I thought that it would be interesting to tell you more about this historic and religious place
The name Maghdouche is originated from the Syriac word, which means crops collectors. It is also derived from the Syriac word (Kidsh) and its derivatives (Kadisho, Kadishat, Makdosho). And In Hebrew language it means Holy or Saint.
Maghdouche was not independent until 1683 by the great prince Fakhir el Dien for his religious tolerance.
The tradition tells that when Jesus came to Sidon, the Virgin Mary who accompanied him, stopped to wait for him at the top of the hill; She spent the night inside the cave named "Mantara". The King Constantin the Great responded to St. H�l�ne request and transformed the cave into a sanctuary for the Virgin.
He erected there a tower, at the top of which he put a flame to announce that Saint H�l�ne his mother discovered the Christ�s Gross. This tower fell down during the earthquake of 550. The king Louis IX erected there a watching tower. The cave was once again discovered accidentally by a shepherd in 1726, the miraculous icon of the Virgin was near the altar. It is of byzantine style and dates back to the VII or to the VIIIth century. Since then, the cave has been transformed into a place of pilgrimage for all the Lebanese confessions. In 1860, the Greek-Melkite Community became the owner, and transformed the cave into a sanctuary worthy of the Virgin in 1880.
At the beginning of the sixties, Mgr Basile Khoury built a beautiful hexagonal chapel and a 28 m high tower on the top of which he erected a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus in her arms, a work of the Italian artist Pierrotti. The statue is 28m and a half high.
The Virgin of Mantara is the protectress of the children, that�s why many baptisms are celebrated there.
In 1986 The armed conflict between Amal and the Palestinians spread to Maghdoucheh. Ferocious combats took place in this Christian strategic town. Ultimately, it fell partially in the hands of Palestinians and its residents were forced to flee from their homes and Maghdouche was destroyed.
In 1990 after 4 years of evacuation by force, the resident of Maghdouche start to return to the ruines of their village to start the big Journey of rebuilding what was destroyed in the war of strangers�...
God bless
