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The social committee of the Romaïan Cultural Society organized its first trip in 2019 to the Batroun area in northern Lebanon, specifically targeting the towns of Rashana, Smar Jbeil, Jrebta, Bejdarfel, and Kfifan, concluding with a visit to the coastal area of Koura in Chekka and Enfeh. The social committee, chaired by Mr. Nicolas Mokbel, welcomed the fifty participants near the Zahret El-Ihsan School, in Beirut, early on Saturday, April 13, and invited them to board a large, air-conditioned bus that departed from Beirut at 7 am.
After a stop for breakfast at Bitar Bakery in Qornet El Roum, the bus continued its journey towards the town of Rashana in the Batroun region. Rashana, a small village, is situated at an altitude of 380 meters, and has been transformed into an artistic workshop by the three brothers Michel, Alfred, and Youssef Basbous through the sculptural artefacts they have crafted over 50 years, making it a gathering place for sculptors in Lebanon. The delegation visited the Rashana Sculpture Park, which features 95 large sculptures displayed outdoors and which was established by Alfred Basbous in 1994. They, then, visited the home of Michel Basbous, which also houses around 200 sculptures. Among this complex, they visited his original residential sculpture that has an oval shape, and that was the private residence of Michel Basbous, and where his widow, Mrs Thérèse Basbous, resides. This lady met with some visitors and explained to them the history of the house and her husband’s work. It is worth mentioning that Thérèse Awad Basbous is a writer and poet. Visitors took many souvenir photos in this open museum.
The trip moved on, in its second phase, to the historic town of Smar Jbeil, which dates back to the Phoenician era. At the edge of the village, there is a hill that rises about 500 meters above sea level, topped by a very old castle, believed to have been built first by the Phoenician kings of Byblos. It later passed into the hands of the Persians and then to Alexander the Great. In later periods, it was alternately ruled by the Romans, the Romaïans, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and some local sheikhs. It is worth mentioning that Bishop John Maroun, who founded the Maronite Church, sought refuge in this fortress and resided there before his election as Patriarch and his move to Kfarhay. The delegation toured around the castle and inside it, getting to know the moat that surrounded it, as well as its towers and the interior halls that have been restored in recent decades.
The delegation visited, near the castle, the well of Saint Nohra, where it is believed he was thrown at the time of his martyrdom. Local traditions consider this saint to be the patron of patients suffering from ophthalmic diseases, healing their ailments of all kinds through washing their eyes with the water from the well. In the town, there is an ancient church named after Saint Nohra, which dates back, at least, to the Crusader era and still bears paintings from that period. The delegation visited this church and a nearby Roman temple known as Our Lady of Help.
In the third phase of the journey, the delegation visited the Saint Joseph Monastery in the village of Jrebta. This monastery was established in 1897, and Sister Rafka (Rebecca) Rayess was one of its six founders from the Lebanese Maronite Order. She was canonized in Rome in 2001. The monastery includes her tomb, a museum of her earthly belongings, the Church of Saint Joseph, the Church of Saint John the Apostle, the Garden of Saint Rafka, and a rest home for the elderly. A large basilica is being built to accommodate the numerous pilgrims. The delegation toured various parts of the monastery, visited the two churches and the shrine of Saint Rafka, and wandered through the garden. In the fourth phase of the journey, the delegation visited the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina in the town of Kfifan in Batroun. The construction of this monastery dates back to the seventh century and the site was mentioned in a manuscript from the year 717. The monastery is dedicated to Saints Cyprian and Justina, two Antiochian saints martyred during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians extensively in the third century. The Maronite Lebanese Monastic Order is taking care of this monastery, where the Maronite saint Neematallah Hardini lived. He reposed in the Lord in 1858 and was canonized in 2004. The monastery also houses the tomb of Brother Stephan Neemeh, who was declared blessed in 2007. The visiting delegation toured various parts of this monastery and its church, and was very impressed by the gardens and squares that surround it.
The delegation of the Romaïan Cultural Society visited the town of Bejdarfel in the fifth phase of the trip, where it stopped at the Church of Saint Panteleimon the Wonderworker, the patron saint of physicians in the Romaïan tradition. This church serves the parish of Bejdarfel, and is located near a municipal park and a modern statue of Saint Panteleimon. The visitors met with the parish priest who gave ample explanations about the church, and they noticed the presence of a Romaïan icon of Saint Panteleimon on the church altar.
At 2 pm o’clock, the visitors headed to the city of Enfeh on the Koura coast, where they had lunch at the “Harat Sharqia” restaurant. This lunch consisted of fish and seafood, impressing and satisfying the participants in the trip due to its difference from the lunches they were accustomed to in previous journeys.
The phases of this wonderful exploratory journey were completed with a visit to the Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Chekka, and a visit to the Nabu Heritage Museum in the neighboring town of Al-Heri. As for the Church of the Transfiguration, it is a modern and spacious church built in the last decades of the twentieth century. It is distinguished by beautiful murals that represent major biblical events and many saints, but a large mural on the western wall of the church drew attention because it is inspired by contemporary life and represents modern life scenes.
After the Chekka Church, the visitors moved to the Nabu Museum, which was inaugurated in 2018 by the wealthy businessman Jawad Adra. The name Nabu is attributed to the god of knowledge and wisdom from ancient Iraq. The museum was built by the Iraqi sculptor Dia Al-Azzawi and the Iraqi-Canadian artist Mahmoud Al-Obeidi. It houses no less than two thousand artifacts from Mesopotamia and the Eastern Mediterranean, in addition to artworks and oil paintings by contemporary Lebanese artists. The museum is located near the Mediterranean coast and overlooks Ras el-Shaqa’a, which is topped by the Monastery of Saydet el Nouria.
The delegation returned late on Saturday after all participants in the trip had gained a deeper understanding of the heritage of one of the most beautiful regions of Lebanon.
