermit found the key of the padlock. He knew then that God had delivered him from his suffering, and he built a convent above the cavern. He dedicated it to The Mother of God, but it also took the name of the Guardian. To know more

deir el natour anfeh

St Barbara church, Barghoun 

In an olive grove at the northern edge of Barghoun village lie the remains of a 12th-14th century church dedicated to Saint Barbara. The well preserved apse is decorated with a unique wall painting representing the Virgin as Orans, (hands raised in a traditional gesture of prayer) between two angels. To know more

Saint Barbara church barghoun

St Mary church, Smar Jbeil

Close to Saint Nohra, an old little ruined chapel with a single nave could be seen, Our Lady of Gifts or Our Lady of Recues church. It is believed that this church is older than Saint Nohra’s church. Our Lady of Rescues church in Smar Jbeil, is one of the oldest St Mary church in Lebanon and the East built during the Crusaders era in the Middle Ages. The roofless church had at its vicinity an old Oak tree that is covering with its branches the church. To know more 

rachana church