Nestled deep in Lebanon’s Qadisha Valley, for centuries the Deir Qannoubine monastery has been a refuge for Christian communities fleeing persecution.
Accessed by a narrow, unpaved road carved into the Qadisha — or holy in Aramaic — Valley in north Lebanon, the monastery has sat on top of a steep cliff since the 4th century. It is one of a number of similar sites scattered across the tree-lined valley, described as one of the most important and earliest Christian monastic settlements in the world, with snow-topped peaks still visible in the background.
And while a handful of nuns live there all year round, Father Hani Tawk, a Maronite priest, leads celebrations and ceremonies at Deir Qannoubine on important religious occasions — including Easter.
“It’s our roots here. Our Jerusalem, our Rome,” said the father of four.
“It’s like a shelter, to keep safe our faith and our freedom against all the armies [and] occupation of our land. Arab, Mameluke, Ottoman,” he said from the valley, which for many perhaps now serves best as a refuge from frenetic city life and the litany of problems currently affecting Lebanon.
Wadia Elshaya, a nun at the monastery, loves life in the valley. “It's almost ascetic, especially in the winter, when there's no one else here.”
Normally Father Hani is based in Beirut, where he operates a food kitchen for those in need in Karantina, a largely industrial area that was severely hit by the port explosion that struck the capital in 2020. But he regularly retreats to the monastery and Qadisha Valley.
“It’s my history, it’s my roots. Also, it’s my future. Why? Here, it’s like a place to recharge — like a battery. I come here to recharge, to make a spiritual retreat … we need sometimes to come back, to pray, to feel and smell the spirit of God.”
According to Father Hani, 23 patriarchs of the Maronite church lived and died at the monastery over a 400-year period — 15 of them are buried in a tomb in the adjoining Saint Marina the Monk church.
The seat of incumbent Cardinal of Bechara Boutros Rai is now in Bkerke, near the coastal town of Jounieh, but his red-roofed summer residence is visible from Deir Qannoubine on the other side of the valley in Dimane.
Father Hani arrived at the monastery on Wednesday, readying himself for a long weekend to celebrate Easter.
Save for the occasional birdsong and the river that runs towards Lebanon’s second city of Tripoli, it is the ringing of the bells that breaks the silence as the sun dips below the hills that wall the valley on Thursday evening.
Maundy Thursday is the day of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus is believed to have had with his disciples, and is marked by the ritual of the Washing of the Feet, as a sign of humility.
About 40 or so worshippers line the 10 rows of benches in the small church for the ceremony.
Father Hani, previously wearing a jumper, is now cloaked in white robes as he leads with his sermon, followed by prayers. Part way through the evening, he kneels down and moves across the aisle to wash the feet of 12 people — representing the 12 disciples.
Although relatively small, the monastery has a deceptive amount of space. Small entrances reveal extra rooms for prayer, built into the hillside, while below are a number of bedrooms for those wanting to stay.
Stooping under faintly lit doorways and narrow paths through the monastery, Father Hani points to a number of what were once secret escape routes, if the monastery came under attack, leading into the mountains. They are no longer hidden.
“Now we have a country, we are safe now. We don’t need again need this hide and escape. Thank God, after 1920 we have a big Lebanon and a state. We have many, many problems [in Lebanon] but we have a country, we have our citizens.”
And while not everything is exactly the same as it was centuries ago — the occasional smartphone is whipped out to record the foot washing and a new mosquito net covers the centuries-old former main entrance door — there is an effort to draw from the “feeling” and history that has taken place at the monastery.
“I feel God provides this type of life, firstly to help prayer. So that we can pray for our world, our nation, and for anyone in need. Because if there's no prayer, there's nothing,” said Wadia Eshaya, the nun who resides at the monastery.
“I love this life of prayer, this type of life. Here, people have a lovely message, it's very beneficial. Some people, when they come here, they feel such a peace, the peace of God that you don't find anywhere else.”
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The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
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NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
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