(Cable
Car,
Views
and
Churches
26
km)
Harissa
can
be
reached
from
Jounieh
by
cable
car,
a
nine-minute
ride
that
takes
you
up
600
meters
from
the
coast
to
the
precipitous
mountain
top.
A
less
breathtaking
approach
is
by
road
from
Jounieh.
Near
the
cable
car
terminus
is
a
church
and
a
spectacular
cathedral
begun
in
1970,
as
well
as
the
famous
landmark
Statue
of
the
Virgin
Mary
erected
in
1908.
Inside
the
base
of
the
statue
is
a
chapel
while
outside
a
spiral
staircase
leads
to
the
top.
Within
walking
distance
is
the
Greek
Catholic
Monastery
of
Saint
Paul
and
the
many-domed
church
of
Saint
Paul
begun
in
1947.
The
golden
walls
inside
the
church
are
covered
with
beautiful
Byzantine-style
wall
mosaics
that
represent
Christ
Pantocrater,
the
Virgin
wearing
a
medallion,
the
Communion
of
the
Apostles,
the
church
fathers
and
scenes
from
the
Bible.
The
area
around
Harissa
is
home
to
some
20
churches
and
monasteries.
The
oldest,
Saint
Anthony
of
Padua,
was
built
by
the
Franciscans
on
land
granted
by
Emir
Fakhreddine
II
in
1628
and
confirmed
by
the
Al-Khazen
sheikhs.
Nearby
Bzoummar
is
the
site
of
the
Armenian
Catholic
patriarchal
residence,
while
the
Patriarchate
of
the
Syrian
Catholic
Community
is
in
Sharfeh.
Harissa
is
also
the
seat
of
the
Papal
Nuncio
in
Lebanon.
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