The village of Mdoukha houses the remnants of a Roman-era temple.
Built on the crest of Jabal El Qasir, at an altitude of 1.350m, south of the village, the sanctuary has an breathtaking 360 degree view, overlooking Mount-Lebanon from the west and Mount-Hermon from the East.
Timeline
The temple is beleived to date back between the 2nd and the 3rd century AD.
Some scholars believe that an earlier structure has been built on site during the Hellenistic era.
Structure
The temple is an isolated structure from the neighboring villages, open to the South and built with local limestone.
Some sections of the sanctuary can still be seen, such as the podium and the antes (pillars), while others have disappeared with time, such as the peribola (enclosed area) and most of the cella (inner chamber).
The particularity – though strange – part of the temple lies in the shape of its antes (pillars), provided at their end with an axially engaged semi-column, while most of the Mount-Hermon temples which present this type of plan have rectangular or square antes.
East of the temple, remnants of another structure can be noticed – some scholars believe that the foundations may refer to an annex building of the original sanctuary, or a monumental altar.
The deity of the sanctuary is unknown since no inscriptions were found on site.
Accessibility
The structure is accessible via a 1 hour steep hiking trail from the eastern road that links Mdoukha to El Bire village.
It is strongly recommended to contact and inform Mdoukha municipality before you come to the village.
Karim Sokhn
Tour Operator & Tour Guide
References:
La vie Religieuse Au Liban Sous L’Empire Romain – Julien Aliquo
