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Cities
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Mount Lebanon:
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Beit Mery |
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| Beit Mery |
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The sudden dramatic height of
Mount Lebanon gives Beit Mery, at 800 meters, spectacular views
of the Beirut peninsula and large sections of the coast. This
is a popular resort with good restaurants, entertainment and hotels
ready to receive visitors. The town is also the scene of an annual
winter cultural festival that features international drama and
dance groups as well as orchestras and chamber ensembles.
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In the center of town,
a sign-posted road to the right leads to the Maronite Monastery
of Saint John the Baptist (known as Deir el-Qalaa) and Beit Mery’s
Roman and Byzantine remains. This huge site on a strategic location
overlooking Beirut, is on three levels.
At the top are the ruins of a Roman temple to the important local
god Baal Marqod which has a church built on part of its foundations.
The church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was constructed
in 1750 and has apparently been rebuilt a number of times since
then. The inscription above the main door bears the date 1768, the
year the church was first built. The old church is incorporated
into the present early 20th century structure.
The temple itself, probably dating to the first century AD, has
masonry intact up to three meters. Three of the six columns are
still standing, although not at their original height.
A short walk down the hill leads to the site of a small second century
AD temple to the goddess Juno. A monumental doorway still stands
amid a jumble of ancient stones, some with Latin inscriptions. This
door-way was probably the start of a processional path between the
two temples.
Below the Juno temple is an extensive area of scattered ruins. Of
particular note is the mosaic floor of a 6th century Byzantine church
with one of the reused temple columns in place. Nearby is a remarkably
well preserved public bath. In one of its rooms it is possible to
observe the heating system through a hole broken in the floor. The
hypocaust tiles, used to conduct heat, are all in place.
Once a Roman-Byzantine settlement, the entire site is littered with
remains of more temples, a second bath and a colonnaded street. |
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