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| Annaya |
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The main attraction in Annaya is
the St. Maroun Monastery and the hermitage of Lebanon's Saint
Charbel, beatified in 1965 and canonized in 1989. Many miraculous
cures are attributed to St. Charbel, whose body is said to have
remained intact after his death in 1898. In the monastery you
can see the tomb of Charbel along with relics of his miracles.
A small, vaulted-ceiling stone church is open to visitors and
a souvenir shop sells religious objects, books and pictures
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Leaving the monastery, a road
to the left leads up to the Hermitage where Charbel lived. Approached
by a long set of wide stone stairs, this mountain top location
affords a magnificent view. Inside the old building are various
hermit's cells, including the room where Charbel died. A small
square church is part of the hermitage.
Annaya attracts a steady stream of visitors so the area has a
good selection of restaurants and snack shops. Both the monastery
and the
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hermitage have restroom
facilities. Sleeping quarters for overnight guests at the monastery
are available at a modest fee.
Two km before Annaya is Torzaya, known for its interesting cave.
The cave entrances are in an idyllic valley below the Church of
St. Theresa, about two kilometers downhill from the mosque in the
center of town. Another half kilometer downhill from the church
brings you to the bridge and from here a footpath leads to a cave
with many chambers and fantastic stone shapes which can be explored
on foot.
In winter and spring, when the cave is a channel for the rushing
River Ibrahim, the water flows from beneath a natural arch out into
a verdant river valley. In summer you can explore the cave on foot
with the help of a flashlight.
This little valley is a beautiful spot for a picnic. A walk around
the area might also turn up antique remnants such cave burial chambers,
or elements from a Roman temple which probably once stood here.
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Mount Lebanon:
