| Kaftoun Church |
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| Written by Revd Fr Bassam Nassif | ||||||||||||
| Saturday, 06 November 2004 14:29 | ||||||||||||
Holy Martyr and Wonderworker Phokas Bishop of SinopeAs bishop in his birthplace, the town of Sinope on the shore of the Black Sea, he strengthened the devout in their faith by his divine example and words, and brought many idol worshippers to the true Faith. During the persecution of the Roman Emperor Trajan, he was captured and thrown into boiling water, in which this courageous soldier of Christ finished his earthly course and entered into the joy of his Lord in the year 102 AD. The Holy Church celebrates his memory on September 22, and the transfer of his holy relics on July 23.
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 June 2006 12:36 ) | ||||||||||||
This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.


























































We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;