Our Lady of Bekaa
Our Lady of Zahle and the Bekaa (also spelled Beqaa), is a Marian shrine located in the city of Zahlé in the Beqaa Valley.
In 1958, Bishop Euthym, a man of great devotion to Our Lady, decided to build a shrine in honor of the Virgin Mary on the top of a hill overlooking Zahle and the Bekaa Valley.[1] A ten-meter-high bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, the work of the Italian artist, Pierroti, rests on a 54 meter high tower, crowning a hill known by the name of Tel Chiha. Work on the shrine was delayed for years because of the Lebanese civil war, but an grand inauguration was held in May 2005 after restoration work was completed on the statue. [2] An elevator takes pilgrims and tourists up to a viewing platform overlooking the red-roofed city and offering panoramic views of the valley. The base of the tower houses a small chapel that seats about 100 people.[3]
