Mseilha Fortress, Saint Anthony Monastery, Gibran Museum, Cedars of God Forest - Private Tour

Overview: On our way to the kadisha valley we take a small stretch break at the Mseilha Fortress. This Fortress was built and used to serve as a soldier’s base to defend the trade route between Tripoli and Beirut in the mid 1750’s when bandits frequently attacked the caravan serails.

We then continue our day by visiting the Saint Anthony monetary in Qozhaya one of the largest monasteries in the valley functioning which has been active since the mid 12th century. The Saint Anthony Monastery hosts the first printing press in the Arab world (16th century) and played a crucial role in printing bibles and religious scriptures in order to keep the Christian faith thriving in the valley during the area’s occupation by the mamluks and ottomans. One of the last hermit monks in the valley, father Youhana Khawand, frequents the monastery, whom you may run into.

The next stop is the Gibran Khalil Gibran Museum, the Gibran Museum hosts the poetry and art work of the legendary Khalil Gibran. As a child his family moved to the United States where he later became a member of the prestigious pen league. His most famous book “the prophet” published in 1923 is a series of 26 prose poems which has become one of the most translated book

- Lunch with a beautiful view of the Kadisha Valley

Our last stop is the cedars of God Forest, although it is a small forest, it is the home to the oldest cedar trees in Lebanon some as old as 6,000 years! Take a breath of air, enjoy the fresh pine smell, the birds chirping, and the wonderful views of the cedars and the mountains in the background.