Day 6: (September 18, 2017) Christian Monasticism:

Site: The Qadisha Valley -  UNESCO World Heritage Site (The Monastery of Saint Anthony of the Desert; the Mariamite Monastery of Mar Lisha; the Monastery of Qannubin; the Monastery of Hamatoura; the Monastery of Saydetan-Nour; the Gibran Khalil Gibran Museum; the Monastery of Mar Sarkis, Bsharri)

We first visited the Monastery of St Anthony of the Desert, and there had lecture on the “Significance of Christian Monasticism by Professor Edward Alam. After the Lecture, we toured round the monastery of St Anthony of the Desert and then continued our visit to other monasteries mentioned above.

The Qadisha valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Its monasteries, many of which are of great age, stand in dramatic positions in a rugged landscape. According to Professor Alam, the rocky cliffs of the Qadisha valley have for centuries provided atmosphere conducive for meditation and refuge. The largest number of monasteries and hermitages dating back to the very first spread of Christianity are located in this valley. The main monasteries are those of St Anthony of Quzhayya, Our Lady of Hauqqa, Qannubin and Mar Lichaa. This Valley bears unique witness to the very Centre of Maronite eremitism.