Kadisha Valley, also called Wadi Kadisha or the Kadisha Gorge, is a deep canyon located in the Bsharri and Zgharta Districts of the North Governorate in Lebanon. The valley was formed by the Kadisha River, which is also known as Nahr Abu Ali near the city of Tripoli. The name "Kadisha" means "Holy" in Aramaic, and the valley is sometimes referred to as the Holy Valley. For many centuries, Christian monastic communities have lived in this area. The valley is situated at the base of Mount al-Makmal in northern Lebanon.
The valley faces threats from the expansion of human settlements, illegal construction, and uneven conservation efforts. While it is not currently listed on UNESCO’s "in danger" list, experts have warned that ongoing violations could result in this status being added.
Geography
The holy river, Nahr Qadisha, flows through the valley for 35 kilometers from its source in a cave (grotto) located slightly below the Forest of the Cedars of God. The sides of the valley are steep cliffs that contain many caves, some more than 1,000 meters high and hard to reach. The most scenic section of the valley extends for about 20 kilometers between Bsharri (Arabic: بشري), the hometown of Kahlil Gibran, and Tourza (Arabic: طورزا).
Kadisha Valley is located west of the Forest of the Cedars of God, which sits on a mountain above. This forest contains some of the last remaining ancient Cedars of Lebanon, which were among the most valuable building materials in the ancient world. The forest is reported to have 375 individual trees, including two that are over 3,000 years old, ten that are over 1,000 years old, and the rest that are at least several centuries old. The Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus Libani) is described in ancient botanical writings as the oldest tree in the world. It was admired by the Israelites, who transported it to their land to construct the First and Second temples in Jerusalem. Historical records show that cedar forests began to disappear during the 6th century AD, when Emperor Justinian was in power.
History
The natural caves in the Qadisha Valley have been used as shelters and places for burials since the Palaeolithic period. One specific cave, called Aassi Hauqqa near Hawqa, has provided archaeological items that show it was used during the Palaeolithic, Roman, and medieval periods. Since the early days of Christianity, the valley has been a place where people sought solitude. The Maronite monks built their new center at Qannubin, located in the middle of the Qadisha Valley, and monasteries soon spread across the nearby hills. Early Maronite communities in the valley lived together and also lived alone in solitude.
In the 13th century, Mameluk sultans Baibars and Qalaoun led military campaigns in 1268 and 1283, respectively, against fortress-caves, monasteries, and nearby villages. Despite these attacks, the Deir Qannubin monastery became the home of the Maronite Patriarch in the 15th century and remained so for 500 years. In the 17th century, the Maronite monks gained recognition for their religious devotion through a school established in Rome in 1584. Because of this, many European poets, historians, geographers, politicians, and clergy visited and even settled in the valley. The first printing press in the Middle East was created in 1585 at the Monastery of Qozhaya in the Qadisha Valley. In 1610, it printed its first book, the Book of Psalms in the Syriac language, using Syriac characters. This printing press was also the first in the region to print in Arabic.
In 1989–1991, a team of speleologists from the GERSL scientific organization discovered eight well-preserved natural mummies of villagers who lived around 1283 A.D. These mummies were found in the 'Asi-al Hadath cave along with many other artifacts. In 1998, UNESCO added the Qadisha Valley to its list of World Heritage Sites because of its significance as one of the earliest places where Christian monastic communities lived and its ongoing example of Christian faith.
Christian monasticism
The Kadisha (Holy) Valley is home to some of the oldest Christian monastic communities in the Middle East. The valley’s natural caves were uncomfortable, scattered, and hard to reach, making them ideal places for monks and hermits to live in isolation and focus on prayer and reflection. Many caves and rock formations were carved into homes, chapels, and monasteries. Some buildings have colorful wall paintings and exterior walls. Around the caves, hermits created terraced fields to grow crops like grain, grapes, and olives.
Several major monastic complexes exist in the valley:
The Qannubin Monastery (Deir Qannubin) is located on the northeast side of the Kadisha Valley. Though some believe Emperor Theodosius the Great founded it in 375 AD, it likely began as a monastery built by a follower of St. Theodosius the Cenobite. Most of the monastery is carved into a rock cliff, including living spaces, a church, a cloister, and rooms for travelers.
Since the 1500s, Qannubin has been the main church for the Maronite Patriarch.
The Monastery of Qozhaya (Deir Mar Antonios Qozhaya) is on the opposite side of the Kadisha Valley from Qannubin. Tradition says St. Hilarion founded it in the 4th century to honor St. Anthony the Great, an Egyptian monk. The earliest written records about the monastery date to around 1000 AD. It was destroyed in the 1600s but rebuilt quickly. The monastery includes a hallway, meeting room, and chapel, with nearby rock-cut homes and a mill.
This monastery also holds the first printing press in the Middle East, invented in 1610. The first book printed was a bilingual Psalter with 260 pages. The Psalms are written in two columns: Syriac on the right and Arabic on the left, using Syriac letters, known as Garshuni.
Saydet Hawqa is located between Qannubin and Qozhaya Monasteries at an altitude of 1150 meters, near a large cave. It was founded in the late 1200s by people from Hawqa. The hermitage had a wide platform with a water reservoir. A higher cave, accessible by ladder, was about 47 meters long and contained medieval pottery and arrowheads, suggesting it was used as a shelter. Evidence of walls and defenses was found in the Aassi Hauqqa cave at 1170 meters. Archaeological findings show the cave was used during the Paleolithic, Roman, and Medieval periods.
The Monastery of Mar Sarkis, also called Ras Al Nahr, overlooks the towns of Ehden, Kfarsghab, Bane, and Hadath El Jebbeh. Located at 1500 meters above the valley, it is called the “Watchful Eye of Qadisha.” It honors Saints Sarkis and Bakhos (Saints Sergius and Bacchus). The name Ras Al Nahr means “top of the river,” as it is near the source of the Qlaynsieh River, which flows into the Qannubin River.
The first church for Saints Sarkis and Bakhos was built in the mid-700s AD on the ruins of a Canaanite temple dedicated to a god of agriculture named Dagan. A church for Our Lady was built in 1198 AD. Additional buildings were added between 1404 and 1690, when Patriarch Estephan Douaihy restored parts of the monastery.
Mar Lishaa or St. Elisha (Deir Mar Alyeshu) was first mentioned in the 1300s and is shared by two religious groups: the Maronite solitary order and the Barefoot Carmelite order. It includes small living spaces, a dining hall, and offices. The communal church has four chapels carved into the rock.
Other monasteries in the Kadisha Valley include the Monastery of Mar Girgis with the Chapel of Mar Challita, the Monastery of Mar Yuhanna, the Monastery of Mar Abun with the Hermitage of Mar Sarkis, and the Monastery of Mart Moura in Ehden. Nearby, in the Hadchit Valley (Ouadi Houlat), there are monastic complexes like Deir es-Salib, Mar Antonios, Mar Semaane, and Mar Assia, along with isolated chapels for Mar Bohna and Mar Chmouna.
Towns, villages, and monasteries
- In Bsharri District
- Bsharri, Dimane, Bane, Blaouza, Tourza, Hasroun, Bazaoun, Bqarqacha, Bqaa Kafra, Braissat, Hadchit, Blaouza, Hadath, Monastery of Qannoubine, Monastery of Hawqa
- In Zgharta District
- Arbet Qozhaya, Ehden, Kfarsghab, Hawqa, Aintourine, Sereel, El Fradiss, Mazraat En Nahr, Beit Balais, Monastery of Qozhaya, Monastery of Mar Sarkis Ras Al Nahr