CAZA:
Jbeil
400m
Etymology:
Syriac origin, "Ain Kapheh", meaning "the source of the vaults"Ain Kfaa is a garden village, where beautiful houses are almost buried under the flowering branches of the trees in a peaceful and charming setting. This timeless atmosphere is announced by the winding road of the surrounding countryside, surrounded by olive groves. An amazing church with massive stones from a Byzantine fortress and an ancient temple, stands in all its splendor in the heart of the village. A village that one hesitates to draw from its lethargy. A must-see.
Must-do things
- Mar Saba central church with its two square vaults solidly seated on the massive stones of a Byzantine fortress
- Mar Rouhana church built by Brother Marcos Al Kifaii, 400 years ago, on the ruins of a citadel
- Saydet el-Najat church
- The olive groves in the surrounding countryside
- The flower gardens adjoining the houses
- The caves located in the valley
- The house and museum of the famous Lebanese writer and poet Maroun Abboud
- Mar Rouhana’s feast celebrated on September 29
- The olive production
- A hike from the village of Ghalboun to the village of Ain Kfaa
- The village of Mayfouk which constitutes a major religious site and includes the monastery of Saydet Mayfouq, known since the year 850 and one of the oldest in Lebanon, and the church of Saint Ellige, built in the 12th century and famous for its remarkable icon of the Virgin and Child
- The Crusader citadel of Smar Jbeil built in the 12th century, with its cistern and tombs carved into the rock
- The historical center of the city of Amchit with its iconic palaces and churches
- The village of Gharzouz with its steep sea view and its Saydet el-Niyah church, of about 500 years old, built with the remains of a temple
- The village of Bekhaz with its bird’s eye view of the sea
- The charming village of Toula with its large triple nave Crusader church, dedicated to Mar Doumit, and its beautiful stone houses
- The typical village of Abdelli with its beautiful stone houses
- The labelled villages of Rachana, Maad and Mounsef
- Jaj Cedar Forest, home to multi-century cedars scattered among the rocks, remains of one of the oldest cedar forest reserves in Lebanon
- Bentaël nature reserve