The Qannubin Monastery 01

The Qannubin Monastery is on the northeast side of the Qadisha Valley. It is the oldest of the Maronite monasteries; although its foundation is often attributed to the Emperor Theodosius the Great in 375AD, it is more likely that it was established by a disciple of St Theodosius the Cenobite. For the most part it is cut into the rock cliff side - monastic cells, church, cloister, and accommodation for travelers.

The Qadisha valley was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1998 because of its importance as the site of some of the earliest Christian monastic settlements in the world, and its continued example of early Christian faith.

Qadisha, LEBANON