Silk Mills and
Churches
(28 km from Halba)
Located at the extreme end
of the Mount Lebanon range in the Akkar area, this now
bustling town was, some 90 years ago, a silk-rich community of
only a few thousand people.
Two vestiges of these days still exist: the
abandoned silk reeling factory and the mansion of the Daher
family. This beautiful home has an ornate portal with relief
carvings of stylized lions which were borrowed from a Mamluke
monument in the region, probably Akkar al-Atiqa.
Near the silk mill is an Italian style
church and school dedicated to St. George. Several kilometers
outside the town is a recently reconstructed old church that
was built from Roman temple elements.
Ask for directions to the St. Shalleeta
Church in the town. This is built on a single vaulted apse and
has a niche inside with interesting carved pieces, including
two stones with incomplete Greek inscriptions. The pieces were
found during reconstruction.
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