Statue of the Holy Virgin Mary

On Mount Harissa above the city of Junia is probably the most important attraction of Lebanon – the statue of the Holy Virgin Mary. This statue, which evokes associations with the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, was cast in France in the early XX century. It took fifteen tons of bronze to make the statue.

In 1908, the statue was installed in Junia on a conical stone pedestal, From a height of 650 meters above sea level, the twenty-meter Our Lady stretches her arms above the city, as if protecting it. At the base of the pedestal there is a chapel in which you can put a candle.

Behind the statue stands a spectacular building with a huge glass facade. It is a modern cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon, serving as the residence of the papal nuncio in Lebanon. Nearby is St. Paul’s Cathedral, contrasting with the basilica with its traditional Byzantine style. There are more than twenty churches and chapels on Harissa.

You can climb to Harissa from Junia on a modern cable car.