CHURCH BUILDING
Saint Elias Maronite Church, Kantari
Beirut · Maronite Catholic
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- Locality
- Beirut
- Tradition
- Maronite Catholic
- Type of place
- CHURCH BUILDING
- Coordinates
- 33.89725° N, 35.49635° E
A brief history
Saint Elias in Kantari grew from an earlier chapel into a larger Maronite church in 1907 as Beirut’s community expanded. The building suffered severe damage during the Lebanese Civil War. A restoration directed by Saïd Bitar in 2001 revealed the stonework by removing interior plaster and added paintings by Rana Raounda and stained glass by Jacques Guitton. The restored church preserves an early-twentieth-century parish landmark within the modern city.
An interesting detail
After the Beirut port explosion, the Order of Malta helped restore the stained glass; Maltese crosses were incorporated into some transept windows.