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The
Church of Saïdet
El
Talle
which means Our Lady of the Hill. Built in the fifth century by the Monk Nicolas
Smisaati over the ruins of an old Phoenician temple dedicated to the goddess
Astarte, the Church was destroyed by an earthquake in 859 then reconstructed by
the Order of the Templars during the Crusaders occupation of the region. It was
again destroyed by the Saracens and rebuilt once more during the reign of
Fakhreddine 1st Maan (1518-1544). In 1673, Sheikh Abu Fares Karam of
Ehden, Emir Ahmed Maan’s secretary, and his brother Sheikh Abu Nader enlarged
the church by building a solid main structure and vault. Later under the reign
of Bechir II Chehab (1789-1840), more work was carried out to enlarge and
restore the edifice leaving it very much as it appears today.
The
church is today included within a Maronite Bishopric. Its massive nave is
twenty-six meters long. Before it was last renovated in the 1990’s, a cordon
ran all the way around the interior walls of the church because popular belief
was that this “belt of Our Lady” would protect the worshipers from all
scourges, danger, war and illness.
Saïdet El Talle is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The image of the Virgin is seen in many spots throughout the church. One in particular hangs over the altar and is a copy of a painting which was vandalized in 1860. A local artist inspired by "The Virgin of Saint Luke" venerated in Sainte Marie Majeur in Rome painted it. The Virgin shown wearing a blue cloak and red dress stands holding the infant Jesus in her arms. He wears a pink tunic, one hand resting on a large book and with the other gives a blessing. Beneath their crowns of golden feathers their features are rather gross and unattractive.
As
you leave the church, notice in the courtyard that the ancient doorway has been
inserted within the wall. It is topped by a Byzantian stone carved beam showing
a cross over an inverted crescent which envelops a rosette (depicting the sun).
According to Prof. F.E. Boustany, in the ancient liturgy the sun symbolized the
Virgin.
In the maze of DeirElQamar's narrow streets and old houses a small stairway leads to the church of Saïdet El Talle or Our Lady of the Hill. Just a few steps from a Maronite monastery, tradition holds that the church goes back to 451 when it was built on the site of a Phoenician temple dedicated to Astrate. Enlarged, restored and rebuilt over the centuries, today it bears the marks of both natural upheavals and human conflict. Saïdet El Talle is consecrated to the miraculous Virgin and is one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in Lebanon. The first Sunday of August is ostentatiously celebrated in this church, surrounded by the buildings of the monastery. MINISTRY OF TOURISM IN LEBANON
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