Canyons and Caves Preserve a Tradition from Early Christianity in Lebanon
July 5, 2018—Dramatic gorges cut through the northern Lebanon Mountains. Called Wadi Qadisha, meaning “Holy Valley” in Aramaic, the basin and its environs hold a wealth of spiritual history. Beginning in the early centuries of Christianity, monasteries grew in Qadisha Valley's remote caves and cliffs. Lebanon's largest Christian group, the Maronite Rite, dates its arrival in the valley to the fifth century. Several monasteries remain active to the present day, including the Maronite hermitages at Qannoubine and Qozhaya, as well as the Greek Orthodox Hamatoura Monastery. Other sites lie abandoned, but demonstrate the continued importance of the region to Lebanon's Christian communities. Beyond the valley rises Makmel, the Levant’s tallest mountain. And at Makmel's foot, lies an evergreen grove, the Cedars of God. The Bible and Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh both memorialize the cedars of Lebanon. Over centuries, most old growth on the mountains was felled for its coveted timber. But reserves like this protect some of the remaining Lebanon cedars. Together, Wadi Qadisha and the Cedars of God are recognized on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
