Syriac Monasteries in Lebanon

Syriac Monasteries in Lebanon

• Edessan monk Monastery” Established at the beginning of 5th century by an anonymous monk from Edessa. It’s located near Beirut and it might be the first monastery in Lebanon

• Beirut Monastery: It was located near Beirut. His abbot was ordained a bishop of Latakia by Jacob Baradaeus

• Monastery of Mort Metrona: Established near Beirut by Mort Metrona and her daughter Theodota after they established a monastery near Homs

• Monastery of the Stylite monk: It was established near Beirut then a Stylite monk joined the monastery

• Belmont monastery: It was established by a European monastic order during the Crusaders time near Tripoli. The Syriac Orthodox church occupied it between 1291 and 1603 and left there a big library 

• Kafton monastery: Located near Tripoli. One of the oldest Syriac Orthodox church monasteries in Lebanon. It’s used by another church now

• Monastery of Rabbula: It was named after monk Rabbula of Samosata who settled in Mount Lebanon in the 5th century and build a big monastery on the mountain with the help of Youhanon, Bishop of Bairut

• Monastery of Leontius: An ascetic called Leontius built this monastery near Al-Hadath village in Mount Lebanon after the establishment of the Monastery of Rabbula

• Monastery of Mor Adna: Build in Ayn A’qora (Current Al’Aqora) in 509 on the name of Mor Adna

• Monastery of Mor Mama: Built in Ahden in Mount Lebanon in the name of Mor Mama who was martyred in 274. It was the first monastery built in this area. It has some Syriac and Roman inscriptions. It’s used by the Maronite Church now

• Monastery of St. Sergius (Sarkis): built in Ahden just after the Monastery of Mor Mama was built. It’s used by the Maronite Church now

• Monastery of Mor Ya’koub: Built in the South East part of Ahden in the name of Mor Ya’koub (the dismembered). The church in the monastery was big and had 3 altars. It stayed in the Syriac Orthodox Church until 1488 when the monks moved into a different monastery and the Maronite church started using it

• Monastery of Mor Mama: Built in Beshre in Mount Lebanon in the name of Mor Mama who was martyred in 274

• Monastery of St. Sergius (Sarkis): Built in Hardin village in Mount Lebanon in the 12th century. It belongs to the Maronite Church now

• Monastery of Mor Phoqa: Located in the village of Hardin in Mount Lebanon. Mor Phoqa was the Syriac pattern saint for sea travelers

• Monastery of Mor Youhana: Located in the village of Hardin in Mount Lebanon.

• Monastery of Mor George: Located in the village of Hadshit in the Qanubin valley in Mount Lebanon. 

• Monastery of Youldath Aloho:  Located in the village of Hadshit in the Qanubin valley in Mount Lebanon. Was also dedicated to Mor Simeon and was called Al-Karam monastery

• Gubba monastery: Located in the village of Baqufa in the Qanubin valley in Mount Lebanon. It was the Patriarch Nuh of Baqufa when he was still a Maphrian

• Lady of Qatin monastery: Located near the village of Sfarin a valley in Mount Lebanon. Qatin is a Syriac word meaning “distress.” It’s a rock cut monastery with multiple levels and has a strong fence

• Monastery of St. Anthony: Located in Qadisha valley in Mount Lebanon. It was mentioned in a Maronite chronicle in 1242. At one time it had 40 monks and it was called Monastery of Faradis

• Monastery of Mor Domit: Located in the village of Bshe’li in Mount Lebanon. It was built and inhabeted by Syriac monks in the 8th century

• Monastery of Mor Gorgis: Located in the village of Kour in the Betron district. Its believed it was built in the 6th century

• Monastery of Youldath Aloho: Located in the village of ’Ain-Torin

• Monastery of Youldath Aloho: Was also called Hoqa monastery and it’s located in Qadisha Valley in Mount Lebanon. It's a rock cut structure and was mentioned in a Syriac manuscript written in the 1509

• Monastery of Ba’lbak: It was mentioned in Michael Rabo chronicles

• Monastery of Mor Osio: located on the south side of the Qannoubine Valley, in an inaccessible spot that overhangs the whole valley. It consists of two caves: the first one is the church and the second one, a little higher up, shelters the hermitage. It’s dedicated to Mor Osio (St. Assia) who was a medical doctor and lived in the 3rd century and was martyred in 303 AD

• Monastery of the Cross: Located below the village of Hadshit in Hulat valley in Mount Lebanon. It stayed as Syriac monastery until the end of 15th century

• Hremaya Monastery: It was located in the western side of Bekka' valley

• 'Ayn Jara Monastery: Located near the town of 'Anjar in the middle section of Bekka' valley

• Kepha Monastery: Was near a town called Dier Kepha in southern Lebanon

• 'Uyon Monastery: Near the town of Margi'yon in Lebanon

• Monastery of Rashya: Near the town of Rashya in Lebanon

Sources:

• De Tarrazi, Philippe (1947), Best of Lebanon History and Syriac History, Beirut, Lebanon

• Charaf, Hanan and Chaaya, Anis (2002), Syriac Cult Places in Wadi Qadisha in Lebanon, Milan