5. Day Beirut IX

Saint George is a church building of the Maronite Church in Beirut. It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Beirut and thus the seat of the archbishop.

The Maronite Cathedral of Saint George was built between 1884 and 1894 in the classicist style. The church was opened on Palm Sunday 1894 and was built as a basilica with a nave and two aisles separated by two rows of columns. The interior of the church was modelled on the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

During the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 onwards, the church was considerably damaged and looted. After the end of the war, the church was extensively renovated. Several works of art that had been lost through looting were recovered. After years of renovation, Saint George's Cathedral was rededicated by Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on 24 April 2000.Read more