Hardine: The Village
of Hardine and The Temple of god Mercury
Means in Syriac language: "Pious", Witness
of justice, Ardent in faith and Square of religion.
"Hardine, the Rock of faith and religion",
"The first village to know Christianity in the
Mount of Lebanon", "The first to be mentioned
among the villages".
It is about 1100m. above sea level. A large area of
very thick forests surrounds it and the following
ruins of its inveterate past decorate its mountain
terraces:
-The «rocky tile of Hardine» with its
marine fossils and its unique length of 350 m along
a slope to the west and its width of nearly l00m.
Some one said, «The three most beautiful in
Mount Lebanon are the valley of Kannoubine, The Palace
of Beit Eddine and the tile of Hardine».
-The temple of god Mercury With 30 majestic pillars
built according to the rare ionic style. This temple
known as «the roman Palace of Hardine».
It's a really fantastic one; it goes back to the time
of Emperor Hadrian Augustus (117-137 A.D).
Over 30 monasteries, churches and hermitages
still standing or were restored like:
-"St Fawka's" monastery (6th century)
-"Patriarchal monastery" since the Maronites
came to Lebanon, known as "St. Sergios Alkarn".
-"St John Alchakf" monastery, since the
days of the Crusaders.
-"St Taqla" church in Beit Kassab square.
It was the father of St Hardidni, who first started
its renovation in the 19th Century.
-The church and hermitage of "St Stephan"
in a hollow in a light rock over the Plain of Al Jawz
River.
-The ruins of "St Richa's" monastery, where
the Syriac Diocese was moved between 1384 and 1598.
-The hermitages of "St Joseph", "Ste
Anne", "St Ephram" the Syriac, "St
Jacob Jesus' brother" and "the pottery monastery"
in the hollows of Kfarshira, and "the Lady of
the Castle" in the hollow of the water spring.
-The Church of "St. Georges and Edna" which
is distinguished Christian inscriptions (fish and
cross).
-The churches of "St Elias", "St Challita
and Nohra" in the hollows engraved in the rocks,
the old parish churches, like "St. Sergios and
Bacchus" (rebui1t in 1932). "the Lady of
deliverance" (rebuilt in 1948). The current one
is St. Shayna" (1844), and finally the church
of "St. Tadros" with its maronite alter,
The two rebuilt churches of "St. Antonios of
Padova" (1907), "St. Thomas" (1950)
and the church of "Ste Theresa of the Baby Jesus"
(1946).
-The monastery of St. Hardini» built with the
donations of the people from Hardine in Lebanon and
all over the world.
Hardin's historical characteristics:
-«Sarah From Hardine» the first Woman
hermit mentioned in Lebanon (1199).
-Moukaddam Benjamin: One of the maronite heroes in
battles defending Batroun and Byblos (13th C.)
-Priest Ibrahim ben Gerges ( 16th C.) and father Antonios
Kassab ( 19th C.) both well Known Copyists.
-The monk Jacob Sarkis the supervisor in the maronite
School in Rome when it was first established (1583).
-Patriarch David-John (1367-1404), the fourth to sit
on the Patriarchal chair in the monastery of St Sergios
al Karn.
-Three Syriac bishops from Hardine: Servios Issa,
Abrahim Hdayban and Gerges Dagher (15th-16th C.).
-Check «Bou Dagher» (17th c.) who encouraged
the Maronite Families to Own lands in Hardine. -A
large number of monks, the most famous St. Hardini
(1808-1858), St Charbel's tutor.
-Eleven of Hardini's finest young men drowned in the
tragedy of Titanic (1912).
Reference: Dr. Bassil, Rafik, «Hardine»:
Archeological, Historical, economical and social research
P.H.D. in History, USEK, Faculty of Humanities 1997.
- The Village of Hardine: >> View
Movie << (2002-01-01)
- The Temple of god Mercury: >> View
Movie << (2003-01-01)
- Deir
Mar Youhanna El Shaqf:
>> View
Movie << (2018-04-22)
- Wetlands:
>> View
Movie << (2018-04-22)
